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Today we’re talking about how to worship no matter what even when we can’t do it together. When I sat down to plan my Lenten Series I decided that the third one would be on worshiping in spirit and in truth. I had no idea at the time what we’d be dealing with, but God did!

“I miss being together with my church family for worship!”

That is the message I’ve heard over and over for the last two weeks and for good reason. Our gathered times of worship are special, but there are times when we can’t do it that way. And I know that most of us get that, but it doesn’t stop us from missing it, does it?

The fact of the matter is that worship starts in the heart anyway. We must learn to be people committed to pursuing the heart of God no matter what, even when it means worshiping Him in isolation. It also means, leaning into Him when we don’t feel like it, or when it’s hard. I’d say, right now we’re 3 for 3, wouldn’t you agree?

So, let’s talk about what it looks like to get creative because we are going to have to step outside of familiar patterns and embrace a new way. I could suggest that all of this is temporary, but I sense that we should plan to carry these lessons beyond. The blessing of uncontrollable circumstances is that it forces us to diversify and change. Now, I know change doesn’t always feel great, but as we grapple through, God issues an invitation to each of us to come, to dwell, to behold and to know.

Why we worship

So, before we dive into how to worship no matter what, maybe we should look at how why we worship. How we approach God is very much tied to what we believe about Him. In other words, our theology of God affects the way we relate to Him. Now, I’m not talking about deep, integrative theology, I’m talking about the basic things we know and understand about who God is.

Worship is the product of making God first and in order to do that, we must believe He is first. So, consider that for a moment. How do you make God first?

When God gave Moses the law, the first four commandments focused on how Israel should relate to God. The final six summarized how they should relate to one another (Exodus 20). And when the Pharisees asked Jesus what the most important commandment was he told them, to love God and love others (Matthew 22:37:40). The Bible teaches us that worship is to be our primary focus. We worship because that’s the pattern God established.

But still…why? What would a God, who is perfect and complete need the worship of His creation? Well, I don’t think He does. He is perfectly complete and has no need of anything, but true worship brings our hearts back into alignment with His, it’s about a relationship. I believe God mandated worship because He knew we would need the process to help us stay connected.

When we worship together

Most of us understand the value of worshiping together. There is power when two or three are gathered together in the name of Jesus and that’s encouraging. When the Church declares the name of Jesus, the atmosphere shifts and we begin to see the mighty works of God. That is awesome and that is good.

As a worship leader, I love to witness the visible change when the church grabs a hold of truth together. The last time my church family was together, though the numbers were few, there was such power in the praise. And even though I hand-picked every song at the beginning of the week, the LORD spoke fresh revelation as the people praised. Beautiful surrender and intentional faith all poured out from young to old, as God’s children stood together in faith. It was good, and I’m sure you have testimonies of gatherings like that too. This is what it should be.

I think we have to be careful though because too often, we reduce worship to the songs we sing together. We must resist that notion because it’s so wrong. Worship is the product of anything we do whenever we intentionally place God above everything in life. Everything. True worship requires displacing the idols.

Here’s the thing, it’s easy to hide the idols when we subscribe to that form of worship. Ugh. I know, that’s pretty gross, eh? I’ve spent my entire adult life teaching and leading worship, but still, life comes in hard and I find myself face to face with these truths. If God is first, then that means, my husband, my children, my work, my dreams, all of it, has to come second. Worship must always start with the heart of surrender…always.

In Spirit and in Truth

But the time is coming-indeed it’s here now-when true worshipers will worship the Father in Spirit and in truth. The Father is looking for those who will worship him that way. For God is Spirit, so those who worship Him must worship in Spirit and in Truth.

John 4:23, (NLT)

Even if and no matter what, we are invited by the Great I am, to know Him. He, who created all the earth and everything in it, is the only one worthy of all the praise. And that right there is the bottom line.

Worship must always, always, always, start in our hearts. Before we can be together before God, we must first come before Him alone. It’s easy to hide in the crowd, but not so much when we are alone with the Father.

Here’s the thing, God created you and me with a vision and purpose. There is nothing accidental about our lives but we must learn to come before Him appropriately. It’s not rocket science; it’s surrender. Worshiping in Spirit and in Truth all about alignment; it’s about agreeing with God.

Agreeing with God is an active kind of faith. It doesn’t just believe in God, it trusts Him to be who He says He is even when and no matter what. And honestly, that’s really hard sometimes, isn’t it? Worship isn’t just the songs we sing or the missional activities we do, its the posture of the heart behind all of that.

