How often do we stop and think about what Heaven is really like? Probably not enough, as it is more important than we typically realize.
In the Lord’s Prayer, Jesus instructs us to pray “…Your kingdom come, Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.”
If we do not know what culture is like in Heaven, how can we petition for an earth that looks like it? What does church look like in Heaven? What does our music and creative culture look like in Heaven? Let’s take a look.
What is Kingdom Culture?
Many of the blogs I write simply come out of questions I get asked or am dealing with in my own life. For this one, it was along the lines of, “What does Sunday morning look like for Heaven?” and, “What does music business and songwriting look like in Heaven?”
There probably are not any Sunday morning services or a music business in Heaven, but I like the thought that examines what it would be like for us to accurately reflect what is happening in Heaven’s worship. I believe that to do that we have to look more at the cultural characteristics that God has shown us. Here are just a few:
Love
Heaven’s culture is most accurately displayed through looking at the life and actions of Jesus. He hung out with the sinners. He turned the other cheek against his enemies. He lived a life of love and grace those who did not deserve it. This is the core of the gospel.
When we worship and create, it should be out of a place of asking what direction benefits other people, inside and outside of the church.
Healing
The majority of Jesus’ ministry consisted of healing the sick everywhere he went. There is no sickness and death in Heaven, only life.
What we produce should bring life to others.
“And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes, and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain, for the former things are passed away.” Revelation 21:4
Community
God is all about relationship. He died on the cross for us to be in communion with him. He created woman so man could have a helper.
Our worship and creativity should invite people into the church from all backgrounds and demographics and help people feel accepted.
Power
God loved us so much that He wanted to make a home within us. I would say that’s pretty cool. Romans 8:11 says that the same Spirit that had the power to raise Jesus lives within us and gives us life.
Our worship and creativity has the potential to carry power that changes lives.
“…for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.” 2 Timothy 1:7
Exploration and Uniqueness
The Bible talks a lot about moving forward, running a race, looking to what lies ahead, making new creations, etc. When God creates something, He makes something unique (“…For I am fearfully and wonderfully made.”). The original word for “wonderfully” (palah) means “distinct” and “set apart.” He did not make you as a copy of someone else and does not want you to live as a copy of someone else.
Our worship and creativity should not be copies of other work but unique expressions that are set apart.
Edification and the Prophetic
The words coming from Heaven bring life. God spoke the world into existence. The prophetic is also an undeniably important element of the Bible. 1 Corinthians 14 instructs us to prophesy for the encouragement and upbuilding of the church.
Our worship and creativity should be prophetic in nature, pulling from the future and encouraging the world
“Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear.” Ephesians 4:29
Simplicity and Complexity / Minimalism and Abundance
Child-like faith, faith as small as a mustard seed, I AM, and Jesus’ responses to the Pharisees are just a few examples of how straightforward and minimal God can be. At the same time, the building of the tabernacle and temple, the Trinity, God creating the world in Genesis 1, the mysteries of Revelation, and the entire Bible as a whole, show that God is deeply complex and puts a lot of effort into the details.
Our worship and creativity should explore both ends of the spectrum.
Excellence
Excellence can be defined as the quality of being outstanding or extremely good. Kingdom stands apart. It is the best of the best. It is so good that when people come across it, it catches their attention because it is superior.
Our worship and creativity should be outstanding and the best we can give, not just “good for Christianity” but excellent for the world’s sake.
“If there is anything excellent, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.” Philippians 4:8.
These are just a few thoughts on how we can examine our perspective of what worship can encompass. Heaven and God Himself are so much bigger than we can imagine, and that should make us excited. The point is not to put more defined boxes around our worship, but to explore new territory and fight for greater breakthrough. Let’s bring heaven to earth.
You may also be interested in these posts as well:
- I’m a Worship Leader, But Why?
- Worshipping Through Authentic Creativity
- Healing From Church Heartache
- Activating Your Relationship with God: Practical Steps to Hearing His Voice
- 3 Ways the Enemy Attacks Worship Leaders: And What You Can Do About It
