Last Sunday, as the choir intoned the Kyrie eleison (“Lord have mercy”) and the congregation bowed low, I was struck again by how beautiful worship is. It is not entertainment, not a performance, but an offering rooted in the sacrifice of time, attention, and self. That’s what Scripture has always meant by worship. And it is precisely this sacrificial character that’s being lost in much of the modern church, where worship increasingly resembles a concert.
Consider the Vatican’s recent Grace for the World concert that took place on September 13th, 2025. Officially, it was billed as a cultural celebration of fraternity and peace. Pharrell Williams, who co‑directed the event, spoke about the constrictions of different religions and the need to seek wisdom from other traditions. His words echoed the concert’s theme of universal fraternity, but also revealed how the message was framed in terms of inclusivity and interreligious wisdom—a framing that departs from Catholic teaching, which affirms dialogue with other religions while insisting that the fullness of truth is found in Christ alone (Nostra Aetate). The choice of venue made the message even more complicated. St. Peter’s Square is not and has never been a neutral space. For Catholics, it has long functioned as an extension of St. Peter’s Basilica, consecrated ground where papal Masses, Eucharistic adoration, and blessings to the city and the world are offered. Though it is not the space ordinarily used for liturgical rites like the Mass, the square has always carried a tone of reverence that echoes through its colonnades. It’s because of this that many Protestant viewers, hearing the choirs and gospel-style repertoire, concluded with excitement that “worship was happening at the Vatican.” Showing that when entertainment is staged in a space already sanctified by worship, the line between performance and ceremony is blurred, and the very definition of worship itself begins to shift.
From the beginning, worship was always associated with somber reverence. In the Old Testament, worship meant sacrifice: the offering of unblemished animals, the first fruits of harvest, the surrender of what was most costly (Leviticus 1–7). The Hebrew word shachah means to bow down, to prostrate oneself. Worship embodies humility.
Some will point to 2 Samuel 6:14–22, where David “danced before the Lord with all his might,” as a point to justify concert‑style “worship” today. But David’s act was not worship in the sense that Scripture and the early Church have understood it to be. It was a singular moment of joy and humility before the Ark of the Covenant, the visible sign of God’s presence. By laying aside his royal dignity and leaping in celebration, David expressed reverence and adoration, but he did not offer sacrifice. His celebration was a private act of devotion, not a corporate rite prescribed for Israel. As king he rejoiced, and as priest he sacrificed, foreshadowing Christ, the true King and High Priest after the order of Melchizedek (Psalm 110:4; Hebrews 7:17) . But our worship, defined by Christ, is not modeled on David’s private joy. It is structured by the priesthood He established, marked by reverence, order, and sacrifice. To treat David’s dance and praise as a model for worship is to confuse a personal act of devotion with the altar‑centered offering that defines true worship. Dance and praise are good gifts in their proper place, but they do not belong at the altar or in holy spaces consecrated for sacrifice.
The prophets condemned Baal worshipers not only because they bowed to a false god, but because they offered false gifts. Children were burned (Jeremiah 19:5), bodies exploited (Hosea 4:13–14), and feasts turned to indulgences. These were not acts of holiness but of desecration. The message is very clear: worship is not validated by sincerity alone. God cares about the offering itself.
The seriousness of offering worship not commanded by God is seen in the story of Nadab and Abihu: “Now Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, took their respective firepans, and after putting fire in them, placed incense on it and offered strange fire before the Lord, which He had not commanded them. So fire went out from the Lord and devoured them, and they died before the Lord.” (Leviticus 10:1-2). Their fate underscores that worship is not validated by zeal or creativity, but by obedience to God’s commands.
Some may object by saying that “Jesus Christ is the final sacrifice, once for all,” and therefore there is nothing we can do that will be pleasing to the Lord. It is true that His death on the cross fulfilled and ended the old system of animal offerings. Yet Scripture is equally clear that this does not abolish worship but perfects it. As Paul writes, “present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship” (Romans 12:1). Our offerings do not compete with Christ’s atonement; they flow from it. As the Divine Liturgy proclaims, “Your own of Your own we offer to You, in all and for all.” The Eucharist itself is worship, because it is the one true sacrifice made present, and we unite our lives to it. Worship is not about adding to His sacrifice but about uniting ourselves to it, surrendering our lives in gratitude and obedience. In this way, Christian worship remains sacrificial, costly, God‑directed, and rooted in Christ’s once‑for‑all offering. If worship is defined as offering ourselves in Christ, then it cannot be reduced to applause or performance.
