June 2008

“Thinking About Worship”

Have you ever wondered why we worship as we do? Do you ever wonder if God hears every kind of worship? Have you wondered what kind of music God really likes; Gregorian chants, Sunday school choruses, rock praise, hymns, classical, praise songs or hip hop? If Jesus came to earth today as a man what worship style would he like best?

As we continue in a year of assessment we want to think about everything we do. This summer and fall we are going to take some time to think about worship. We are going to talk about what is at the core of worship. There are going to be opportunities for me to teach about worship. There will be a survey that you can fill out to share your ideas on worship. There will be a town hall style meeting on June 15th to discuss how we, as a body and individually, worship best. We will raise the question, "What should be our worship identity?" We will try to answer the questions, "Why do we worship?" and "At whom are we directing our worship?" I hope it will be a good time for all of us to share our hearts. To begin the process I thought it would be good to read quotes from Scripture and a few authors concerning worship. Read them and reread them and see what grabs you and puts words to your heart.

Webster's Dictionary - "Worship" To honor or reverence

1. Worship is an active response to God whereby we declare his worth. Worship is not passive, but is participative. Worship is not simply a mood; it is a response. Worship is not just a feeling; it is a declaration. Allen page 16

2."Worship is a meeting between God and his people. God becomes present to His people, who respond with praise and thanksgiving.

3.Thus the worshiper is brought into personal contact with the one who gives meaning and purpose to life; from this encounter the worshiper receives strength and courage to live with hope in a fallen world." Webber page 12

4.John 4:23 "Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshippers will worship the father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshippers the Father seeks. God is spirit and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth."

5."God is trying to call us back to that for which He created us, to worship Him and to enjoy him forever!" A.W. Tozer

6."When you consider all the words used for worship in both the Old and New Testament, and when you put the meanings together, you find that worship involves both attitudes (awe, reverence, respect and actions) (bowing, praising,serving). It is both a subjective experience and an objective activity. Worship is not an unexpressed feeling, nor is it an empty formality. True worship is balanced and involves the mind, the emotions, and the will. It must be intelligent; it must reach deep within and be motivated by love; and it must lead to obedient actions that glorify God."
Wiersbe pg 21

7. "You must not worship the Lord your God in their way. But you are to seek the place the Lord your God will choose from among all your tribes to put his name there for his dwelling. To that place you must go, there bring your burnt offerings and sacrifices, your tithes and special gifts, what you have vowed to give and your freewill offerings and the firstborn of your herd and flocks. There in the presence of the Lord your God, you and your families shall eat and shall rejoice in everything you have put your hand to, because the Lord your God has blessed you. Deuteronomy 12:4-7

8. Principles of Worship
*Worship is a personal meeting with God in which we hymn, magnify, and glorify Him for His person and actions.
*Worship takes place in and through Jesus Christ, who is the eternal praise of the Father because of His work of redemption.
* The Public Worship of God takes place in the community of the church, the body of Christ, by the Power of the Holy Spirit, in the proclamation and enactment of the work of salvation.
* Worship: In the physical actions that are the expression of faith, the church prepares to serve the world in anticipation of the return of Christ.
Webber pgs 16-19

9."Worship is the believer's response of all that he is - mind, emotions, will and body- to all that God is and says and does? It is a loving response that is balanced by the fear of the Lord, and it is a deepening response as the believer comes to know God better. Wiersbe pg 27

10 Come, let us bow down in worship, let us kneel before the Lord our Maker; for he is our God and we are the people of his pasture, the flock under his care. Psalm 95:6-7

Did you see a few words that made sense to you? It's quite a task to think through all the definitions of worship and then to assign a form or style that will give wings to your praise. But that is what the people of God are called to do with love. I ask that all of us take time to pray, listen and share about worship, with one heart and mind, as we take a closer look at our life of worship.

Pastor Craig