I think if we remember that worship isn’t just for Sunday morning – rather it is the way we live every second of every day, honoring God – then the truth is received through discipleship, fellowship, and teaching of the Word. I must agree with many who suggest that ‘worshipping in Spirit and in truth’ isn’t always taught – or not always taught effectively.
Russ makes the very good point about the responsibility of the church to equip the saints. I think that very responsibility has been overlooked in many churches today in place of the “Hey, it’s just me and Jesus, and how I worship is up to me” attitude.

Learning about God is a life-long process that never ends. I believe this includes learning about how to live a life of worship.

I had a discussion with my pastor about what is proper in church during the music portion of the worship service. His suggestion was that we should allow what is Biblical, but at the same time, he frowned on people dancing in the aisles – a Biblical expression of praise. I suggested that teaching about worshipping from the heart is necessary for people who might otherwise be ego-tripping (i.e., drawing attention to themselves instead of drawing attention to Jesus), which is not edifying. As Russ so beautifully put it in the last paragraph of his post, it’s not something that can be taught about (properly) in one sermon.

The truth always has the capability to set one free – free from lies, bondage, tradition or whatever label one could put on it.

The main thing (in my humble opinion) is that we don’t concentrate on what’s wrong, but on what’s right. And let the chips fall where they will.

Fix these words of mine in your hearts and minds; tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Teach them to your children, talking about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates, so that your days and the days of your children may be many in the land that the LORD swore to give your forefathers, as many as the days that the heavens are above the earth. (from Deut. 11)

I know this passage is specifically talking about the “commands” to Love God with everything we’ve got…but isn’t that what worship is?

We SHOULD be teaching our children (natural and spiritual children) what it looks like to worship. How do we do that?

We make it utmost in our lives (binding it to our arms and heads), we live it day in and day out (coming and going), we make it centerpiece in our homes (doorframes and gates)…

Worship is a lifestyle (cliche? yes. truth? definitely).

And honestly, there’s nothing wrong with teaching a lifestyle. But here’s the kicker. You DON’T really teach it by just doing a weekly sermon about it. It has to be talked about ALL THE TIME and then SEALED with a life lived right in the MIDDLE of worship.

So I say teach away.

Just my thoughts,

Kip

Way cool, thanks for jumping in. I’m a little scared by that last sentence, though … I think TRUTH has to be solid, regardless of our personal experience – the reference of truth has to be constant … it can’t be subjective to where we are, or what’s truth to you isn’t truth to me, etc. My personal belief is that God’s Word (the Bible) is our reference for TRUTH … we don’t always attain it, or live up to it … heck, we don’t even always understand it … but that’s the ultimate truth. What say you?

For example: a little boy is sitting in the ******** church and they began singing a song that was a little up-tempo. The boy wants to clap, and does – only to get pinched or fussed at because “you just don’t clap in church”.

Or the guy who is in a rock band and lost – then gets saved and wants to rock for God, only to be told that kind of music doesn’t belong “in church”.

It’s sad, but I believe too many of us have been “conditioned” to believe more of what is right and wrong according to religion, tradition and the doctrine of man.

I don’t, however, believe we should try and “UN-TEACH” anything at all. In the banking industry, when tellers are taught how to recognize a fake bill, they are NEVER shown one. Maybe on the last day or so, but the actual “teaching process” is to make them so familiar with the real bills that they will know a fake when they see it.

Therefore, I believe the right path is to teach what God says about worship and praise. Familiarize the people with the authentic. They will begin to see the “fake” for what it is, and see that we have been freed to worship in more than what religion has told us is “acceptable”.

That’s my perspective from a teacher’s heart.

[I'm not hearing you say that, Fred. I have heard that, though.]

Teaching about how to worship gives others the freedom to do exactly what you are teaching- this includes the “seven words for praise” kind of teaching. In many churches where I have spent time in worship, people are afraid to lift their hands, sing out, get on their kness, etc. because the aren’t sure it is “appropriate” (whatever that means). I don’t know that the average Believer understands what worship is all about (beyond the 25-cent answers we are given in a 30-minute sermon- no offense intended). I must admit, I need to work on this very thing.

I agree that praise will flow out- I think we have a natural inclination to praise/worship something or someone. But I think that those we lead in worship need to understand what sorts of “freedoms” they have in worship as well as the “whys” and “hows” of what is really going on- practical theology.

And I think that’s all I have to say about that. Great thought-provoking post! Thank you!