Dream Awakener

  Kálfatjarnarkirkja 
  Originally uploaded by asmundur.

“Every definition is dangerous.”  Desiderius Erasmus

When we try to define a word, we can often miss major facets of the word we are trying to define.  Which is why we can appreciate the poets, the prophets, metaphor, symbolism, the apocalyptic and parable.

Yet definitions can help us understand, especially if we can hear various definitions, because they enable us to glimpse different shades of meaning.  So with this in mind, here are a few different definitions of worship.

Definitions

“Worship is a way of seeing the world in the light of God.”  – Abraham Joshua Heschel

“Worship is the response of the creature to the Eternal”   - Evelyn Underhill

“In its most simple and basic sense, worship is a celebration of God’s mighty deeds of salvation culminating in the death and resurrection of Christ.  Worship celebrates historic events that happened in the past and anticipates the eschatological event that will happen in the future.” – Robert Webber

“The verb ’worship’ in Hebrew means to surrender, to fall down in submission – the way we would humble ourselves before a mighty king. (Ps. 95:6) Paul says that worship is the offering of our bodies as a sacrifice (Romans 12:1).   - Don Williams

“Worship is the submission of all our nature to God.  It is the quickening of conscience by His holiness; the nourishment of mind with His truth; the purifying of imagination by His Beauty; the opening of the heart to His love; the surrender of will to His purpose – and all of this gathered up in adoration, the most selfless emotion of which our nature is capable and therefore the chief remedy for that self-centeredness which is our original sin and the source of all actual sin.” – William Temple

“Worship is nothing more nor less than love on its knees before the beloved; just as mission is love on its feet to serve the beloved – and just as the Eucharist, as the climax of worship, is love embracing the beloved and so being strengthened for service.” – N.T. Wright

Because  N.T. Wright defines Worship as love on its knees and mission love on its feet, he takes Paul’s artistic expression and definition of Love, and develops that passage by taking what is most central in the life of the church – worship, and creates a different rendition by putting worship in place of love.  Listen to what he writes in his book For All God’s Worth:

Though we sing with the tongues of men and of angels, if we are not truly worshipping the living God, we are noisy gongs and clanging cymbals.  Though we organize the liturgy most beautifully, if it does not enable us to worship the living God, we are mere ballet-dancers.  Though we repave the floor and reface the stonework, though we balance budgets and attract all the tourist, if we are not worshipping God, we are nothing.

Worship is humble and glad; worship forgets itself in remembering God; worship celebrates the truth as God’s truth, not its own.  True worship doesn’t put on a show or make a fuss; true worship isn’t forced, isn’t half-hearted, doesn’t keep looking at its watch, doesn’t worry what the person in the next pew may be doing.  True worship is open to God, adoring God, waiting for God, trusting God even in the dark.

Worship will never end; whether there be buildings, they will crumble; whether there be committees, they will fall asleep; whether there be budgets, they will add up to nothing.  For we build for the present age, we discuss for the present age, and we pay for the present age; but when the age to come is here, the present age will be done away.  For now we see the beauty of God through a glass, darkly, but then face to face; now we appreciate only part, but then we shall affirm and appreciate God, even as the living God has affirmed and appreciated us.  So now our tasks are worship, mission and management, these three, but the greatest of these is worship.”

N.T. Wrights definition of worship is nothing more nor less than love on its knees before the beloved; just as mission is love on its feet to serve the beloved. I like that a lot.