September 7
Whisper to a Shout
He put a new song in my mouth,
a hymn of praise to our God.
Many will see and fear the Lord
and put their trust in him. ––Psalm 40:3
Here’s a thought I’ve heard several times from various pulpits across the country: “If men can stand up, clap, and shout at a sporting event, why can’t they get excited at church?” I get the sentiment (i.e., men need to take a hard look at their priorities and be willing to give a clap to the Lord as much as they do for their favorite sports team). However, it always struck me as a bit performative. I mean, are there any examples of Jesus shouting, clapping, or dancing before God? I’m not saying He didn’t show some exuberance when He worshipped His Father; I’m just saying that the Bible doesn’t mention any such episodes.
That’s not to say that biblical characters didn’t “get jiggy with it” when they worshipped. One of the most famous cases of loud, outwardly energetic worship is when the Ark was brought to Jerusalem and David danced before it in a linen ephod (he shed his kingly robes and was wearing a simple outer tunic). His first wife (and Saul’s daughter) Michal chastised him and said he’d embarrassed himself. David responded by saying that he would become even more undignified for the Lord. Interestingly, the passage ends cryptically, saying “Michal had no children until the day she died.”
David chose to worship the Lord in His own way, and danced for an audience of One. Whether you choose to dance and raise your arms in worship (in public or in private) is between you and God. I know plenty of churches where dancing, clapping, and shouting are normative, while at other houses of worship, people would look at you as if you had two heads if you danced or shouted! You see where I’m going with this: how you choose to praise the Lord (literally, pay Him homage, or declare His goodness and glory) is entirely up to you, and there’s a church out there that fits your worship style. It’s neither right nor wrong to keep things mellow or get very emotional and loud.
The Psalms are full of passages that encourage us to dance, clap, and sing to the Lord, such as one of my favorites:
Come, let us sing for joy to the Lord;
let us shout aloud to the Rock of our salvation.
Let us come before him with thanksgiving
and extol him with music and song. ––Psalm 95:1-2
As well, Jesus was known to sing with His disciples (at the Last Supper), and encouraged His followers to “rejoice in that day (of persecution) and leap for joy, because great is your reward in heaven” (Luke 6:23).
There’s no “wrong” way to worship the Lord. Whether you are a worship whisperer or a shouter, the point isn’t the volume. When we enter into sincere worship—in a quiet place or among a throng of other believers—the “what” and “why” are more important than the “how.” This one thing is for sure: the Word compels us to praise and worship the Lord; it’s a sign of our gratitude and adoration for a loving Father who cares deeply for us and wants to connect with us.
Sometimes during my “morning sit” I am compelled to sing worship songs, or even lay flat on my face as I worship, while at other times I simply sit quietly, meditating on scriptures (like those above) that help me align my heart to praise Him. I encourage you to find your own rhythm in the way you worship the Lord—it all starts with a willing, grateful heart.
Lord, I want to worship you with the fullness of my heart. Show me the ways and means to do that.