The Foundation of All Worship

Many conversations about worship employ a syllogism which appears coherent, but often leads to strange conclusions. It is roughly as follows:

(Premise 1) Person A possesses Ability X

(Premise 2) God designed Person A in this manner to glorify Him

(Premise 3) Worship Services are a time when God is glorified

(Conclusion) Person A must perform Ability X in a worship service to best glorify God

Lest we fall prey to judge this thinking too quickly, I shall provide two examples. Suppose that a man is gifted to graciously understand and apply the word of God in his own life and the life of other believers. This man will demonstrate the fruit of the spirit and the qualifications for a pastor, and in his case our syllogism proves valid: he ought to be considered for the position of elder.

Our second example is a gifted man: a gourmet chef. For him it is not so easy. Yes, God has prescribed his New Covenant people to consume food during the assembled corporate worship time. But unleavened bread is not in any way broad enough to make use of our chef’s talent. What then must become of him and of his desire to contribute? It seems that he might be employed in the kitchen for potluck dinners and outreach events, but even that offers little hope for his Bouillabaisse: Poissons de roche, bay scallops, mussels, shrimps, fennel-saffron broth, rouille & garlic croutons. Alas, our syllogism proves invalid: he possesses the ability, God so designed him, but he cannot, with this particular ability, contribute to a worship service like the first man can.

But mean this that he may not serve God with his talent? Mean this that he may not contribute to the worship service? No and no. God wants him to cook well. God made the earth full of edible materials so that we might put them together and make gourmet meals. For this man to refrain from cooking because it has no place in a Sunday morning worship service would be disobedience. Furthermore he may contribute to the worship service in other ways: participation, singing, encouraging, building up his fellow believers. To this he also is called that he might glorify God.

The difference between these two ways he may worship God is a categorical difference. I think that as we leave this class and enter into eventual opportunities to assist believers know how to honor God with their lives we ourselves will be assisted by clear and concise categories of worship. The man’s vocation and calling, the culinary arts, is the means by which God desires Six-Day Worship. The man’s participation and involvement in his church body, in his case listening, encouraging, singing, and building-up, are the means by which God desires Seventh Day worship. Please don’t mistake me. I’m not arguing for abiding weight of the fourth commandment. I’m simply trying to assert that as God wanted Adam to bring him glory by gardening six days and resting one, God wants us to cultivate the earth with some of our time, and rest from working to worship him with the rest.

But the similarity between these two categories is also important. In both cases the intrinsic value is found in obedience. All worship must be rooted on obedience. And, as I believe the case of the Chef may demonstrate, all obedience brings honor to God. May we be found thoughtfully and wholeheartedly endeavoring to honor God by obedience in our six days, as well as our seventh.