Have you ever visited a rugby match where everyone sat in silence and gently bobbed their heads up and down while the game delicately unfolded below? No? How about a music concert where the fans sat peacefully while the distorted Gibson guitar wailed and echoed across the stadium to a polite round of applause? No?

Of course not.

So why then do we still experience a subdued and ‘reflective’ environment when we gather together to celebrate the King of the Universe?

It was this analogy that got me thinking when I was younger. I was involved in music teams at my local church when Matt Redman’s first album came to South Africa. He cleverly included the song sheets, with chords, on the CD, a first in the church scene! It was exciting to see new material coming in to the established hymns and songs we’d been cycling through for many years.

But Worship is not just songs. It is much more than just lyrics on the screen. It is more powerful than the minor chord which tugs on your emotions. As in the rugby match or the rock concert, worship is best described as a gathering of people, shouting their approval and encouragement for the focus of their attention.

I have no issue with the still quiet moments in worship. Certainly, if you show your passion through quiet reflection, that’s the best way for you to worship. But don’t forget the magnitude of the object of our worship when we gather together as a church community.

In the stillness, and in the shout, He remains worthy of our highest praise. Let’s be real when we bring it to Him together.