Mike Erre + Tim Timmons – Worship is a Part of Spiritual Formation

Worship is not just about songs! Common! Mike Erre and Tim Timmons talk about their relationship as Teacher and Worship Leader and their responsibility to their community. What they bring to each Sunday service is only a small part of a church service, which is a small part of walking with Jesus. How are we ushering in spiritual formation in our services and in the community that we’re building with our fellow Believers?

We’ve become so used to four songs and a sermon that when a pastor and a worship leader work together in joint leadership and focus on spiritual formation within their community it can seem jarring. Maybe even unusual. But should it? In the end, are we creating disciples are just going through the routine of a “traditional” Sunday service? This Worship Sound Bite is well worth your time.

Transcription

Worship is not just about songs, but we really are actually in the middle of trying to figure out how do we- So, if- if you can see, I think something I didn’t do before is I didn’t look from almost the 50,000 foot view down on, “What are we actually doing?” You know? I think I’ve been asking these questions for a while too. What does Jesus care-

What did he care about? How did Jesus lead worship? But there’s even another step, even higher of like, What are we doing? Like in our gatherings? Are we just doing another thing, just another group of songs and a message? Or is the- the main focus of this is to have spiritual formation happening? And how are we actually helping that and ushering that in for ourselves and with this community?

That is music- is just a little part of the message is a little part of- so that our people would actually walk out of that place with a different awareness of Jesus. And that that raises a huge point. For- for us, worship is justice. Justice in the Bible, isn’t- Well, first, it’s always social and it is the way the community relates to each other and bringing about flourishing and shalom and worship has always been attached to that.

So whenever you see God, particularly in the Old Testament, saying things like, “Away with the noise of your songs” or “I can’t stand your feast” and “Your assemblies sicken me.” It’s because, although, they were proclaiming the right words and participating in the right rituals, their- their- their meetings had become a source of injustice and and oppression and almost repeating and enacting the dynamics of the world, rather than the new creation dynamics that that Yahweh intended for Israel, that Jesus intends for his church.

And so for us, worship can’t just be that time where you’re singing, because that’s not how the Lord sees it. The Lord sees it as the integration of whatever is said and whatever is sung and whatever is heard with how the community treats each other.