Zach and Nikki, Part 3

It’s Sunday afternoon, and Zach and Nikki are discussing their visit to Parker Hills that morning. Neither of them knows much about Jesus or the Bible, but they have assumed from the self-description on the PHBF sign—“Bible based, Christ centered”—that they can learn all about Jesus and the Bible if they just watch and listen at one of our worship services. In last week’s column we listened in as they discussed a variety of topics; now their conversation turns to one last thing: what the worshipers at PHBF did with their bodies during the meeting.

They chat for a few moments about the various things the congregation did as elements of their worship: singing, contributing to the offering, eating and drinking during the Lord’s Supper, etc. And then Zach sums up: “Based on what I saw, I guess sitting down or standing up are the two sacred postures Jesus wants people in to worship Him.”

A reasonable conclusion? Maybe “reasonable,” based on what they saw at PHBF. But is it Bible based? Are standing and sitting the two postures the Bible advocates for worshiping God? Hardly. Scripture commands us to worship by singing, kneeling, lifting our hands, bowing down, clapping, shouting, playing instruments, dancing, standing, and more. You get the impression that God’s worth calls out a whole variety of physical responses from His people! God is so glorious and overwhelming, engagement with Him can’t be contained inside! Even when people are just standing before Him, they aren’t “just standing”; they are to “stand in awe” (Ps 33:8).

Furthermore, it’s informative to study the worship vocabulary of the Scriptures. The most prominent Hebrew word for worship (shachah, used 172x) literally means “bow, bend, pay homage.” Several other terms convey physical expression: “bow down” (kara, used 36x), “bless, kneel” (barak, used 330x), “throw forth the hands” (towdah, used 32x, often translated “praise”).

If you’re starting to suspect that you’ve been set up by this whole “Zach and Nikki” thing, you’re right. But it’s a set-up with a point. We claim to be a Bible based church, and I know that is the genuine desire on most of our hearts. But are we willing to let the Bible be our basis for what we do with our body in worship? Think about it, and stay tuned…