Lower Level Worship
The purpose of this blog is simple: to contemplate worship as Jesus taught (John 4) and to apply His teachings to everyday life. This is an effort to develop a living, breathing, practical theology of worship. Part of this journey will involve re-examining what it means to glorify God.
To start, as you have probably heard, our English word for "worship" comes from the Greek word proskuneo, and our first step should be to examine the original connotations of the word. A First Century reader would have read proskuneo with these connotations in mind: "to kiss, to prostrate oneself, to revere, to adore." These pictures would have been the first to mind, not connotations of contemporary music, stained glass, worship CDs, or hymnals.
Our English language has very slightly shifted the original meaning of proskuneo. In English, the word means "worth-ship." Naturally, based on that definition, some of us think of worth-ship as singing, music, or raising our hands. Some of us believe that worth-ship includes other forms of creative arts. Still others of us have view worth-ship as a lifestyle of glorifying God. All of these are headed in the right direction.
But I find it meaningful to return to the most original definition of the word. When we strip our cultural influences away, we find that it all begins at the bottom. The New Testament's most basic depiction of worship is a kiss, a kneeling servant, a reverant posture. It is a picture of delightful submission. We are reminded in Revelations that worship is most perfect when every knee will bow.
We know from the Psalms that worship can take many forms, including clapping, shouting, and other bolder expressions. However, I would argue that first to mind should be humility, gratitude, and submission. Then, only after recognizing our rightful place in relation to God-- on the lower level -- do we really find boldness, hope, empowerment, and confidence. Once we know who we serve, then we can sing.
It seems natural, then, to start at the lower level.
To start, as you have probably heard, our English word for "worship" comes from the Greek word proskuneo, and our first step should be to examine the original connotations of the word. A First Century reader would have read proskuneo with these connotations in mind: "to kiss, to prostrate oneself, to revere, to adore." These pictures would have been the first to mind, not connotations of contemporary music, stained glass, worship CDs, or hymnals.
Our English language has very slightly shifted the original meaning of proskuneo. In English, the word means "worth-ship." Naturally, based on that definition, some of us think of worth-ship as singing, music, or raising our hands. Some of us believe that worth-ship includes other forms of creative arts. Still others of us have view worth-ship as a lifestyle of glorifying God. All of these are headed in the right direction.
But I find it meaningful to return to the most original definition of the word. When we strip our cultural influences away, we find that it all begins at the bottom. The New Testament's most basic depiction of worship is a kiss, a kneeling servant, a reverant posture. It is a picture of delightful submission. We are reminded in Revelations that worship is most perfect when every knee will bow.
We know from the Psalms that worship can take many forms, including clapping, shouting, and other bolder expressions. However, I would argue that first to mind should be humility, gratitude, and submission. Then, only after recognizing our rightful place in relation to God-- on the lower level -- do we really find boldness, hope, empowerment, and confidence. Once we know who we serve, then we can sing.
It seems natural, then, to start at the lower level.
posted by jaybox | 1:21 AM
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