--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Despite the protestations, one sometimes…" description: "\"Despite the protestations, one sometimes wonders if we are beginning to worship, worship rather than worship God.\" — D. A. Carson" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/61c/d-a-carson-4044_conceited_despite-the-protestations-one-sometimes_1290261.png" --- # Despite the protestations, one sometimes wonders if we are… ![“Despite the protestations, one sometimes wonders if we are beginning to worship, worship rather than worship God.” quote by D. A. Carson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/61c/d-a-carson-4044_conceited_despite-the-protestations-one-sometimes_1290261.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/61c/d-a-carson-4044_conceited_despite-the-protestations-one-sometimes_1290261.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/61c/d-a-carson-4044_conceited_despite-the-protestations-one-sometimes_1290261.png) > “Despite the protestations, one sometimes wonders if we are beginning to worship, worship rather than worship God.” [D. A. Carson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/d-a-carson/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The quote questions whether worship has shifted from God to the act of worship itself, warning against idolatry of ritual. **In simple terms:** Worship may become self‑focused rather than God‑focused. Key Takeaway Focus worship on God, not ritual. Themes faith worship idolatry Mood thoughtful serious Type theological reflective When to use this quote - church services - personal prayer - spiritual retreats - religious study Key Concepts theology spiritual discipline self‑reflection Questions to Reflect On - How do you keep worship God‑centered? - What practices help avoid ritualism? A Different Perspective It may overlook the value of communal worship. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Wonder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wonder/) [Worship](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/worship/) ## Related quotes > [To worship God 'in spirit and in truth' is first and foremost a way of saying that we must worship God by means of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/d-a-carson/to-worship-god-in-spirit-and-in-truth-is-first-and-foremost-a-way-of/) [D. A. Carson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/d-a-carson/) > [“I think Willim Shakespeare was the wisest human being I ever heard of. To be perfectly frank though, that's not saying much. We are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/i-think-willim-shakespeare-was-the-wisest-human-being-i-ever-heard-of/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [“I detest mediocrity.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pseudonymous-bosch/i-detest-mediocrity/) [Pseudonymous Bosch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pseudonymous-bosch/) > [“Mankind must without a doubt be the most conceited race in the universe, for who else believes that God has nothing better to do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-dean-foster/mankind-must-without-a-doubt-be-the-most-conceited-race-in-the/) [Alan Dean Foster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-dean-foster/) > [Life is a bitch, but mine is a diva.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/life-is-a-bitch-but-mine-is-a-diva/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The emptiest people on this planet are usually the ones full of themselves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-emptiest-people-on-this-planet-are-usually-the-ones-full-of/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [If a man thinks he is not conceited, he is very conceited indeed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/if-a-man-thinks-he-is-not-conceited-he-is-very-conceited-indeed/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Of all trees, I observe God hath chosen the vine, a low plant that creeps upon the helpful wall; of all beasts, the soft…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/owen-feltham/of-all-trees-i-observe-god-hath-chosen-the-vine-a-low-plant-that/) [Owen Feltham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/owen-feltham/) > [The smaller the mind, the greater the ego.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-clancy/the-smaller-the-mind-the-greater-the-ego/) [Tom Clancy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-clancy/) > [My name is what hoes tend to mention, keep talking bitches, I love the attention.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/my-name-is-what-hoes-tend-to-mention-keep-talking-bitches-i-love-the/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I am the jongleur. I leap and pirouette, and make you laugh. I make fun of those in power, and I show you how…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dario-fo/i-am-the-jongleur-i-leap-and-pirouette-and-make-you-laugh-i-make-fun/) [Dario Fo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dario-fo/) > [For the record, someone will ALWAYS say that you are too big, too thin, too lean, too fat, too whatever. In my opinion, they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamie-eason/for-the-record-someone-will-always-say-that-you-are-too-big-too-thin/) [Jamie Eason](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamie-eason/) > [Narcissus does not fall in love with his reflection because it is beautiful, but because it is his. If it were his beauty that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/narcissus-does-not-fall-in-love-with-his-reflection-because-it-is/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Azerbaijan unleashed the war, and was defeated in that war; Azerbaijan asked for truce (including from the Commander of Karabakh's forces) and later started…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/serzh-sargsyan/azerbaijan-unleashed-the-war-and-was-defeated-in-that-war-azerbaijan/) [Serzh Sargsyan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/serzh-sargsyan/) > [I don't at all like knowing what people say of me behind my back. It makes me far too conceited.