“Worship is a memory problem.”

Pastor Jarrett recently made this statement in an all-staff chapel. What does it mean? Does our memory really help us worship?

Ask my wife or family members about my memory, and you’ll likely hear them explain how bad it is. I live and survive by making lists. I’m forgetful. I depend on lists to remind me what I need to be reminded about. You may not have the same level of forgetfulness, but I’m convinced Pastor Jarrett is right: we are all forgetful in ways that impact our worship.

So, come with me to a worship rehearsal. This isn’t a music rehearsal; It’s a truth rehearsal. When we rehearse truth, we are reminded of God’s character and plan seen through the Word of God, the Gospel, and the pattern of God’s faithfulness in our lives.

The Word of God

There is no greater truth than what is found in God’s Word. It is the only absolute truth. His Word reveals his character. John Piper says this about the role God’s Word should play in our lives:

“Without the written word—explaining and preserving for us who God is and what he has done—there would be no saving knowledge of God, no new birth, no faith, no seeing and savoring of God’s glory, no experience of forgiveness, no transformation, and, in the end, no completed and beautified Bride for the Son, and no white-hot worshipping family for the Father.”1

True worship rehearsal occurs when we rightly behold God and his character in his Word. There is no better place to learn about who God is and what He has done. Filling your heart daily with God’s Word through devotion and memorization will result in sanctification marked by regular worship.

The Gospel

There is a cyclical pattern that emerges when rehearsing Gospel truths. Milton Vincent writes, “The gracious love of God, lavished on me because of Christ’s death, is always humbling to remember, especially when viewed against the backdrop of the Hell I deserve.”2 Gospel remembrance should lead us to respond in two ways. First, we should live in consistent repentance. When we remember and are humbled by our need for God and His pardon of our sin, we repent. Second, we should rightfully respond with thanksgiving and praise (worship). Gospel grace reminds us that we have freedom from sin and are justified, adopted sons and daughters of the Father. When we remember how much we have been forgiven, we can’t help but worship.

His Pattern of Faithfulness

It is easy to forget the many blessings of God when we face sorrow, loss, fear, anxiety, depression, anger, etc. However, when we intentionally meditate on specific ways the Lord has been faithful, we should be filled with hope and gratitude. Just as I make lists to remember what groceries to get at HEB on my way home from work, we must stop and consider the list of God’s faithfulness in our lives.

What are the things you prayed for that God has answered? What are ways God has provided for you when you felt helpless? Who has God placed in your life that reminds you of truth? What would your life be like without God’s presence and work in your life? These questions remind us of all God has done, and we can trust Him to be what he has always been: faithful. Practically, this task looks different for everyone. For some, this is rehearsed through journaling, conversations with others, prayer, etc. Whatever way you choose to remember, take the time to reflect and meditate on how God has been faithful, trusting that He will continue to be faithful.  

Since worship is a memory problem, I hope you utilize God’s Word, the Gospel, and His past faithfulness to remind yourself to worship.

  1. John Piper, “The Ultimate Goal of Reading the Bible,” Desiring God, September 23, 2016. ↩︎
  2. Milton Vincent, The Gospel Primer, (Focus Publishing, 2008), 32. ↩︎