Worship and Pizza

Making music and singing all of worship doesn't make sense. It's like calling dinner = pizza night, even when you aren't eating pizza. Don't get me wrong, I like pizza, just like I like singing and making music to God to glorify Him, but that is not the whole picture of worship at all. Too much pizza will make you sick and does not make for a balanced and healthy diet. So in the same way, our worship should be balanced and healthy as well.

When I hear "lets worship" in church, it almost always means singing and music. But let us stand back a little. Where is worship even defined? It is all defined in the Bible right? Where does the Bible ever equate music and singing as worship? There is never a direct 1-to-1 correlation ever mentioned in the Bible at all, at least I haven't found one and I've looked pretty hard (http://www.openbible.info/topics/singing). Whenever music and singing is mentioned, whether it is David singing in the Psalms or playing with his lyre, the Israelites singing after a victory, angels making music with heavenly instruments, or when Paul and Silas bust out of prison with their voices (Acts 16:16-40), in ALL of these cases the Bible uses the word praise. 

Now praise is a form of worship (http://www.gotquestions.org/difference-praise-worship.html), and it is a form that is intertwined with beauty and creation (God created humans with voices to sing and intelligence to craft instruments that make beautiful sounds correlating to natural harmonics and overtones), and we definitely ought to praise God. But it isn't the only form of worship out there, and we shouldn't call it as such. Again, dinner shouldn't be called pizza night (unless you are a TMNT) nor should you only eat pizza. That is why back in the day, musical worship was called singspiration, because you sing and...get inspired (I guess). Another pastor called it pre-worship, explaining that worship is everything that comes afterwards. Many churches and services are starting to call worship team as praise team (worship team leaders as praise team leaders). Actually, a few churches are going a step further and calling the pastor the worship team leader, because well...isn't that the truth? Heck, the entire congregation should be called the worship team, instead of just a group of people at the front, because that's what Church means.

I always stress this, but our entire lives ought to be a continuous act of worship (Romans 12:1). Our prayers are a form of worship (Matthew 6:9-13). Reading the Word and living out the Gospel are forms of worship (Colossians 3:14-17). Listening to a sermon is also a form of worship (Colossians 3:14-17). Helping the poor, giving to the needy, encouraging our brothers and sisters, and preaching the good news to non-believers are all forms of worship (too many verses). Even eating food can be worship (1 Cor. 10:31). Anything and everything that we do that glorifies God and recognizes Him as sovereign can be called worship.

I write this blog post because I'm just sincerely worried. I worry that the epidemic of Biblical illiteracy is just gonna get worse. I worry that the average Christian is spending more time in musical worship than all other forms of worship combined. I'm worried because I've heard people are suggesting to eliminate sermons (as if teaching wasn't also worship) to increase more musical worship time in church. Should I be worried?

Sing to the LORD, all the earth; proclaim his salvation day after day.  Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous deeds among all peoples.  For great is the LORD and most worthy of praise; he is to be feared above all gods.  For all the gods of the nations are idols, but the LORD made the heavens.  Splendor and majesty are before him; strength and joy in his dwelling place.  Ascribe to the LORD, O families of nations, ascribe to the LORD glory and strength,  ascribe to the LORD the glory due his name. Bring an offering and come before him; worship the LORD in the splendor of his holiness.  Tremble before him, all the earth! The world is firmly established; it cannot be moved.  Let the heavens rejoice, let the earth be glad; let them say among the nations, "The LORD reigns!" - 1 Chronicles 16:23-31

More resources:
http://churchworksmedia.com/blog/13807401/idolizing-worship
http://www.intervarsity.org/blog/worship-pleases-god
http://ctkblog.com/2013/12/05/why-switchfoot-wont-sing-christian-songs/
http://www.laughyourway.com/blog/attention-all-worship-leaders-musicians-and-singers/
http://vimeo.com/25055177
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BcVt7M9Ofik - Chris Tomlin on Worship 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rBD0r4AO_GI - Mark Driscoll on Worship
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PdwCFuj40VY - More Mark Driscoll on Worship
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nuYoVjp33zk - Worship montage
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lGqlgWxoFCA - Another Worship montage
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K7KeeM9lcgE - Francis Chan on Worship
http://thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/tgcworship/2013/10/11/what-is-worship/
http://www.gotquestions.org/true-worship.html 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zJshg1uFKhg - Tim Keller on Worship