It's called SMF, the "Sunday Morning Fix."

And it all flutters away with the first collision the world throws at everyone once they step off of Church grounds; Or, if not that, then Monday morning with the crawl through traffic bringing out the best in humanity.

either way, if I had a nickle every time someone said, "Oh I need to worship this Sunday morning!" I would be richer than Bill Gates.

It's as if the only "real" worship time is Sunday Morning.../facepalm.

Skye
You went on for so long saying the gatherings were the problem, then said they weren't. If we really believed in this idea of high on God we would end that particular style of gathering. Those churches will keep doing it because they need to fill the seats and coffers to keep the snowball rolling, to keep up with the church around the block. Don't be a typical Christian blogger in the middle ground demand some change.

Skye,

I found nothing typical about your post. In fact, it pierced much like a Spirit filled word should. As a ministry leader, I am often saddened by the shallowness of some activity that passes for worship in the midst of genuine and authentic pursuit of intimacy. I actually see it from the same people at different times and often in my own heart too. As one who absolutely loves the hype (and i think it a wonderful thing to get hyped up about when faced with the alternative sources) I also know that discipleship is a long-term endeavor and true worship is born of a different land than hype. True worship is our response to the actual presence of God, not the pyrotechnics. I have no qualms about saying that the hype is hype and worship takes place in the hype at times and outside the hype at times. I guess the issue for some people is that since hype so often passes for genuine worship, we should do away with it all-together. I would whole-heartedly oppose that. If true worship is our response to the presence of God cannot hype be a legitimate medium? Here is the definition of hype: "Extravagant or intensive publicity or promotion". Sounds a bit like worship (see Revelation 4 and note that this is one very hyped up worship service.) He is not just Holy; He is Holy, Holy, Holy!

David
You make a reasonable case for hype except twice you say that 'true worship is a response to the presence of God'. God is with us whether we whoop it up or not! He doesn't need our hype to come into our presence. To me we need awe and humble reverence to His Majesty. However, I grant you that there certainly is nothing wrong with being excited about being there and enjoying corporate worship !

Agree with what you say. Too often worship is "me" or "us" centered and not directed toward God. Why should we think of worship as transformational, anyway? Doesn't transformation come from Bible study, prayer, and service? Worship then reflects what and who I (and we - since worship is meant to be corporate) already am in my relationship with God.

Pete, Excellent contribution! The sooner we understand that worship is not about coming into God's presence, the better. God is with us. Immanuel. Hallelujah! I cannot escape Uncle Rick's four famous words to commence his Purpose Driven Life: "It's not about you." Corporate worship is directed to God, we praise him, honour him, and humble ourselves before his greatness. Anything we get out of that is mere grace and by product of our attention to his majesty.

I think the addiction or chemical connection does not negate the veracity of an experience. For instance, sex is chemical. The interesting thing is how "to know you more" in both OT and NT equate to the highest marital act. Yes, consumerism and valuing euphoria as a church growth tool is common and "wrong". But, do we not see God in the sports event or the rock concert? Does not the power of a great story draw us into a beauty that reflects God's glory--even if the gazer does not equate it to God? A sunset causes chemical reactions. Running, and good food as well.

What is external and what is internal? I believe that we misconstrue worship expression by either pumping up an experience or by thinking it all simply inward. You are a monk or an activist. The monk in today's culture can say "I worship inside" and have no commitment to a group expression. We can't have it both ways. We have lost the "praise" in our worship. Just like faith with out works is dead, so is worship without praise! So, it is a bit shallow to use one study to theologically judge expressions of worship. We call "praise" worship. I think that is wrong and why so many force too much on our worship gatherings.

I thought these are definitional problems of happenings especially in economically weak regions! It would appear the entire christian community is challenged with this expression of affection for God? So where is the problem, is it the commercial interests or mere spiritual ignorance within the Church?

Much confusion grows with poverty and the refusal to be 'content' in our congregations, i submit. I may be wrong!

And yet...Biblical descriptions of corporate worship are often characterized by joy, clap offerings, etc.

I don't think the problem is emotional engagement, the problem is things can get very "one note". (i.e. only joy, only happy clappy, no places for silence, reflection, confession.)

