Defining Worship

Dutch humanist Desiderius Erasmus (1466-1536) once said "Every definition is dangerous." That may explain why when we try to define a word simply and precisely we often end up missing significiant aspects of the word we're defining. Attempts at explaining worship as "love," or "intimacy," or "relationship" say something true, but end up leaving out more than they contribute to our understanding of worship.

In spite of Erasmus' warning, over the years I've come across numerous definitions of "worship" that have caused me think about worship more biblically.