What is Your Philosophy on Worship?

What is your philosophy on Worship?

The Westminster Confession stipulates human beings are created in the image of Almighty God for the express purpose of glorifying Him.  I consider worship to be a lifestyle in which disciples of the Lord love Him with all of their heart, mind, soul and strength and accordingly loves their neighbors as they love themselves.  Disciples make every decision with the sincere intent of honoring and glorifying the Lord.  We worship God with time, talent, treasure and temperament.  Worship includes stewardship of gifts, abilities, and resources.    Whether in the board room, halls of academe, chambers of government, on a postal route, or clocking in for the graveyard shift on a hospital ward, we have daily opportunities and minute choices to worship the Lord.  More specifically, giving a tithe of our gross income and contributing liberally to freewill offerings are acts of worship.  They are more than ritualistic and ecclesiastical requirements.  Sharing a commendable percentage of one’s resources demonstrates a belief in the biblical promises of Almighty God.  Giving in gratitude for His countless blessings reflects His grace.  Obedience is also an act of worship as it shows one’s fidelity in the character of God.  His indescribable gift of salvation in Christ compels us to share His unfailing love with everyone.  Our boundless thanks coerce us to use any resource to share His love.  Summarily, I characterize worship as a way of life rather than just a weekly gathering of praise, prayer, and preaching.

I envision worship services in which each attendee encounters the risen Lord Jesus Christ.  I view praise, prayer, giving and preaching as four essential liturgical components.  The Bible says “the joy of the Lord is my strength.”  Praise and adoration of Almighty God reminds us of His awesome, infinite, magnificent and loving character.  Worship ushers us into His presence which empowers us with His love, wisdom, and grace.  In Psalm 27:4, the psalmist declares his single desire to dwell perpetually in the house of the Lord to behold the beauty of the Lord and inquire of God.  Worship is not limited geographically to a church sanctuary.  Worship occurs in traffic jams, on the lawn mower, while washing the dishes or any other place where someone enters reverently into the presence of God.  Second, corporate prayer is as necessary as personal prayer.  As a church prays, the Holy Spirit reveals the will of God.  Moreover, He heals and strengthens disciples as they face myriad struggles.  Witnessing the results of intercessory prayer inevitably increases the faith of the whole church.  Third, giving is as significant to worship as the three other major aspects.  Giving is an expression of genuine gratitude in response to the gracious gift of God’s “One and Only Begotten Son,” our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, in whom we have abundant and eternal life.  Paying the tithe and donating to offerings fulfills God’s directive that there are resources in the house of God to accomplish the mission of God.  Fourth, preaching and teaching the Word of God is the culminating event of any corporate worship experience.  The proclamation of the gospel yields faith; it is the mechanism for salvation as the appeal to know Christ emerges from each sermon.  Teaching which flows naturally within preaching sustains the long-term personal growth and spiritual development of disciples.  Collective worship affords believers transformation in the presence of God as they praise and adore Him.