Developing a Theology of Worship

We often think of "worship" as a weekly time to gather with our church family to sing praise songs, listen to the preaching of the Word, praying for needs, etc. Worship encompasses all of these elements, but it goes beyond a weekly gathering—it's really a lifestyle you CHOOSE to pursue. It saturates your daily life and carries over into the corporate experiences you share with your church family. 

It's helpful, then, to develop a framework that enables you to learn and grow in how you pursue a life of worship. That's where a theology of worship comes in.

First, let's define what theology is, pure and simple: It's the study of religious faith. Often, the result of theology is a recommended framework for how we should practice our faith, or how we worship. Let's look at some key elements of worship we should pursue in congregational gatherings and in our daily living. 

1. Worship should glorify God.

It should go without saying that worship should glorify God. However, it's easy to glorify other things in this pursuit. For me, it's easy to blur the lines between showing appreciation versus glorifying how well an artist facilitates worship or a speaker delivers teaching.

2. Worship should focus on the Gospel.

The Gospel is what ties every truth together throughout the Bible, and this message is at the core of what Jesus commanded His disciples—and by extension, us—to carry out. If the Gospel is absent or obscured in our worship, then we've missed the mark.

3. Worship should be Biblical.

If you confess that Jesus is Lord and Savior, you most likely hold the Bible to be your supreme source of truth. But does it saturate your daily worship in the same way you consume music, podcasts, videos, etc.? Don't get me wrong—I love utilizing all of these things for personal worship; but how much more enrichment would be felt if I focused on God's Word first? Again, the mark is missed if our worship is devoid of Scripture. 

Plus, as you focus on the Word first, you can discern which man-made messages are in line with what the Word teaches and which messages stray from God's truth.

4. Worship should be edifying to God's people. 

This largely pertains to corporate worship, and it simply means that everyone present should be spiritually encouraged and renewed as they collectively glorify God. Is everything understandable? Does everything line up with Scripture? Is everything delivered with attention, focus, and care? Understandability, consistency with Scripture, and excellent execution are at the forefront for effective edification.

These categories are broad, and other theologies of worship dive deeper than what we've covered here, but you at least have a framework to use in personal worship that also informs how you worship alongside your Christian family.

Be blessed 👊✌️