I think it's totally okay to enjoy and desire a mountaintop experience. Where your foundations is- that's what counts. As the worship leader for my church, I feel my role is to help guide the congregation into the mindset that they are in the presence of God- not to bring God in, since He is alway there and always in all of us already. But the experience can be a helpful tool. And, if you had a rough week, those moments of just praise and joy for the Lord in a corporate setting can be such a great thing!
The danger lurks when you make this euphoria your foundation- like the author said, when you crave it or when you spend all of your time sort of waiting for the next experience.

As long as we remember that Christ is the solid rock upon which we stand, and that it's not about us and our emotions, it's about God, who He is, and developing a true and real intimacy with Him. Yes, worship *can be* very consumerist- but I would encourage you not to throw the baby out with the bathwater. Instead, let's all continue to prayerfully hone the ways in which we connect our excited moments in with our everyday communications with God, creating an even deeper authentic love for Him.

Good dialogue. For me, the question comes down to "what is the purpose of worship, and Who gets the benefit"? When we approach worship, if we do so with an attitude of "this is all for God, not for me", then it doesn't make a difference whether the band is loud, the music is fast or slow, the songs are choruses or intricate hymns, and how you feel at the end is irrelevant. One meaning of worship is "to turn towards God to kiss". When you turn towards you wife to kiss her, she responds by turning towards you to reciprocate. When we turn towards the Holy One, sometimes we "feel" His response, sometimes we don't. Personally, I don't care for smoke on a worship stage, nor flashing lights. A simple heart-felt song works for me. But I do appreciate good musicians, and a well played song. Hillsong is super at that. My point is that being in a large group of worshipers is no better or worse than being in an intimate group in your living room because it is all for HIM.

Skye,
While I think you provide some very helpful food for thought, particularly on what the purpose of worship is and whether we mistake it for the fulness of the Christian life, I do have a few reservations about some points. For instance, there seems to be an implication within the article that the fact that the "spiritual high" can be attributed to an oxytocin cocktail somehow delegitimizes it as being genuinely spiritual. While I don't think you explicitly make that claim, it is an easy step to make from the way it is presented.
The problem there is that we as humans are embodied beings, created as physical and promised a physical resurrection, so we should expect out spiritual experiences to be mediated through electro-neurological and biochemical systems. While the existence of the oxytocin should teach us that not everything that feels spiritually significant is necessarily of God (and this is important!), it doesn't rule out the possibility that an experience really is of God.
Again, I don't think you made these points, but worry that your post could be misinterpreted in this way.

The premise of the article seems to be that because spiritual “highs” can be correlated to chemical changes in the brain they are somehow illegitimate. Jonathan Edwards, who was sensitive to the intimate connections of brain, mind and soul would disagree. Of course spiritual experiences trigger body (and brain) reactions! Of course these reactions do not last forever even in the greatest of Christian saints. Significantly, they are called “peak experiences.” Though not intended, it seems that the article is a cheap shot at charismatics, defining “enthusiastic” worship as cultic.

I agree with those who caution against using this study as a reason to criticize corporate worship. I can find plenty to criticize about it on my own, but I think this article misdiagnoses the problems. Using the author's line of reasoning, one could just as easily argue that Bible reading is just another example of consuming external experiences that create temporary emotional highs. Likewise, prayer yields a temporary feeling of closeness to God, but it doesn't last and you have to keep going back for another hit.

I am much more concerned with the sad estate of the lyrical content of the worship songs. Read them without the music, and some are powerful expressions of worship, but some border on heresy and many are simply vacant of any substantial content. Introduce new songs, new music styles and new instruments. But make sure that a biblical awe-inspiring Picture of God is always at the core.

I agree with much of what he says, but perhaps not with the solution (looking inward for the Spirit and "communing" there). The problem is not that "external" is bad and "internal" is good-- it's backwards. The problem is that the external things he is rightly condemning (and the internal state it produces) is not actually where God has promised to meet us. An emotional experience is not the same thing as a spiritual experience. People are coming into an environment that is designed to seriously manipulate their emotions, and being conned into thinking that this is what God's presence is all about. Many are reacting to this outer environment and justifying it by however they perceive their "inner state." This is the subjectivity of mysticism, and it's just as turned inward as the solution he proposes.

The solution is not to drive people even further inward, but to give them the objective truth that comes from outside themselves and is not designed for the purpose of manipulating them. The Incarnation, the Word, the Gospel, all these things are external, which is why we rely on them to save us. Yes, people will react emotionally to worship of any kind, but it comes after the objective reality is offered.

