After reading Mike's first blog about worship, I begin to process my own thoughts on what worship means to me.  Thanks for getting me started thinking Mike.


Worship is the conscious act of entering the divine presence of God.  Worship involves the believer participating in a radical relationship with Christ that is both comforting and expected.  Worship has meant different things to us all.  What is clear is that worship is something that we all need as believers.  Worship is something that our spirits hunger for. All cultures, all people worship and have a fundamental need to worship.  One of my seminary professors would often say, “God has provided worship as a way of providing for our inner need to worship.”  I agree.  Worship certainly is something that all people participate in.  All around the world from Africa to Asia, people can be seen worshipping God in some form.

            God loves us enough that he actively participates in our worship. One of my colleagues is fond of saying that “in worship God has already made the first move.”  I agree with his statement.  When you look back to the Hebrew Scriptures, it can be clearly seen that God does indeed make the first move.  God moved to create, to love, and to encounter Adam and Eve in Genesis.  God moved to elect, to guide, and to bless Abraham. God moved to test, to comfort, and to reward Job. 

            How do we reconcile worship with the acknowledgement that God is mystery?  In my mind, in my spirit, I know that God is both far and near.  God is both mystery and friend.  I reconcile these dichotomies by looking at how the prophet, Jeremiah encountered God.  God is the voice that calls us before we were born, he is the spirit that stirs our bones to minister, and ultimately he is the hand that delivers and pulls us out of our cisterns.  As such, God is worthy of worship.  His great love for us commands our reverence and our worship.  The mystery of God is the assurance of knowing that my God is greater than me, he is beyond anything I can comprehend, and in accepting that knowledge, realizing that I am so unworthy and desperately need to adore him.  As I realize my need to adore God, I must confess my heart overflows with a revolutionary worship that both includes thanksgiving and love, but excludes obligation and duty from my worship experience. 

            I believe worship is an outward expression of an inner experience.  The notion that worship as an outward expression has been a debate for a number of years.  Our styles of worship might be different but we serve the same savior. Whether it is waving hands, “Amen-ing”, silently letting tears fall from your eyes, or simply remaining in reverential silence, the style/expression of worship should be something by which the worshippers are comfortable and connected to one another and to God.  In addition, I would go a step farther and say that that an individual is free to express outwardly their worship of God.  My only qualifier would be that if the individual is participating in fellowship with a body of believers in the church, he or she should not detract or distract from the quality or nature of worship of someone else.  On the other hand, if an individual is alone, he or she should feel free to do what they are led by God to do. 

            Additionally, worship is an inward experience.  In worship, we a re dialoguing with God, and we are trusting that God will hear and understand our speech.  Obviously, this inward experience can most clearly be seen as we experience prayer.  In prayer we are dialoging with God whether we are actually moving our lips in conversation or simple “thinking” our way existentially into a dialogue with God.   Indeed, such an inner experience of God should involve us giving ourselves, and making a conscious sacrifice for God.  We must empty ourselves to experience true worship.  It should be our desire as worshippers that once empty, for God to fill us with his spirit, his presence, his peace, and his guidance Consequently, I believe prayer is essential to worship. 

Beyond an inner and outward experience, worship is both a corporate and an individual response to God.  We do not worship God in isolation.  As believers we are united by the love of Christ; consequently, we worship him together.

Worship whether in a big church or a small church, urban or rural, diverse or traditional should always lead believers into the presence of God.  It does not matter what type service worship is being expressed in.  Worship is worship if believers are present and are prepared to involve themselves in dialogue with Christ.  Individuals whether they are alone or within a church are always united by worship.  No one worships God alone as long as the Holy Spirit is present.  Worship is some thing we should forever look forward to, remembering that one day we will get to glorify the king of kings in all his glory face to face.