When We Worship God, We Must See Only Him

The moment we give our hearts to Jesus, our bodies become the residing place of God's presence and glory. Therefore, we can worship God any time and any place, as long as such worship comes from our hearts — hearts immersed with an avalanche of love and reverence for Him.

Many times people refer to the music and singing before a Sunday morning message as "the worship service," and the person who leads this worship service as "the worship leader." However, worshipping God in a church setting is often very difficult because of the atmosphere and distractions that, ironically, people donate a great amount of time and money to create.

First, the stage, located in front of and elevated above the people, fashions an image, whether intentional or unintentional, of a select person or group of people who are revealing their talents and glamour for all to see and hear. I wonder at times where Jesus is located in the building. Is He on stage, or is He is at the back, standing against a wall or in a corner unnoticed? Or is He there at all?

Second, the voices and instruments on stage, amplified to clear volume, make it hard not to notice when a musician goes off-timing or plays a wrong note, or when a singer sings off-key or sings the wrong words. Although we may try to focus on God, the emphasis on sound encourages our critical natures to get in the way.

Third, the artistry and attractiveness of the church's interior, enhanced by large artificial flower arrangements, artificial plants and trees, colourful lights, swag curtains, and royal-coloured banners with bold words, distracts us from entering true worship. It's hard to close our eyes and envision Jesus when there is so much to see. And if we do close our eyes, it's hard to forget the wealth and beauty around us, and the nagging, undiscerning feelings inside.

Fourth, the large screen in the centre, brightly displaying the words of the songs we sing, most recently with beautiful motion photography in the background, allures us to keep our eyes open and fixed on the words and video ahead. Could it be that the songs we sing have become too complicated so that now we are in need of these screens?

Fifth, the modern-style pews, thickly padded and soft, beckon us to sit down and make ourselves comfortable. Thus we stand eagerly waiting for the song service to end so that we can sit. If we didn't have such furnishings, would God's people be more likely to kneel or lay prostrate before Him?

We must remind ourselves that when Jesus came to earth as a baby, born in a manger and wrapped in strips of cloths, the first setting God created for His people to worship Him in person was that of simplicity, humility, and nothingness. Today, our worship in most churches have become anything but that. It has become complicated, elaborated, and prideful.

"This will be a sign to you:

You will find a baby wrapped in cloths

and lying in a manger."

Luke 2:12a (NIV)

After seeing baby Jesus and being in God's presence, the Shepherds exuberantly glorified and praised God, not anyone, themselves, or anything else, because it was God they were there to see!

"The shepherds returned,

glorifying and praising God

for all the things had heard and seen,

which were just as they had been told."

Luke 2:20 (NIV)