Consuming Worship

The last three Sundays we've sung the song Worthy (You are Worthy) by Matt Redman. I usually repeat new songs over the course of a month to facilitate learning. This is not a new song for us, but it had been well over a year since we had done it last, and I felt it needed more than a once off.

In my opinion, while the song is simple and repetitive, it is rather profound in its statements. Take verse one for example.

"Worthy, You are worthy, much more worthy than I know. I cannot imagine just how glorious You are, and I cannot begin to tell how deep a love You bring. O Lord, my ears had heard of You, but now my eyes have seen."

This sums up clearly and succinctly what our lives are like after coming to know the Savior. We have a new relationship with a friend, a lover, a servant, but He is also the Creator of the cosmos. How can you fathom such a thing? There's intimacy with God through Christ, yet we can easily run out of words to describe Him because He's bigger and more glorious than we can even image. His love for us is ever present, but it's so big it overflows.

We've heard of Him all these years, but now we have seen Him and know yet. Yet even in seeing, it is through dark glass, and in knowing, it is only in part.

Then there's the repetition of the chorus. It would be an easy thing to criticize how it just says the same thing over and over, and even easier to sing it on a sort of auto-pilot.

"You're worthy, You're worthy, You're worthy. You're worthy to be praised forever and a day. You're worthy, You're worthy, You're worthy. You're worthy to be praised forever and a day."

But then we read Revelation chapter 4 and realize that's exactly what's been going on for a long, long time.

"And the four living creatures, each of them with six wings, are full of eyes all around and within, and day and night they never cease to say, Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God Almighty, who was and is and is to come!" Rev. 4:8

As far as we can tell, this repetition by these four angels might very well have been going on since God created them. But there's also another group who appears before the throne.

"And whenever the living creatures give glory and honor and thanks to him who is seated on the throne, who lives forever and ever, the twenty-four elders fall down before him who is seated on the throne and worship him who lives forever and ever. They cast their crowns before the throne, saying, 'Worthy are you, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they existed and were created.'" Rev. 4:9-11

These 24 elders constantly declare the worthiness of God. He is the only one who is worthy of our praise. Worthiness is the essence of worship. It involves recognizing and declaring the worth of God. It's our response to who He is and what He had done.

It is because of His worth we are able to do what is sung about in the song's bride.

"We'll sing an anthem of the highest praise. We'll sound and anthem of Your glorious name. We'll sing an anthem of the highest praise. We'll sound an anthem of Your glorious name."

When you gather together in your churches this Sunday, don't just sing songs together, sing an anthem of the highest praise. Declare the worthiness of our Creator, Redeemer, and Lord.

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Jeff M. Miller \\ Consuming Worship
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