In his July newsletter, Bob Webber asks whether we should consider worship an experience. Here are some of his conclusions:

Worship that arises from the self is exhausting. The worshiper feels that he or she must produce worship. Essentially this kind of worship is a “work-worship.” I must do it. I must act excited. I must close my eyes. Lift my hands. Tilt my head or bow my knee as an offering of my worship.

Compare this worship with a worship that actually derives from God who is at work in the assembly of gathered people in Word, sign, and gesture:

One kind of worship demands of us; the other fills us.
One worship is a legalistic effort; the other is a grace-filled gift.
One worship will tire your spirit; the other will bring you to rest.
One worship will make you think, “I did it,” and the other will make you aware that God’s presence has filled your heart, energized your spirit, and filled you with the sense that, in spite of all your life issues, all is well.

The first worship seeks a relationship with God through the effort of self. The second worship is union with God through prayer.