I'd also take issue with the popular notion that worship is for the benefit of God. It isn't. God doesn't need anything. We need him. We respond in thanksgiving to him only after we have received his Word and his grace. The problem is that some people have a self-centered view of worship in which they think that their tastes, preferences, and emotional reactions are of prime importance in the value of worship (they aren't). But the truth remains that worship remains for our benefit. That's not being self-centered any more than the belief that Christ was crucified for us is self-centered. We're not pagans with a God who needs his ego stroked. We're sinners who have found the Bread of Life and have come to receive what we truly need from him.

Do we really want mountaintop experiences? Isn't that where Abraham went to sacrifice Isaac? Anyone for climbing up Golgotha for a personal mountaintop Sunday morning? Of course, Jesus took the apostolic trinity to a mountain to witness the transfiguration. So, the mountaintop may be glorious or gut-wrenching, depending upon what God desires to do in us at the moment.

Stan, thank you for that point. It sparked some good thoughts.

With an indirect, maybe even subconscious acknowledgement of your post, the church responds by saying you can grow your faith by joining a small group. But, small group studies are now an industry with slick, catchy, small mountaintop (hilltop?) experiences too.

I led a small group that includes very compelling video, great production and a great message. What I found is that it is so well produced that there is no follow up study that satisfies participants. And so, when I attempt to venture out of the kiddie pool to slightly deeper water with a study that actually requires reading, thoughtful listening, interaction & prayer the response is, "is that it?"

Your post validates what I have been feeling all along. I’ve paused leading small groups because I do indeed feel like a drug dealer pushing spiritual highs (exact words I used to explain to my Pastor) and am praying for direction on this issue.

The church is fully immersed in the culture and in a lot of instances responds in worldly ways. Should we try abandoning worldly measures of success (counting attendance, offerings, baptisms, etc.) and embrace eternal measures, i.e. if one comes to faith the angels rejoice?

Could it be that people are not interested in discipleship? Maybe it is as Paul writes in that each of us has a different role to play? Maybe most will never embrace the inside-out model but be faithful attendees (consumers? users?) while others do embrace it. My experience is that some merely attend while others pursue, immerse and serve. It is hard for me to accept this reality but I’m finding it difficult to reconcile any other way.

The problem here is the internal/external dichotomy and the claim that the NT clearly preferences the internal. I don't find that preference in the NT, not least because I don't find that dichotomy. It was the Gnostics who emphasized such distinctions.

There is also a problem of causality here. The UoW study concludes that the change in brain chemistry is caused by the sensory perception. What if that is getting the causality wrong, or not taking it far enough (remember there are four levels of causality)? If you are at a bowling alley and see pins knocked down, it may have been a thrown ball or the sweeper arm. Two very different causes can produce the same or similar effects.

I am not unsympathetic to what you are trying to do, but your logic and hermeneutic here are sloppy.

And as much as some people argue that their favorite form of music is what really speaks to them, ushers them into the presence, etc. it's really what they've become addicted to in order to achieve that feeling they've long come to expect. So, hymns may or may not be necessarily deeper than contemporary songs or choruses, as many would have us to believe. They just represent a certain feeling. However, when we approach worship with an attitude of communion with God, we can receive hymns, choruses, or any change in the order of worship with expectancy. We might even find ourselves surprisingly blessed.

"or merely sprouting the horns of consumerism."

The household of faith has been sprouting the horns of consumerism long before megachurch shish-boom-bah. Any church with a special building and even one hired platform guy will consume 86% of the "giving" on average. Only a measly 14% is free to go beyond these "givers". This stat is from Leadership Journal called "Normal Church Budgeting". This face-the-platform form of gathering is a loooong standing system. Believers have loved it and sanctified it in their own minds totally contrary to what the scripture says on what believers are to do when they assemble. Here are two of many:
Heb. 10:24,25
And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good works. Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.
This is the opposite of a couple experts dominating the personal expression and direction. This is gathering driven by the saints because they were "drawing near" and "holding fast" all week (see the previous verses) and want to share it to build "love and good works".
Eph. 5:18-20
Instead, be filled with the Spirit. Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Can platform expertise substitute for "interactive, participative, mutual, speaking and singing and qualify for being "filled with the Spirit"? Not if you believe the Word.