For the first three centuries, Christian worship was simple, rooted in Scripture, prayer, and the Eucharist. Gatherings were often in homes or catacombs, marked by reverence and risk. These were not casual dinners with bread and grape juice, as some imagine today. By the mid‑3rd century, homes were converted into dedicated spaces for worship, often adorned with icons and set apart as mini‑churches. Likewise, the catacombs were covered in Christian iconography, transforming them into sanctuaries. From the beginning, Christian worship was not informal fellowship but ordered liturgy centered on the Eucharist. During St. Constantine’s reign (4th century), worship became more public, ornate, and imperial. Cathedrals, choirs, and processions reflected the grandeur of the empire and the Kingdom of God on Earth. Beauty was elevated, but worship remained tethered to sacrifice through the Eucharist.
The Reformation (16th century) sought to recover biblical simplicity. Martin Luther in the Formula Missae (1523) emphasized congregational singing; John Calvin in his Institutes of the Christian Religion (1559, IV.1.5) stressed the Word preached, writing that “God deigns to consecrate to himself the mouths and tongues of men in order that his voice may resound in them.” Worship was still understood as covenantal encounter, not entertainment.
The real shift toward spectacle came much later. In the 19th and 20th centuries, revivalism and the rise of mass media reshaped worship. Camp meetings and tent revivals emphasized emotional experiences. By the late 20th century, evangelical megachurches adopted the aesthetics of pop culture—stadium seating, amplified bands, and stage lighting. Concert “worship” became just as viable in many eyes as the Eucharistic worship passed down by the Church.
Measured against this history, the Vatican’s Grace for the World concert is not an isolated anomaly but part of a broader trend: churches adopting the language of entertainment to reach the world. But if worship is meant to be sacrifice, then what does it mean when churches offer God a show in its place?
The worship of Israel was always a shadow of something greater. In Revelation, we see its fulfillment: the heavenly Liturgy where saints and angels cry “Holy, holy, holy” before the Lamb (Revelation 4:8). Just as animal sacrifices gave way to Christ’s eternal self‑offering, so too instruments that pleased for a moment give way to the living voice, the only instrument always with us and fit to praise Christ in the Kingdom. What was immature in the old covenant finds its perfection in the worship of Heaven and the Church.
If worship becomes a concert, we may gain an audience but lose the altar. And without the altar, we have lost worship itself.
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Comment by Salvatore Anthony Luiso on September 26, 2025 at 2:46 pm
Thank you for this article. I’m telling others about it.
Although I like very much certain of its points, such as the necessity of reverence in worship, I would agree with all of them.
Does the author believe that joy and praise are suitable only for personal devotion, and not worship? And therefore a song such as the psalms which express joy and praise, and the Magnificat, should not be in a worship service?
therefore will I offer in his tabernacle sacrifices of joy; I will sing, yea, I will sing praises unto the LORD.
–Psalm 27:6b (AV./KJV)
Does she believe that praise cannot be sacrifice? Hebrews 13:15 says otherwise.
Regarding “For the first three centuries, Christian worship was simple, rooted in Scripture, prayer, and the Eucharist”: What about the singing of psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs? (Which are mentioned in Ephesians 5:19 and Colossians 3:16.)
It seems that I Corinthians 14 gives us a picture of worship which contains more than Scripture, prayer, and the Eucharist.
The Book of Revelation repeatedly mentions the worship of God with harps in heaven, so I would not say that the use of musical instruments in worship was “immature in the old covenant” and do not belong in worship in the new covenant.
Comment by Seraphim I on September 26, 2025 at 5:03 pm
This is a great comment brother but I think you may be misunderstanding what the author is conveying. She seems to be coming strictly from the historical and Orthodox understanding of Worship as described in Holy Scriptures so let’s define terms using that frame of thinking for a clear understanding of whats being discussed.
