Worship Styles - Part 3

"I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect." (Romans 12:1-2)

So what does the Bible say about worship? In Romans we learn that our bodies are a living sacrifice and as such our bodies are made for worship. But with this comes a responsibility. It is your job to be able to discern the will of God. To understand this let me show you how the Bible refers to discernment.

Phillipians 1:9-11
⁹And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, ¹⁰so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ, ¹¹filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ—to the glory and praise of God.

Psalm 139: 1-4

1 O Lord, you have searched me

and you know me.

2 You know when I sit and when I rise;

you perceive my thoughts from afar.

3 You discern my going out and my lying down;

you are familiar with all my ways.

4 Before a word is on my tongue

you know it completely, O Lord.

Job 34:2
2 “Hear my words, you wise men;

listen to me, you men of learning.

3 For the ear tests words

as the tongue tastes food.

4 Let us discern for ourselves what is right;

let us learn together what is good.

So the Lord tells us that we are the ones who should be discerning, but also that the Lord himself discerns. In Latin the word discern means to sift apart. We are to sift apart what is Godly and what is not. He knows that as imperfect, broken and sinful people this is no easy task. God also knows the way of the devil and his ability to twist the truth just enough that we may feel we are on the right path as we drift away from the Truth. 2 John 1:3 tells us that "the Truth lives in us and will be with us forever."

1 Corinthians 2:10 explains what John is saying by adding " But Some manuscripts read For.

"> it was to us that God revealed these things by his Spirit. For his Spirit searches out everything and shows us God’s deep secrets. 11 No one can know a person’s thoughts except that person’s own spirit, and no one can know God’s thoughts except God’s own Spirit" Which leads me back to my original question about worship. If the Holy Spirit dwells within us (and it dwells within anyone who has accepted Jesus as their savior) and we train our ears to hear it's voice above all others, we will know when we are worshiping God. It is not for others to decide, as the Spirit has different words for all of us and only the Spirit is able to tell us the thoughts of God.

All that to say that the Lord knows when you are worshiping him "with all your heart, all your soul, all your strength, and all your mind." Through the Holy Spirit, you will also know if your worship is sincere and complete or misdirected and misguided. Even though we have defined 9 types of worship, we are not limited to those 9. Within those 9 there are also a number of ways to display your worship for His Glory. And, as we are know, we are not to judge how others worship or try to emulate another form of worship, we are not God! "He knows what he has planned for us, plans to proper us and not to harm us." (Jeremiah 29:11).

Use the tools God has gifted to you, strengthen them through his Word and through practice. Study the Godly people who have shared your gift for worship and use their methods to grow your own. Surround yourself with Godly people that have different styles of Worship so that together you can be the hands and feet of Christ. Only Christ, being God, had all of the gifts for worship. We are not designed to isolate ourselves in worship (be careful ascetics, lol) at all times. Your gifts are meant to be used in the world to demonstrate God's grace and mercy to those who do not know Him. We were made to worship. It is in all of us, some choose to use this innate ability to worship false idols. The life of Christ, as told through the gospels, shows us that there is only one true God and he is the reason we are made to worship, He is the One we are to worship...
In the way YOU were created.

So I will conclude this little series with a few of my favorite songs for each style:
Naturalist: How Great Thou Art
Sensate: Open the Eyes of My Heart, Lord
Traditionalists: All Glory Laud and Honour
Ascetics: You Are My All In All
Activists: We Are An Offering
Caregivers: It is Well With My Soul
Enthusiasts: Shout to the Lord
Contemplatives: Here I Am to Worship
Intellectuals: Holy, Holy, Holy

Please feel free to share some of your favorites for your worship style. This list is based on Gary Thomas' study guide and is somewhat limited in contemporary Christian music.

I pray that each of you learn your style so that you may worship God to your fullest. I pray that you explore other styles so that you can learn to show the glory of God in many different ways. I pray that you show grace and mercy on Christians with different styles, it is not the style that matters but the will to follow God's plan. I pray that anyone who has felt judged by others for their worship style is able to forgive and find compassion for those who simply did not understand. I pray that you are able to use discernment through the Word and the Spirit. I pray that you love the Lord your God with all your heart, mind, strength and soul.

