Why I Stand for Worship
Written by Tillie Palmer
The views expressed in this blog do not necessarily represent the views of St Nic’s.
It’s Tuesday morning. Get up, make breakfast, sit. Clear up, get dressed, grab a book, sit. Get up, make a cup of tea, sit….
It’s Tuesday evening. Make dinner, clear up, another tea… I’m still sitting.
During lockdown, we may find ourselves with an increased amount of free time, something that I’m sure isn’t normal for many of us. Like me, you may ask yourself daily: what shall I do today? How can I use my time productively? Is there something new I can try to prevent boredom? Upon reflection, I have realised that the activities I choose to do during my lockdown days involve a lot of sitting. As someone who likes to remain active and occupied, I have struggled to enjoy my free time, and have begun to focus on negative aspects of daily life, blaming coronavirus for the lack of joy I find during my day. I am overlooking the opportunities presented by lockdown on a personal and relational level.
Changing our physical posture can have a great effect on our mood and emotions. Standing up, moving gently, or even dancing(!), helps to release stress and tension held in the body, and enables the mind to find peace more easily. Perhaps then, we should be asking ourselves: how can I stand more?
I have chosen to stand during sung worship in our St Nic’s Live online services. Not only does this help me physically, but also spiritually. I do not stand simply because it is ‘what you do when singing in church’. No, I believe that when we stand in worship, we stand as a sign of respect to our heavenly father; we stand as a sign of God’s salvation and deliverance. Psalm 40 demonstrates this beautifully:
“I waited patiently for the Lord; he turned to me and heard my cry. He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; he set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand. He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God. May will see and fear the Lord and put their trust in him.”
God had provided us with a place to stand! Though we may be feeling tired, overwhelmed, and weary during this time, through the saving work of Jesus we can “rise up and stand firm” (Psalm 20: 8). I believe that standing helps us to open up in the presence of God, both in body and mind. By adopting an open posture, we can focus more on listening to what God is speaking to us and experience his presence more deeply.
There is also a sense of standing in preparation to move. Throughout the bible, people stand before the Lord in preparation to listen and go where God leads them. This is no different for us now. God says in Jeremiah 6: 16: “Stand at the crossroads and look; ask for the ancient paths, as where the good way is, and walk in it, and you will find rest for your souls.” We stand in preparation to walk, to take the love of God to those around us in our homes and our communities. Nehemiah 9 talks of the command made of the Israelites to “stand up and praise the Lord your God, who is from everlasting to everlasting,” (v5). We can follow the example of the people of God who stood every morning in praise and thanksgiving, who stood to receive the blessing of God and encourage one another on their spiritual journeys.
It is a great personal encouragement to see others stand in worship during our online services to praise the same Lord who delights in us all. I stand in worship to proclaim the goodness and power of God, to encourage others and remember that the Lord is sovereign over all things, always.