How to Worship
How do you worship? Is worship simply attending a service and singing a song? Not according to Jesus. Here’s what he had to say:
“True worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth. The Father is looking for those who will worship him that way. For God is Spirit, so those who worship him must worship in spirit and in truth.” (John 4:23–24 NLT)
When it comes to worship, Jesus taught two things: that we should worship God in spirit and in truth. Let’s start off with the truth.
To worship in truth means that when we worship God, we worship God as He really is, not some false idea of God or some substitute for God. True Christian worship rests not only on the act of worship, but also on the object of worship. To worship in truth means to worship the only true object for worship—God.
There are many other objects you could choose to worship – money, fame, a rock, a tree, even a distorted view of God – but that wouldn’t be the worship you were created for, much less a worship that would do anything for your life. Because only worship in truth – the worship of the one, true God as revealed in Scripture – is really worship.
There must be a conscious, intelligent, theological dynamic to worship. It is not simply an emotional or experiential event, but rather a cerebral one. You are thinking as you worship, and those must be right thoughts. You worship when you are thinking rightly about God and your relationship with God.
Jesus also said to worship in spirit. To worship in spirit is to worship authentically with your heart, to have your act of worship be sincere, genuine and real. Jesus said it’s not just who you worship that matters, but also how you worship.
There’s an old story I once heard about a man who went to church with an angel as his guide. Every seat in the sanctuary was filled, but there was something strange about the service. The organist moved her fingers over the keys, but no music came from its pipes. The choir rose to sing, and their lips moved, but not a sound was to be heard.
The pastor stepped to the pulpit to read the Scriptures, but the man with the angel could not even detect the rustle of the pages. The Lord’s Prayer was recited by the entire congregation, but not a single syllable was audible. The pastor again went to the pulpit, and the man watched as the minister gestured here and there to make his various points, but he heard nothing.
Turning to the angel, the man said, “I don’t understand. What does all of this mean? I see that a service is being held, but I hear nothing.”
The angel replied: “You hear nothing because there is nothing to be heard. You see the service as God sees it. These people honor him with their lips, but their hearts are far from him.
“Worship without the heart is not worship.”
Photo Credit: ©GettyImages/Boonyachoat
Sources
Excerpt from James Emery White, After “I Believe”: Everyday Practices for a Vibrant Faith, order from Amazon.
The views expressed in this commentary do not necessarily reflect those of CrosswalkHeadlines.
James Emery White is the founding and senior pastor of Mecklenburg Community Church in Charlotte, NC, and a former professor of theology and culture at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, where he also served as their fourth president. His latest book, Hybrid Church: Rethinking the Church for a Post-Christian Digital Age, is now available on Amazon or from your favorite bookseller. To enjoy a free subscription to the Church & Culture blog, visit churchandculture.org where you can view past blogs in our archive, read the latest church and culture news from around the world, and listen to the Church & Culture Podcast. Follow Dr. White on X, Facebook and Instagram at @JamesEmeryWhite.
Originally published July 27, 2026.