Skye, this is not a chemical addiction. It is a flesh addiction. The part of us that is at war with the Spirit. We are such suckers for it's bait and love the temporary results. Our finely tuned Phd Bible experts are right in sync with it calling it "corporate worship". It's time to let God's Word speak for God, not "doing what's right in our own eyes". Just this Sunday, the mega-pastor (Corona, CA) quoted the "not forsake assembly" verse but completely ignored what is stated that meeting is designed to look like. There was not one second of one another time. It was one-way communication start to end.

Is it wrong to be excited about worship and it be in a upbeat and fun environment? In my home church, we use some minor lighting effects to set a mood, but I don't see the harm in it. Our motto as a worship team is "to create a distraction free worship environment." Basically, "let everyone worship in the way they feel led to worship." there's nothing wrong with enjoying high energy worship. Like what's been said before, it's about reflecting on Gods grace and mercy in our lives, and thanking Him for His holiness, true love, and sovereignty. Whether or not a big worship service is addictive, or in my opinion simply humbling, it doesn't change what worship is. I say let's thank God for giving us the gift of worship, and be humbled by how He loves to hear His children sing His praises.

Skye, I think you have made some very good points. Stan also did in his brief comment, and I think his points to the meaning of true worship--it is sacrifice. The Transfiguration is a picture of grace--the vision God sees fit to give us in His own way and time that motivates us to keep going--but grace comes when we are willing to lay our all on the altar. The disciples on the Mount of Transfiguration were His closest associates and had already "left their nets," etc. to follow Him. There are no shortcuts.

I would echo the comments in that raise caution about using this study to critique large gatherings in worship. Not so much because I want to defend (or attack) these large gatherings, but because there seem to be several major assumptions here that are very doubtful.

1.) Worship in large gatherings is influenced by oxytocin or other neurotransmitters, while worship in small gatherings is not. (Or worship with TV screens, or stage worship, or whatever.)

However, it seems very likely that while worship may in fact be different in different settings, the fact is, the biological processes that accompany worship are very likely the same in all settings, with perhaps differences in degree. Yep, that means that all of us are likely experiencing increased oxytocin in worship.

2.) There is a meaningful contrast between inside-out and outside-in modes of transformation.

In fact, the idea of inside-out "Jesus-and-me" or "Holy Spirit-and-me" individual personal transformation draws from the same well as the individual consumerism that you are criticizing, Skye. In fact, this is the sort of consumeristic Jesus that Depeche Mode satired in their song "Personal Jesus". The Bible makes clear that transformation primarily happens in the body of Christ, which is to say, in the community of the church. It does not (primarily) happen individually through communion with God, even as that is an important aspect of transformation. Because of this, there are no neat lines between inside-out and outside-in transformation.

That said, I think it may be worth examining whether the sorts of ephemeral worship experiences that Skye is critiquing can really sustain discipleship. I just think that the particular critiques that Skye is leveling may have some serious problems of their own.

The timing of this article couldn't be better. We had a worship leader who recently told us "if you're not breathing heavy like I am and out of breath, then you're not worshiping". I took great offense to that statement b/c I don't need someone telling me that if I'm not hand-clapping, etc. then I'm not worshiping. What a lot of this boils down to is "what IS worship"? What did the Bible tell us worship is and by default b/c the bible is God's Word, what does he tell us worship is? I do not want to live by someone else's definition of worship and be led to believe that I've fallen short.

I think that the author of this blog is spot on and may have used a few descriptors that have thrown some of you off, but the bottom line that is presented is that there is more than "just a feeling" that can easily be artificially generated. We need to get deeper into our relationship with God and that has to come through a relationship with Him, through Christ and the Holy Spirit. It is not something that the lights, bells and whistles can generate on a long-term basis.

Our worship should be all for the LORD! Not for us or anybody. We worship God not only as we sing church songs, but we worship God in everything we do... " Col.3:17 And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him." And those that can truly worship God are those that have a relationship with Him. Because that person is aware that God is with Him wherever he decided to go and whatever plan he has.

children's ministry in Oakville

This is why I love my little church. We bring the Spirit to service with us. If God gives us a praise and shout kind of service we are thankful, and just as thankful for the times God gives us to reflect and be still. Sometimes we have 30 people in the pews, and sometimes we have 2. We mess up like every other church at times, and get away from the Spirit, but we always pray to be in the Lord's will. Our pastor, rather than writing a sermon each week, talks to Him and reads the WORD, and if the Spirit gives him a message Sunday morning he delivers it boldly and without fear of offending someone. Sometimes there is no message, and we use the time to pray and fellowship with each other. Our services can last 30 minutes or 5 hours, or more, depending on what THE LORD shows us when we come in to worship. The saved are everlastingly changed, because we let God bring them to repentance. Then He saves them, through grace and power, when HE sees their heart and not when someone has time to lead them in a prayer. We let God run our church, our service, our salvation, our lives, because nothing we can do can bring about his glory, grace and salvation. We just have to surrender it all to Him, come what may, and THAT is when you find true worship.

