Worship Services and the Fruit of the Spirit (part 2)
I offer below a revised version of my December newsletter article on how the fruit of the Spirit connects to the way we gather together for worship. I hope these thoughts are helpful . . .
Around Christmastime the word “joy” is heard a lot. So with all this talk about joy this month, it’s fitting for us to contemplate how the fruit of the Spirit should be manifest in our worship services. Joy, of course, is listed among the fruit of the Spirit in Galatians 5:22. In this passage, Paul is saying that joy (along with several other character virtues) is produced as the Spirit works within us. So here’s a question for us . . . do we find joy abounding in our lives in general and particularly in the way we worship?
The Scriptures have a lot to say about joy. In fact, the Scriptures have a lot to say about how joy should be evident in our worship of God. Consider this small sampling of Biblical passages:
Be glad in the LORD, and rejoice, O righteous, and shout for joy, all you upright in heart! (Psalm 32:11 ESV)
But the righteous shall be glad; they shall exult before God; they shall be jubilant with joy! (Psalm 68:3 ESV)
Make a joyful noise to the LORD, all the earth! Serve the LORD with gladness! Come into his presence with singing! (Psalm 100:1-2 ESV)
Do these verses represent our attitude when we gather to worship? I understand the concern some people have that too much joyful expression negates reverence. Yet Biblically speaking, expressing both reverence and joy in our worship services is not only possible, it is expected. Reverent joy (or joyous reverence) is not an oxymoron. Consider the following passage, for example, that actually links jubilant joy with reverent fear:
Clap your hands, all peoples! Shout to God with loud songs of joy! For the LORD, the Most High, is to be feared, a great king over all the earth. (Psalm 47:1-2 ESV)
So our worship of God shouldn’t be dry and dusty, but vibrant and vigorous. Our singing, prayers, giving, and, yes, even listening to the Word read and preached should be done joyfully.
Yet while these things are true, we shouldn’t jump to wrong conclusions that are not warranted. At times we are tempted to link real joy with a certain type of worship service. We may think that exciting, fast-paced services with upbeat songs and dynamic preaching are the epitome of what joyful worship looks like. But we must remember the source of joy is not found in our circumstances (like the style of our worship services, the types of songs we sing, the types of instruments used, etc.). Biblical joy comes from something beyond our circumstances. In fact, according to the Scriptures, joy is something we can have when our circumstances are difficult and not what we would like . . . even when we are suffering (Romans 5:3-5; Hebrews 10:34; James 1:2; 1 Peter 1:6-9).
The source of our joy is found in our God and his salvation (Habakkuk 3:17-18). It is found in Christ and his kingdom (Matthew 13:44). It comes from the work of the Spirit in us, not by trying to manufacture it by merely artificial means. In other words, joy does not come from singing certain types of songs. We sing joyfully because our songs are expressions of our joy found in Christ. Joy isn’t nailed down to a certain style of service. Joy comes from a heart that has been enlivened by the Spirit and captured by the glory of Christ.
So as Paul said to the church at Philippi, I say to you . . . Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice (Philippians 4:4). Please pray with me this joy of the Lord would abound in the heart of every follower of Christ.
