Therefore, brothers and sisters, in view of the mercies of God, I urge you to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God; this is your true worship (‘latreia’ – λατρεία). 2 Do not be conformed to this age, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may discern what is the good, pleasing, and perfect will of God.
Romans 12:1-2, CSB
After more than 20 years serving in worship teams – as vocalist, musician, and later as music director – at various churches, I have seen so many misconceptions around what worship is and what it is supposed to sound like – what worship is supposed to be. One of the most common phrases I have heard to describe worship is that it is the ‘sound of Heaven’. Many pastors have asked me over the span of my time as a prophetic worship leader to help them create a well-defined, unique ‘sound’.
Our understanding of worship is often tied to sound – we think of worship as the music we play in our car, the hymns we hum on a walk and the songs we sing on a Sunday – but what if I told you that worship is none of those things?
The music you play in your car is just music. That hymn you are humming is just a tune. The songs we sing on a Sunday, as beautiful as they are, are still just songs.
True worship happens in the heart.
Worship is defined, by Oxford Languages, as “the feeling or expression of reverence and adoration towards a Deity” – the act of expressing our feelings of reverence and adoration towards God.
Worship is a posture of the heart.
The music – the songs and hymns – are just a vehicle through which we express our feelings of reverential awe and admiration. One of many ways in which we give Jesus the highest place in our lives. One of the many ways in which we worship.
But the Biblical definition of worship goes much further than the songs we sing in church.
Worship in the New Testament is a posture of the heart – a daily rhythm in which the believer exists – a lifestyle.
When Paul talks about our ‘true worship’ in Romans 12:1: he uses the word ‘latreia’ which is also correctly translated as ‘service’. Particularly our service rendered to God as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing unto God.
Too many of us are content with only being a living sacrifice on a Sunday while the worship team is ministering, but as soon as the music ends, we get off the altar – many of us neglecting the other avenues for worship that present itself during a church service (eg. actively listening to the sermon, reading the scriptures, and fellowshipping with the other members of the congregation before and after the service). We also completely forget about all the ways we can worship on the way home (being courteous to other road users, giving a church member a lift home, and reflecting on the service with our family in the car).
And so it goes that during the week we will also miss all the other little windows of opportunity that presents itself – ways in which we can glorify God and give Him the highest place in all of our coming and going – at school, at work, at home – in how we deal with strangers, friends, colleagues and family members. The things we do in public and in private all present opportunities for worship – a time and place in which we get to express our reverence and adoration of God through not just our words, but in our deeds.
Even how we conduct business and deal with our finances can be a form of worship. How we interact with our spouse can be a form of worship. Even how we eat dinner can be a form of worship.
Worship is more than a song sung on a Sunday. True worship is a posture of the heart. True worship is when we present ourselves as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing unto the Lord. It is when we take every opportunity to express our love – our reverence and adoration of God – even in the simplest and most mundane of every-day tasks and decisions. True worship is when we give God the highest place in our lives – not just on a Sunday – but every day, living a lifestyle of worship, a life worthy of the life that Jesus gave for us upon the cross.