Terms: Worship, Sacrifice, Praise, and Joy
1. Worship (Greek: Latreia)
– Worship is what is properly offered to God alone—distinct from veneration (proskynesis) offered to saints or holy things.
– In historic Christian practice, Worship is centered on the Eucharist, the offering of Christ’s body and blood.
– This aligns with Hebrews 9:22: “Without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins.”
Patristic support:
– St. Justin Martyr: “The Eucharist is the pure offering prophesied by Malachi” (Dialogue with Trypho, ch. 41).
– St. John Chrysostom: “When you see the Lord sacrificed and lying upon the altar… do you still dare to think you are on earth?” (Homily on Hebrews 17).
2. Sacrifice (Greek: Thysia)
– Two meanings:
1. Sacrificial worship: OT animal sacrifices which are perfected in the NT through the Eucharist (Christ’s once-for-all offering).
2. Personal sacrifice: Our spiritual offerings, prayers, tithes, hymns, fasting, good works.
– Romans 12:1: “Offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual worship.”
– Hebrews 13:15: “Through Him then let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that acknowledge His name.”
Patristic support:
– St. Augustine: “The true sacrifice is every work done that unites us to God in holy fellowship” (City of God, Book 10).
– St. Gregory the Great: “Sacrifice is fulfilled in mercy and humility, not in slaughter” (Moralia on Job).
3. Praise (Greek: Ainesis)
– Praise is the verbal and emotional expression of God’s greatness.
– Examples: David’s psalms, dances, and songs (Psalm 150); the heavenly hymns in Revelation (Rev. 5:9–14).
– Praise is not equivalent to Worship, but it can be a form of personal sacrifice.
Patristic support:
– St. Basil the Great: “The psalm is tranquility of soul, the arbiter of peace… it is the voice of the Church” (Homily on Psalm 1).
– St. John Chrysostom: “Let us make our life a melody of virtue” (Homily on Colossians).
4. Joy
– Joy is the inward disposition of gratitude, often preceding praise.
– It is a fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22) and a sign of spiritual health.
– In Orthodox theology, joy is not merely emotional but eschatological, rooted in the resurrection and communion with God.
By applying these definitions to the author’s article:
– She uses “Worship” in its proper historical and theological sense, the Eucharist.
If worship entails sacrifice, and Christ is the only sufficient Sacrifice, then:
– Our personal acts (praise, giving, singing) are secondary and complementary, not replacements.
– To treat personal sacrifice as equivalent to Christ’s offering risks elevating our works above His grace (Ephesians 2:8–9).
Instruments in Revelation and the Fathers’ Allegorical Reading:
– Revelation’s harps and instruments (Rev. 5:8, 14:2) are allegorical, not literal.
– They symbolize spiritual praise, harmony, and the soul’s ascent to God.
Patristic consensus:
– Origen: Interprets Revelation as mystical symbols (Commentary on John).
– Andrew of Caesarea: Harps represent the Church’s thanksgiving (Commentary on Revelation).
– St. Augustine: Instruments are signs of inward joy, not prescriptions for worship (Expositions on the Psalms).
– St. Gregory the Great: OT instruments were concessions to spiritual immaturity (Moralia on Job).
– St. Basil and St. Chrysostom: Emphasize vocal praise as the proper form of Christian worship.
Just as polygamy and animal sacrifice were permitted but later transcended, so too were instruments—childish means that gave way to spiritual worship in Christ.
Worship in Corinth and the Early Church:
– 1 Corinthians 14 and other passages show a full liturgical service: hymns, psalms, prophecy, prayer.
– But the center of worship (sacrifice and praise) is the Eucharist (Worship proper), not the music or preaching.
– John 6:53: “Unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in you.”
– Participation in the Eucharist is participation in true Worship.
– Singing and prayer are circumferential acts—they support and emphasize the Eucharistic Sacrifice.