Worship even when

Amid this Global crisis, I continue to give thanks for the life and ministry of Jesus, who leads us into the very presence of God, even if it has to look different than what I’m used to. Worship is my lifeline, holding me and connecting me to the only One who can lead me through. When I am overwhelmed by the bad news of it all, I fix my heart on Jesus, who has already overcome.

Worship is the way back (surrender). It is how we see Him and hear Him. In the presence of God, there is healing and breakthrough. This is how we overcome!

We should pursue God, no matter what and even when for all of those reasons and more. Not that I’m suggesting that worship is about you and me because it isn’t. Although it’s true, God doesn’t need our praise, worship is all about how we stand before Him. God is first because He is God, so when we stand in agreement with that truth it positions us and connects us with Him.

To be connected with God enables us to access all that He is, not for our benefit, but for His glory. It’s always, always, always, about His glory. As we learn to cultivate a life that lives from that surrendered place, we become looped into a magnificent grace flow. And that grace flow is unbelievable!

Pressing in deep

So, in our places of isolation, separated from one another and stripped of the ways we like to worship, how do we press in?

Start with surrender.

What or who do you need to release?

Idols take on many different forms, so bring it all before the LORD and allow Him to speak truth into your soul. Worship happens when we place God alone on the throne. A great discipline that can help dig the stuff out is the Daily Examen.

Examen asks the soul two questions (or any variation of these you like).

• What am I most thankful for today? Why?
• What am I least thankful for today? Why?

This contemplative exercise helps you examine your heart’s reaction during the events and interactions of your day. We all have lifegiving moments and draining moments. In this discipline, we look at our feelings and bring them before the LORD. It’s easy to thank God for lifegiving moments, but when the moment hasn’t been pleasant we have to work through it. When we practice Examen, we work through the surrender of unpleasant moments with the Father, who is gentle and good.

If you want to read more about surrender and worship, check out Matt Redman’s book, The Unquenchable Worshipper: Coming back to the heart of Worship

Give Thanks

Gratitude is a game-changer. When we focus on what is instead of what isn’t we are much more able to see what is true. Discontentment breeds negativity and leads us into distorted ideas and sometimes even outright lies. The practice of gratitude will always lead us to the place of praise. If you want to read a great book on cultivating gratitude, check out Ann Voskamp’s book, One Thousand Gifts.

It’s more than a song

You and I, we are uniquely created according to God’s genius idea. We are wired differently and so the way we connect with the Father is going to look different too. Our songs are awesome vehicles that take us into the presence of God, but they are not the only way. It that was the case then anyone with the inability to speak or hear would be completely excluded.

Worship is anything we do that pours out of a surrendered heart. We are complex creatures, with unique strengths and gifts. While God designed us in His image, He also wove in diversity and variety. We are all different. And who we are, as individuals, will affect the way we, as individuals, connect with God.

For a deeper study of what that might look like, I recommend, “Sacred Pathways: Discover your soul’s path to God,” by Gary Thomas. My husband and I have used this book in our Leadership Development course in our church and it is awesome!

Worship is a lifestyle

In the presence of God, everything changes. As we behold His greatness and live from that place of communion, healing and life transformation happen. It’s out of the overflow of that grace and glory that you and I are able to love others. When we love others from that place, we love God.

Pure an genuine religion in the sight of God the Father means caring for orphans and widows in their distress and refusing to let the world corrupt you.

James 1:27, (NLT)

And the King will say, ‘I tell you the truth, when you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me!”

Matthew 25:40, (NLT)

As we continue to move through this weird season of Lent, filled with chaos and crazy, I want to invite you to step into something new. While fear of the unknown feels like a huge constant these days, let us turn back to what is known.

The greatness of God is high above all the earth. He is magnificent and powerful and His promises are true. So, with that, I leave you with this beautiful scripture quote from King David. May it be life and hope leading you into the arms of God during this season.

For who is God except the LORD? Who but our God is a solid rock? God arms me with strength, and he makes my way perfect. He makes me as surefooted as a deer, enabling me to stand on mountain heights. He trains my hands for battle; he strengthens my arm to draw a bronze bow. You have given me your shield of victory. Your right hand supports me; your help has made me great.

Psalm 18:31-35, (NLT)

Want more? Check out these blog posts also on worship.

The way of worship: because holiness still matters

The practice of surrender

How to cultivate the way of celebration

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