The Bible is full of people who experience God, yet ultimately find themselves wandering some sort of desert, struggling to truly remember that day when He met us where we were. As far as Sunday morning goes, you can explain the "how" (chemicals, etc) but you cannot explain the "why" (the purpose of God's design). I think this article warns us to avoid taking the easy route of getting people excited at the cost of setting up a truly meaningful moment. One where people can reflect on His work in their lives and listen to His words of love and redemption. Essentially, what are we serving people? Flashy, sugar-loaded junk food, or a rare, well-prepared delicacy filled with vital nutrients? In all, I'd say this article is well written and thought provoking. Excellent work.

Marty, I think this point you raise is a very important one:

"I am much more concerned with the sad estate of the lyrical content of the worship songs. Read them without the music, and some are powerful expressions of worship, but some border on heresy and many are simply vacant of any substantial content. Introduce new songs, new music styles and new instruments. But make sure that a biblical awe-inspiring Picture of God is always at the core."

I can't tell you how many times we've been worshiping in my church and I suddenly realize how generic the current song is. There may be a few second-person pronouns in it, and/or it may be marveling at the awesomeness of nature, but nothing that makes it clear we are singing about the gospel or Jesus or the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Sometimes I ask myself, is this song so generic that it could be sung to another god? Sadly, sometimes the answer is "it sure could" and I have to wonder about the motives behind the selection.

Why would we want to mix such generic, useless music in with worship songs that have some real meat, some real meaning, some real commitment to them? Might as well be singing "You Are the Sunshine of My Life" by Stevie Wonder. Sounds nice, fun to sing, but it's not really /worship/. Or maybe it's a new style of "worship," designed to provide warm fuzzies for casual visitors that we don't want to offend with any actual gospel content!

I figure I've heard about 2500 sermons in my life. I can count on one hand the ones that truly changed my life. I don't see anyone begging professional speakers to back off all of the uninspiring opinions about what the Bible says. I've thought for a long time it would be more fruitful just to read the Bible in public - and forget about all the commentary. The Lord has met me many times in the scriptures - but very few times in sermons - mostly in personal reading - or in close friends sharing their insights.

I could not even begin to count the number of times the Lord has met me in a musical setting - but most megachurch music is more professional than spiritual - just like the sermons - the Lord just isn't in much of it. Mostly He has met me by myself - alone with a guitar or a keyboard - pointed at Him - or in a small setting with like minded people who are more interested in the Lord than they are in the music.

Sheep do go from one hill to another (one place of hype to another). Can't really blame them for moving around trying to find any grass at all.

The Lord is the "Most High" as my buddy calls Him. Entertainment (most church settings) and drugs can get you high - but they are a cheap substitute for the "Most High"

Just thought I'd post this - it's probably more inspiring (and more scriptural too) than most "worship" songs - if you can see this as the Lord singing to you. I admit - there's some iffy lines - but the point is even what the world portraits as "entertainment" has more meat than most megachurch material:

"You Are The Sunshine Of My Life"

You are the sunshine of my life
That's why I'll always be around,
You are the apple of my eye,
Forever you'll stay in my heart

I feel like this is the beginning,
Though I've loved you for a million years,
And if I thought our love was ending,
I'd find myself drowning in my own tears

You are the sunshine of my life,
That's why I'll always stay around,
You are the apple of my eye,
Forever you'll stay in my heart

You must have known that I was lonely,
Because you came to my rescue,
And I know that this must be heaven,
How could so much love be inside of you?

You are the sunshine of my life, yeah,
That's why I'll always stay around,
You are the apple of my eye,
Forever you'll stay in my heart

[Background] Love has joined us,
Love has joined us,
Let's think sweet love

Jennifer's comments about her little church reminds me of my experiences in charismatic and Pentecostal circles long ago. I suspect the fact that her church's attendance numbers range from 2 to 30 people may have something to do with the fact that its services can range from 30 minutes to 5 or more hours and that this is but one factor among a number of unpredictable variables (including, one assumes from her comment about "messing up" sometimes, whether what is presented in the service is legitimately led and of the Holy Spirit, or not).