With all that said, we can clearly see that praise can be a sacrifice, but only in the personal sense. The Eucharist is the only true worship because it is the sacrificial offering of Christ Himself. And lastly that Hebrews 13:15 and the Fathers confirm that vocal praise is the proper form of New Covenant sacrifice. All in all, we must avoid this word-concept fallacy. It’s the same word (“sacrifice”), but it has different theological meanings.
Comment by David on September 26, 2025 at 8:22 pm
At camp meetings, people would listen to testimonies up to a point. Beyond that, they would sing hymns to drown out the speaker. The New York Times commented on such a service at Ocean Grove, NJ.
“It was by far the greatest service ever held here…At one time twelve people were speaking at once, and a moment later three hymns were being sung simultaneously…Amanda Smith, the venerable Negro evangelist, was present. In a high-pitched key she sang, “I’m So Glad.” As she sang, she danced up and down the aisle…Aged Christians wept and shouted as some particularly striking testimony was given. At one time, there were three women in the audience in hysterics, but no attention was paid to them by those in charge of the unique service.”
Comment by David on September 26, 2025 at 8:52 pm
Methodists did not use altars until about 1920. Their buildings were pulpit-centered with a lectern on a diais and a table on the main floor for use during communion. Kenneth Clark mentioned the change in the Anglican Church.
“Only special students of the period know how greatly the English Church of 1830 differed from the English Church of today [1928]. Chancels and altars, clergymen in surplices, anthems, festivals, frequent standings and kneelings—these form part of everybody’s mental picture of an Anglican church. But to understand the development of the Gothic Revival we must imagine a time when all these forms were unthinkable. To a good protestant of 1830 the least suggestion of symbolism—a cross on a gable or on a prayer book—was rank popery. All forms of ritual were equally suspect. The clergyman wore a black gown and read the communion service from his pulpit; no one knelt during the longer prayers, or stood when the choir entered; indeed, the choir, if it existed at all, was hidden in a gallery, where it performed to the accompaniment of violins and a ‘cello. The old Gothic churches had been gradually adapted to suit this type of service. Superstitious features such as piscinae [for disposable of consecrated fluids] and sedilia [ceremonial seating for the clergy] were abolished; since altars were seldom used, even as tables, the chancel was either abandoned or employed as a vestry; and whatever symbolic sculpture existed in the nave was concealed by massive, comfortable pews for the rich and precarious galleries for the poor. “
Comment by Qohelet on September 29, 2025 at 6:33 am
Our predecessors solved this problem long ago. In Acts, 15 5:10 (KJV):
“But there rose up certain of the sect of the Pharisees which believed, saying, That it was needful to circumcise them, and to command them to keep the law of Moses. And the apostles and elders came together for to consider of this matter. And when there had been much disputing, Peter rose up, and said unto them, Men and brethren, ye know how that a good while ago God made choice among us, that the Gentiles by my mouth should hear the word of the gospel, and believe. And God, which knoweth the hearts, bare them witness, giving them the Holy Ghost, even as he did unto us; And put no difference between us and them, purifying their hearts by faith. Now therefore why tempt ye God, to put a yoke upon the neck of the disciples, which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear?”
God is wise enough to understand where our hearts are during worship. Now if the concert-like worship has theological errors, like prosperity theology, there’s a problem. But we should never put a yoke on those doing their best.
As for me, I know God loves electric guitars. After all, He created Sister Rosetta Tharp.
Comment by Glenn Wheeler on September 30, 2025 at 12:35 am
“Theological errors” according to whom, Qohelet? You?
Sorry to bust your bubble, but what you call “the prosperity gospel” can be supported biblically in exactly the same way your theology is supported….pulling out a few carefully selected verses and putting one certain interpretation on them.
You’re no different than they are.
Comment by samuel on October 10, 2025 at 8:35 am
If you haven’t danced before the Lord, and experienced His presence that affects our emotions strongly, then your knowledge of worship is mostly simple head knowledge. Worshippers in heaven are all in, praising God loud and strong. I agree that the concert approach is a rancid replacement for true worship, just as assembly lines of Christians having a wafer popped into their mouth and a sip of wine or grape juice are. If you’re not experiencing God’s presence in a real moving way then you’re probably not worshipping.