May the Spirit be in you and guide you on your way.

Worship Styles - Part 2

Yesterday I promised more resources so here I go:

* There is a simple test you can take to determine your worship style.
* Once you have figured out your worship style take a moment and view Gary Thomas' study guide regarding this topic. It will help you to grow the way God designed you.
* You can download the sermon for only $1 and hear all about why it matters. Andy Stanley has an amazing preaching style. I have a tendency to forget I am even watching a sermon!!!

Just to share here are my results:
Naturalist: 8
Sensate: 6
Traditionalist:13
Ascetics: 12
Activists: 21
Caregiver: 18
Enthusiast: 15
Contemplative: 19
Intellectual: 25

Take a second and check off your worship style(s) in the poll on the left.

So why does your worship style matter anyway? In the sermon Pastor Andy warns of some traps we face if we do not acknowledge our style & the value of others with differing styles:
* You may think your way is THE ONLY WAY
* You may judge churches, individuals, leaders & friends if they have a different style.
* You may value someone's style so much that you judge your own as unworthy and it may even cause you to fall away from God as you believe yourself to be a failure.
* You may find yourself leading others using only your style and therefore fail to connect with them leaving them feeling as though God is not for them.

The Bible tells us in Hebrews 10:24 "Let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds". In order to do this you will need to consider their worship style above your own and meet them where they are. This may seem contradictory to what Jesus tells us in Matthew 7:14 "But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life and only a few find it." But in James 4:8 we are told "Come near to God and he will come near to you".

The New Testament frees us from the laws of the Old Testament and its laws, creating a relationship between God and his people. How do you draw near to your friends, family and others? Is it always the same way? I know in my life I need to reach different people different ways. Some of my friends will only reply to a text, others prefer a facebook post, still others need to be face to face. If this is true of people (who are the image bearers of God) then it is true of our relationship with Him. He knows how he created you "For [he] create my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb." (Psalm 139:13). God wants you to be YOU and to love Him the way he created you to love Him. It takes all styles of worship and all types of people to expand the kingdom of God. Embrace your style, accept & appreciate the styles of others, and be grateful for God's amazing desire to be near to you.

Finally, think about how this affects your friendships, parenting & marriage and try to bear these things in mind as you grow those relationships. Try to discover if different worship styles may be creating conflict in your life and practice grace!

In His Love

Worship Styles

Different worship styles...

I recently had the opportunity to see a video from Andy Stanley, a pastor at Northpoint Church in Georgia. The topic was "You've Got Style" the series is described as "Fashion - home decor - accents and attitudes - different ways of expressing ourselves. We call it style and we all have one. Even the way we draw near to God has a style. Quiet - loud - outside - within - in word or deed. Our expressions of worship can be as varied as we are, but which way is the right way? This four-part series by Andy Stanley explores the various styles of drawing near to God. The answers may surprise you!"

Pastor Andy's basis for this study on a book by Gary Thomas called Sacred Pathways, in which this prolific writer identifies and describes 9 specific ways people draw near to God. Mr. Thomas explains:

"Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's spiritual walk." Are you envious of the way that some people seem to walk closely with God? Gary Thomas insists that it’s better to discover the path God designed you to take--a path marked by growth and fulfillment, based on your unique temperament. In Sacred Pathways, he strips away the frustration of a one-size-fits-all spirituality and guides you toward a style of relating to God that frees you to be you. If your devotional or worship times have hit a snag, let Gary help you:

• Embrace the unique way that you interact with God.
• Relish your personal time reading the Bible.
• Enjoy deeper community by supporting how others relate to God.
• Turn obligatory devotions into spiritual moments that you savor.

So let me take a moment and review each of the styles identified and see if you can find yourself in this:

1. Naturalists: Loving God Out Of Doors

A naturalist finds God through the beauty of His creation. “Earth’s crammed with heaven and every common bush afire with God. But only he who sees takes off his shoes and the rest sit around it and pick blackberries.” (Elizabeth Barrett Browning).

