What does it mean to worship from the inside out?
That’s a question I’ve been struggling with ever since I attended the Catalyst conference earlier this year. Until this conference, I never really thought about where my worship of God came from—I just did it. So when the question came up, I had to reflect, do I worship from the inside out or the outside in?
And what exactly does that mean?
I think I know what it means to worship from the outside in. It’s when something outside of me influences how I think and feel on the inside. The source can be almost anything, something I’ve read, something my kid has said, or even an unusual set of circumstances. When I observe something that is so right (or something that is so wrong) with the world, it can change me on the inside. These observations or realizations transform themselves into a series of thoughts that lead me to conclude something about God’s character, his abilities as a creator, or how much we all need him and fail to see it. When I worship from the outside in, information is a catalyst to my brain that results in intellectual worship of God. It’s all very clinical and it works well and often for me. There’s nothing wrong with this approach. As a matter of fact there are many people who would benefit from it. But at the conference, I began to ask what would worship from the inside out look like? My first thought was that it would involve worshiping from my heart instead of my head. As a thinker, and not so much a feeler, this seemed, well, like something for those who enjoy a more emotional type of church experience to do. But several speakers talked about the need to serve others (John Maxwell), to love others (Francis Chan), and to give to others (Rick Warren). We sang a song about worshiping from the inside out. Part of the refrain was “Oh Lord, my soul cries out from the inside out.” And when I sang those words I realize my soul does cry out and it has little to do with whether you’re a feeler or a thinker. My soul cries out from somewhere deep within. It cries out for a savior, for a Lord, for justice, and righteousness. My soul cries out for beauty and wonder. To love and be loved. And these cries come from a very deep primal place that I had never paid much attention to before now. When I ignore the cries of my soul, I can function just fine. I can be effective, I can be accomplished, I can even be successful. But when I only worship from the outside in, from the observation to the intellectual thought, I am missing so much. I don’t experience love, I don’t really care about others, there is no emotion, just superficial action. So I am paying attention to how I worship and how I can do it better. And my soul is crying out. ~Jennifer