Worshipping Worship?

Each week I send out an email newsletter to the Worship & Fine Arts Department here at First Assembly. I always end it with a quote on worship. I think we need to be reminded often what true worship is and to evaluate frequently what or whom we're worshipping and if we're worshipping according to biblical standards. I came across the following quote this week and thought it was very thought provoking.

Steve Bradbury - "It is far too easy, within the current upsurge of creative input in the realm of worship, to find ourselves chasing spiritual or aesthetic experiences, as if the highest achievement of our whole pilgrimage on earth was to enter some kind of praise-induced ecstasy. I wonder sometimes whether it is worship we worship, whether what we experience in music and song is actually our primary motivation, rather than honouring God. Fundamentally, authentic worship is about pursuing that which pleases God, not us. It is about lives lived in service to God and neighbour, lives which are 'living sacrifices', which are engaged in God's work in the world."

I'm all for having creative, relevant worship times in our services. But we must never lose sight of what worship really is. The purpose of true worship is to please and honor God, not ourselves. It is to live our lives everyday in a way that brings glory to him. We must bow our hearts before him - surrendering everything to him.

I want people to experience the manifest presence of God and that is more than just feeling good or experiencing a musical high. It is a life changing experience that only comes when we truly worship and seek him above all else. It comes from seeking his face, not the thrills.

It's easy to forget that it's not about us - it's about him. Ask yourself this question - am I worshipping God or my worship of God?