Having experienced many forms of worship over my lifetime before becoming an Eastern Orthodox Christian, I can tell you spontaneity (like attempts to emotionally move, i.e., manipulate, and/or entertain the audience through creatively crafted, culturally relevant, contemporary, hip, and excellently performed combinations of worship events, songs, skits, readings, sermons, etc.) is highly overrated and has many drawbacks when it comes to helping folks to truly and unselfconsciously enter deeply into worship--especially when it comes to facilitating corporate worship. Rather, I've discovered through my own experience what is really needed is the theological depth and Scripture saturated content and form of the historic apostolic liturgy of the Church.

C.S. Lewis in talking about the value of a fixed Christian liturgy for worship wrote in *Letters to Malcolm, Chiefly on Prayer*:

". . . Every service is a structure of acts and words through which we receive a sacrament, or repent, or supplicate, or adore. And it enables us to do these things best -- if you like, it "works" best -- when, through long familiarity, we don't have to think about it. As long as you notice, and have to count, the steps, you are not yet dancing but only learning to dance. A good shoe is a shoe you don't notice. Good reading becomes possible when you need not consciously think about eyes, or light, or print, or spelling. The perfect church service would be one we were almost unaware of; our attention would have been on God.

"But every novelty prevents this. It fixes our attention on the service itself; and thinking about the worship is a different thing from worshipping. . . . "

(From here: http://gottesdienstonline.blogspot.com/2011/02/cs-lewis-on-liturgy.html)

In a similar vein, C.S. also wrote this:

"The advantage of a fixed form of service is that we know what is coming. Ex tempore public prayer has this difficulty; we don’t know whether we can mentally join in it until we’ve heard it—it might be phony or heretical. We are therefore called upon to carry on a critical and a devotional activity at the same moment: two things hardly compatible. In a fixed form we ought to have “gone through the motions” before in our private prayers; the rigid form really sets our devotions free. Also find the more rigid it is, the easier it is to keep one’s thoughts from straying. Also it prevents getting too completely eaten up by whatever happens to be the preoccupation of the moment (i.e. war, an election, or what not). The permanent shape of Christianity shows through. I don’t see how the ex tempe method can help becoming provincial, and I think it has a great tendency to direct attention to the minister rather than to God."

(From here: http://www.holycrossrocklin.org/salt/2011/11/cs-lewis-on-the-liturgy-prayer/)

Sorry for such a long post, but I thought the material from C. S. was excellent.

I could write an epistle on this subject - and I agree/disagree with this post. So I will share some favorite verses:

Acts 16:23-26 “And when they had laid many stripes upon them, they cast them into prison, charging the jailor to keep them safely: Who, having received such a charge, thrust them into the inner prison, and made their feet fast in the stocks. And at midnight Paul and Silas PRAYED AND SANG PRAISES unto God: and the prisoners heard them. And suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken: and immediately all the doors were opened, and every one’s bands were loosed.”...

Matt. 18:20 "For where two or three are GATHERED TOGETHER IN MY NAME,THERE AM I IN THE MIDST OF THEM ”...

2 Chronicles 20:18-24 "18 Then King Jehoshaphat bowed low with his face to the ground. And all the people of Judah and Jerusalem did the same, worshiping the Lord. 19 Then the Levites from the clans of Kohath and Korah STOOD TO PRAISE THE LORD, the God of Israel, WITH A VERY LOUD SHOUT. 20 Early the next morning the army of Judah went out into the wilderness of Tekoa. On the way Jehoshaphat stopped and said, “Listen to me, all you people of Judah and Jerusalem! Believe in the Lord your God, and you will be able to stand firm. Believe in his prophets, and you will succeed.” 21 After consulting the people, the KING APPOINTED SINGERS TO WALK AHEAD OF THE ARMY, SINGING TO THE LORD AND PRAISING HIM FOR HIS HOLY SPLENDOR. This is what they sang: “Give thanks to the Lord; his faithful love endures forever!” 22 At the very moment they began to sing and give praise, the Lord caused the armies of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir to start fighting among themselves. 23 The armies of Moab and Ammon turned against their allies from Mount Seir and killed every one of them.