When Worship Is an Anomaly

I heard the phrase “when worship is anomaly” while praying one day. Here is the what progressed.

Worship is an anomaly (an oddity) when corporate worship is the norm instead of individual worship.

Normal worship is the individual gazing on Jesus, sitting in his presence and learning from him, beholding and becoming like him. (Psalm 27:4, 2 Corinthians 3:16-18, Luke 10) It is from that place our lives exalt Jesus in every way. Tough day? We choose to exalt Jesus. Great day? Still exalting Jesus. Hard season? We keep exalting Jesus. Sweet time in life? His name is to be praised. What grows/matures the ability to keep exalting Jesus throughout our lives is sitting with him every day. That is normal worship. (Psalm 113)

Corporate worship is a wonderful, glorious extra. The assembling of the body of Christ to rejoice and weep together, learn and grow together, to unify in praise to God. Although it is done weekly, it does not replace our daily act of worship. It is a wonderful extra.

In the same way our physical body works together from the central nervous system (CNS) to move and function, the body of Christ has to be connected together under the headship of Christ. If my arm is not attached to the CNS, my arm is irregular and won’t function with the rest of the body. Similarly, corporate worship is dependent on each part of the body staying connected with Jesus so that when we gather together, there is unity and one focus. (1 Corinthians 12:12-27, Colossians 1:15:22)

Has it ever occurred to you that one hundred pianos all tuned to the same (pitch) fork are automatically tuned to each other? They are of one accord by being tuned, not to each other, but to another standard to which one must individually bow.

AW Tozer, The Pursuit of God

When we gather corporately, like on a Sunday morning, and the individual parts of the body haven’t been normally worshiping—connection with Jesus daily—our assembly will be irregular, an anomaly. Corporate worship not strengthened by normal worship is odd, out of whack, divided, and multi-focused. We may have the appearance of unison—everyone gathered and singing together—but signing together doesn’t guarantee worship.

The potential trouble with corporate worship being the normal act of worship is that it becomes catered to the individual need, want, and preference. The corporate becomes self-serving and a petri dish for criticism. It can lead to a worship civil war where people get mocked, shamed, shunned, and hushed. Many churches have divided like this, and some people don’t recover.

We are trying so hard, too hard, to fix our corporate worship settings. The solution has nothing or little to do with Sunday church and services. The solution is for us, each individual part, to sit before the Lord in our homes and cultivate normal worship in our secret place. Those who worship in the secret place will worship in corporate places. When individuals are being daily satisfied by God’s presence and word, corporate worship will be God-centered and serving, not man-centered. A sanctuary full of individual worshipers will not need a formula or music to unify them. Music, then, as with other parts of a service, is a bonus, not a focus. It’s a joy and delight, not a necessity.

As I was processing this word with the Lord, I found myself asking, “Why this message? Why is this important right now?” The following is what I heard the Lord say and impress on me.

I heard the Lord switch up the phrase. When corporate worship is full of individual worshipers, the meeting will be a different kind of anomaly—a rare time in my presence. When glory fills the individual temple, it will fill the collective temple. But my heart desires to fill the temple in this way more and more because it prepares the church to be my Son’s bride. It readies the church for the days leading up to his return. Glory filling the temple may be an anomaly (rarity) now, but I desire for it to be anticipated and to increase in occurrences. It prepares the bride.

How does this happen, Lord? I asked.

This will increase as individuals worship and feed on the Bread of Life—daily. I will meet my sons and daughters in the secret place with glory. It makes them ready. When they gather together, there will be more glory because the gathering will be an overflow, not a need.

I want to be careful not to add to that, but I will say I see the importance of the secret place (normal worship, feasting on the Bread of Life) in two ways.

• One, it readies us with the knowledge of Jesus, to be found in him, which results in the ability to endure and remain faithful. (Philippians 3) It’s imperative to know him. Deep roots, friends.
• Two, I believe this is part of the revival and end-time harvest we are hearing about and sensing.

I don’t know about you, but I’m longing for his glory to increase. And I’m asking the Spirit to reveal all the things what keep me from strengthening my secret place, from daily feasting with Jesus. And whatever it is, to cut it off.

Jesus, we come again to eat of the Bread of Life, to press in to know you. Fill us with glory, overflow our lamps. Make us ready.