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/i-don-t-at-all-like-knowing-what-people-say-of-me-behind-my-back-it/) [Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/) ## More by D. A. Carson > [Unchecked, the new tolerance will sooner or later put many people in chains.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/d-a-carson/unchecked-the-new-tolerance-will-sooner-or-later-put-many-people-in/) [D. A. Carson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/d-a-carson/) > [God's wrath is not an implacable, blind rage. However emotional it may be, it is an entirely reasonable and willed response to offenses against…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/d-a-carson/god-s-wrath-is-not-an-implacable-blind-rage-however-emotional-it-may/) [D. A. Carson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/d-a-carson/) > [Others have questions about how it is that God and human beings can both be speaking through the one document such that you can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/d-a-carson/others-have-questions-about-how-it-is-that-god-and-human-beings-can/) [D. A. Carson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/d-a-carson/) > [The New Testament writers did not invent a doctrine of Scripture they inherited it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/d-a-carson/the-new-testament-writers-did-not-invent-a-doctrine-of-scripture-they/) [D. A. Carson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/d-a-carson/) > [The Bible is not interested in precisionism unless the context indicates that precision is particularly important.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/d-a-carson/the-bible-is-not-interested-in-precisionism-unless-the-context/) [D. A. Carson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/d-a-carson/) > [Effectiveness in teaching the Bible is purchased at the price of much study, some of it lonely, all of it tiring.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/d-a-carson/effectiveness-in-teaching-the-bible-is-purchased-at-the-price-of-much/) [D. A. Carson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/d-a-carson/) > [Do you wish to see God's love? Look at the cross. Do you wish to see God's wrath? Look at the cross.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/d-a-carson/do-you-wish-to-see-god-s-love-look-at-the-cross-do-you-wish-to-see/) [D. A. Carson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/d-a-carson/) > [The notion of the enduring authority focuses on the fact that some people think that notions like authority of Scripture's is passé, while others…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/d-a-carson/the-notion-of-the-enduring-authority-focuses-on-the-fact-that-some/) [D. A. Carson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/d-a-carson/) > [Many of us in our praying are like nasty little boys who ring front door bells and run away before anyone answers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/d-a-carson/many-of-us-in-our-praying-are-like-nasty-little-boys-who-ring-front/) [D. A. Carson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/d-a-carson/) > [Christians have learned that when there seems to be no other evidence of God's love, they cannot escape the cross.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/d-a-carson/christians-have-learned-that-when-there-seems-to-be-no-other-evidence/) [D. A. Carson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/d-a-carson/) > [Love the church because Jesus loves it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/d-a-carson/love-the-church-because-jesus-loves-it/) [D. A. Carson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/d-a-carson/) > ["Biblical theology" refers to something more precise than theology that is faithful to the Bible. It might be helpful to draw a contrast: at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/d-a-carson/biblical-theology-refers-to-something-more-precise-than-theology-that/) [D. A. Carson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/d-a-carson/) > [We treat the Bible, not as if it's a magic book that has to be handled like a piece of abracadabra, make sure it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/d-a-carson/we-treat-the-bible-not-as-if-it-s-a-magic-book-that-has-to-be-handled/) [D. A. Carson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/d-a-carson/) > [Most good evangelical Study Bibles have more in common than people sometimes realize. All of them are committed to explaining the Bible to lay…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/d-a-carson/most-good-evangelical-study-bibles-have-more-in-common-than-people/) [D. A. Carson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/d-a-carson/) > [Not all Scripture is propositional, some of it is asking questions, some of it's rhetorical, but where Scripture is stating something, asserting something, making…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/d-a-carson/not-all-scripture-is-propositional-some-of-it-is-asking-questions/) [D. A. Carson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/d-a-carson/) [Explore all 117 D. A. Carson quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/d-a-carson/) ## More Conceited quotes > [I don't at all like knowing what people say of me behind my back. It makes me far too conceited.