Famous Naturalists: St. Francis of Assisi, Jonathan Edwards, Bernard of Clairvaux, Charles Haddon Spurgon, Susan Power Bratton, Pamela Reeve

2. Sensates: Loving God With the Senses

Sensates feel connected to God through their senses. They long for traditional symbols of faith: the cross, candles, incense, stained glass, steeples, etc. They feel drawn to Christian artwork, worship music based on scriptures, fictional novels based on biblical precepts.

Famous Sensates: Madeleine L’Engle; Mozart; Handel

3. Traditionalists: Loving God Through Ritual and Symbol

Traditionalists enjoy rituals, symbols, communion, classic hymns, pews, and sacrifice. Those with this style often appear to others as legalistic and "religious". They enjoy observing traditional church holidays; including Passover, Pentecost, Advent.

Famous Traditionalists: Kathleen Norris; Walt Wangerin; Clement of Alexandria; Bonhoeffer

4. Ascetics: Loving God in Solitude and Simplicity

An ascetic may enjoy spending a day of silence at a monestary or other similar location. They prefer to be left alone in prayer apart from the distractions of the outside world. Their relationship with God is one on one. Some common forms of drawing nearer to God in this style include: fasting, strict obedience to the word of God, a simplified lifestyle. If you are an ascetic try to find time early in the morning or late at night to worship, perhaps even create for yourself a tranquil place to go and worship in silence.

Famous Ascetics: Michael Card, John the Baptist, Daniel, Jerome, St. Francis of Assisi

5. Activists: Loving God Through Confrontation

Activists enjoy the biblical account of Jesus cleansing the temple and seek ways to apply this to their own lives. They focus on bringing social change to a lost world. They often find a cause, or many causes, and through themselves in completely. Confrontation brings them spiritual nourishment.

Famous Acivists: Franky Schaeffer, Elizabeth Fry, Lord Shaftesbury, William Wilberforce, John Wesley, Tim and Beverly LaHaye, Charles Colson, Elijah, Peter, Habakkuk; Josh McDowell; Rush Limbaugh; James Dobson; Martin Luther King Jr.; Franklin Graham

6. Caregivers: Loving God by Loving Others

For caregivers, serving others is a form of serving God. They may adopt children, serve with charitable organizations, provide counsel, volunteer to serve needy, or something less formal like pulling over when you see a stranger with car troubles.

Famous Caregivers: Henri Nouwen, Mother Teresa, Mordecai

7. Enthusiasts: Loving God with Mystery and Celebration

An enthusiast can be easy to spot, just look for the members in your church with their hands raised during worship music or shouting amen during the sermon. They enjoy the awesomeness of God and want to show Him how much they appreciate His works.

Famous Enthusiasts: Ann Kiemel Anderson, King David, Graham Kendrick; Zig Ziglar; Barbara Johnson; James Robertson; Swindoll; Hayford

8. Contemplative: Loving God Through Adoration

Contemplatives view God as their father or bridegroom. They may enjoy doing anonymous random acts of kindness in the name of God. Their faith is based on an emotional love of the Lord and personal devotion to him. They may be accused of "mooing", responding to others observations with "hmmms" and "ahhhs".

Famous Contemplatives: Mary of Bethany, Dr. James Houston (professor at Regent College, Vancouver, B.C.); St, Teresa of Avila; Thomas Merton; Thomas Aquinas; Augustine, Julian of Norwich, King David

9. Intellectuals: Loving God with the Mind

If I am being honest, this is where I tend to fit in. I often don't realize that not everyone feels the need to read every book ever written or listen to sermons from 5-6 different churches. Perhaps not everyone wants to watch endless documentaries based on biblical concepts and applications. Intellectuals enjoy studying and discovering new connections and concepts in His Word. They feel nearest to God when he reveals something new to them and tend to become zealous about spreading this news (just ask my husband).

Famous Intellectuals: Dr. J. I. Packer; Dr. R. C. Sproul; C. S. Lewis; Dorothy Sayers, Charles Williams, J.R.R. Tolkein; Elizabeth Elliot; Calvin; Plantinga; Eugene Peterson; Colson; Gary Thomas; Bonhoeffer.


So this wraps up the basics of worship styles. Tomorrow I hope to post more about discovering your style(s), cautions, and additional resources for each style.

Thanks for reading!!