The Joy In Worship!
"Also that day they offered great sacrifices, and rejoiced,
for God had made them rejoice with great joy; the women
and the children also rejoiced, so that the joy of Jerusalem
was heard afar off."
Nehemiah 12: 43
In the history of the Church, a variety of forms and styles of
worship have been employed, never more so than in today’s
twenty-first-century worship services.
Historically, some churches have sung only the Psalms; some have sung
acapella, without instruments; some have had choirs, and some have not;
some have used only a piano or organ for accompaniment. Today, many
churches have worship teams that include singers and bands, and some
have full orchestras.
New Testament doesn’t prescribe how “psalms and hymns
and
spiritual songs” are to be sung, but it does say there should be
“singing and making melody in [our] heart to the Lord”
(Ephesians 5:19).
Nehemiah 12 is an example of the extent to which songs of praise
and thanksgiving can be offered: multiple choirs and instrumentalists
marching around the walls of Jerusalem before settling in the temple.
Are you an enthusiastic worshiper of God? Whatever your church’s
style, let your voice resound with praise to God. Our praise should
be the outward manifestation of our inner joy and gratitude to God.
"What or whom we worship
determines our behavior."
John Murray