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/i-don-t-at-all-like-knowing-what-people-say-of-me-behind-my-back-it/) [Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/) > [Azerbaijan unleashed the war, and was defeated in that war; Azerbaijan asked for truce (including from the Commander of Karabakh's forces) and later started…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/serzh-sargsyan/azerbaijan-unleashed-the-war-and-was-defeated-in-that-war-azerbaijan/) [Serzh Sargsyan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/serzh-sargsyan/) > [Narcissus does not fall in love with his reflection because it is beautiful, but because it is his. If it were his beauty that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/narcissus-does-not-fall-in-love-with-his-reflection-because-it-is/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [For the record, someone will ALWAYS say that you are too big, too thin, too lean, too fat, too whatever. In my opinion, they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamie-eason/for-the-record-someone-will-always-say-that-you-are-too-big-too-thin/) [Jamie Eason](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamie-eason/) > [I am the jongleur. I leap and pirouette, and make you laugh. I make fun of those in power, and I show you how…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dario-fo/i-am-the-jongleur-i-leap-and-pirouette-and-make-you-laugh-i-make-fun/) [Dario Fo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dario-fo/) > [My name is what hoes tend to mention, keep talking bitches, I love the attention.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/my-name-is-what-hoes-tend-to-mention-keep-talking-bitches-i-love-the/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The smaller the mind, the greater the ego.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-clancy/the-smaller-the-mind-the-greater-the-ego/) [Tom Clancy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-clancy/) > [Of all trees, I observe God hath chosen the vine, a low plant that creeps upon the helpful wall; of all beasts, the soft…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/owen-feltham/of-all-trees-i-observe-god-hath-chosen-the-vine-a-low-plant-that/) [Owen Feltham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/owen-feltham/) > [If a man thinks he is not conceited, he is very conceited indeed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/if-a-man-thinks-he-is-not-conceited-he-is-very-conceited-indeed/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The emptiest people on this planet are usually the ones full of themselves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-emptiest-people-on-this-planet-are-usually-the-ones-full-of/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Life is a bitch, but mine is a diva.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/life-is-a-bitch-but-mine-is-a-diva/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Mankind must without a doubt be the most conceited race in the universe, for who else believes that God has nothing better to do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-dean-foster/mankind-must-without-a-doubt-be-the-most-conceited-race-in-the/) [Alan Dean Foster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-dean-foster/) > [“I detest mediocrity.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pseudonymous-bosch/i-detest-mediocrity/) [Pseudonymous Bosch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pseudonymous-bosch/) > [“I think Willim Shakespeare was the wisest human being I ever heard of. To be perfectly frank though, that's not saying much. We are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/i-think-willim-shakespeare-was-the-wisest-human-being-i-ever-heard-of/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [Check me out, check me out, I'm on some conceited shit. Pocket full dead presidents but I ain't grieving bitch.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/juelz-santana/check-me-out-check-me-out-i-m-on-some-conceited-shit-pocket-full-dead/) [Juelz Santana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/juelz-santana/) Browse all 244 Conceited quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Despite the protestations, one sometimes wonders if we are beginning to worship, worship rather than worship God.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "D. A. Carson" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/d-a-carson/despite-the-protestations-one-sometimes-wonders-if-we-are-beginning/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Conceited" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/d-a-carson/despite-the-protestations-one-sometimes-wonders-if-we-are-beginning/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/61c/d-a-carson-4044_conceited_despite-the-protestations-one-sometimes_1290261.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/61c/d-a-carson-4044_conceited_despite-the-protestations-one-sometimes_1290261.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/61c/d-a-carson-4044_conceited_despite-the-protestations-one-sometimes_1290261.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Despite the protestations, one sometimes wonders if we are beginning to worship, worship rather than worship…” — D. A. Carson", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "D. A. Carson", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/d-a-carson/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Despite the protestations, one sometimes wonders...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/d-a-carson/despite-the-protestations-one-sometimes-wonders-if-we-are-beginning/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/d-a-carson/despite-the-protestations-one-sometimes-wonders-if-we-are-beginning/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```