Art Prize

Before posting my thoughts, I would love to hear your response to the question:

What is Worship?

Have at it in the comment section.
Here was my response to this question raised in class:

Art Prize 2013 begins next week in Grand Rapids. Last year’s event was spectacular. After gawking in the museum at the beautiful art clearly and prominently displayed there, thousands of voters and spectators poured out to the street to seek, find and behold world-class art cleverly wedged in with all of the normal items and fixtures of the street. The competition art was marked with a small sign, causing the voters to look closely at items to determine whether or not a fire hydrant was in the running. Then spectators, captivated by the expression and beauty of a masterpiece, were empowered to vote for the greatest artist of them all.

Art Prize helps in understanding worship from two directions. First, Art Prize shows the importance of worship as expression. The winner of Art Prize is the one deemed with expressing most clearly his passions, skill, story and even personality through a medium. This is the definition of good art. And just as good art fully reveals the passion and skill of its creator, so all creation (including human beings) ascribes its glory to its maker. In other words, people are inevitably worshiping all the time, expressing by their actions and thoughts who or what is their god. This is why it is essential to ask whether we are worshiping well, whether we are living good art, whether we are pointing to our true Creator. The way a person lives is always expressing something very specific about what he considers his Maker to be like.

Secondly, Art Prize illustrates the importance of worship as formation. On their way to Art Prize for the first time, spectators no doubt unknowingly passed many world-class works of art. They may have started out in the museum, learning to identify and appreciate art in a space set aside for only art. Then, progressing outside, they would learn to point out works of art not seen so obviously. Finally, it is conceivable that this person, upon her return home, might see the beautiful maple in the back yard and “mistake” it for a masterpiece of incomparable beauty. In the same way, our gathered worship forms us into people who are watchful of God’s handiwork in scripture, stories, people, mercy, reconciliation and prayer. And as we are scattered from our worship gathering, we are able to more clearly see God at work in what was otherwise commonplace. In this way, our worship, both as individual and communal works of art, both proclaims the glory of our God and forms us into more worshipful people.