Worship: The Heart

One Saturday morning I stumbled across a YouTube playlist of worship songs in a bunch of different languages.

I listened to it because it just seemed like a cool idea.

And as I sat there, listening to the different styles and beats and flavors, I got to thinking...

That's just how it should be.

The music American believers write should sound and feel different than the music of the African church, which should feel different from the Mexican church, which should feel different from the Chinese and Romanian and Indian churches.

Why?

Because what we call "worship" (e.g. singing) is really only the outpouring, the outward expression of a heart.  An attitude.

God isn't seeking some sort of cookie-cutter type offering.  The songs we write, the songs we sing, should come from our hearts.  From our experiences.  From what God is teaching us through His Word.  From what He's doing right now, in our context.

His character, the truth of His Word, the work His Spirit is doing in our lives, should be expressed in ways that flow naturally.

Is an Indian who wants to share his salvation experience going to write a song that sounds like the ones his brothers and sisters and First-Baptist-of-Anytown are singing on a Sunday morning?  Probably not.  It'll probably sound...well, Indian.

Is a Honduran worship team going to play songs with an African beat?  Probably not.

Some cultures may use more repetition than others.  Some may sing in a call-and-response style.  Some may like lots of instruments, others might prefer only vocals.  Some may dance or clap or raise their hands while singing.

And you know what?  I think God is totally okay with that.  Because it's the heart He's interested in, after all.