Worship leader and songwriter Graham Kendrick defined what true worship meant to him. He said that the songs are not worship.
Graham Kendrick
Graham Kendrick, the writer behind the Christian songs “Knowing You Jesus” and “Shine Jesus Shine,” shared with Noel Robinson the true meaning of worship. According to him, the word ‘worship’ comes from an old English word, ‘worthship.’ It means that people attribute worth to something that is important to them.
He explained that everybody worships. “We are actually created as worshipping beings… to worship God. And that’s where we find who we really are,” he remarked. One of the early Christian Fathers said that God made humans for Himself. They are restless until they find their rest in God.
Moreover, he elaborated on the connection between worship and God’s presence. In the beginning, God’s presence was everywhere. He said the whole Christian story was about God bringing His people back to the place where the whole earth was full of His glory. And Jesus was the way to achieve this. Through Christ, true worship would be restored.
GODTV (Screenshot). (2022). GODTV, Amplified | Episode 23. Retrieved November 24, 2023 from: https://www.god.tv/video/gp_amp22_38-mp4/zype
True Worship
Furthermore, he recounted that in becoming God’s worshipper, people needed to get rid of their idols. “We can make money our idol… our youth or beauty… or even our self-pity,” he shared. God is calling and drawing His people to bring their worship to Him and put aside the false gods. Then, he highlighted that the songs were not ‘worship.’ Instead, they were simply expressions of a life being poured out to God.
“We must never misunderstand that worship is just something we do in church. But it is the whole of our lives,” he said. In fact, Noel added that it’s a lifestyle. After that, he reminded every believer that they must not come to church to worship. Instead, they need to come worshipping. This means that every believer was already living a life of worship even before they go to church.
Watch the inspiring video here.
Reference | GODTV
Header Image: GODTV (Screenshot). (2022). GODTV, Amplified | Episode 23. Retrieved November 24, 2023 from: https://www.god.tv/video/gp_amp22_38-mp4/zype