Worship

And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near.  Hebrews 10:25 (NLT)

Gathering for Sunday morning worship is one of the earliest and most persevering traditions of the Christian Church. We meet on Sundays in honor of the day of Jesus Christ's resurrection and victory over sin and death. We retell this Good News every week through the reading and preaching of the Bible, singing, praying, tithing, responding to the Holy Spirit and through the ordinances of Baptism and the Lord's Supper. Though we are called to live our lives in sacrificial worship every day, Sunday is a special time of worship because we joyfully come together as the family of God and declare His greatness.

And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. Colossians 3:15-16 (ESV)

Worship is something we give to God. Worship is not something that entertains us or that we experience passively. We do not promise the ultimate worship experience, as if worship was something that was meant for us, but we do strive for excellence as we facilitate the enthusiastic pouring out of praise and a sincere response to God and His Word. Our worship is directed towards God, and the worshiper is invited to actively participate as the heart becomes totally focused on God. Though worship is for God, we do receive equipping and edification, and we more clearly see our place in the body of Christ. We are reminded of the hope we have in Jesus and we leave our gathering refocused on the mission of going out and making disciples.

Now these are the gifts Christ gave to the church: the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, and the pastors and teachers. Their responsibility is to equip God’s people to do his work and build up the church, the body of Christ. This will continue until we all come to such unity in our faith and knowledge of God’s Son that we will be mature in the Lord, measuring up to the full and complete standard of Christ.

Then we will no longer be immature like children. We won’t be tossed and blown about by every wind of new teaching. We will not be influenced when people try to trick us with lies so clever they sound like the truth. Instead, we will speak the truth in love, growing in every way more and more like Christ, who is the head of his body, the church. He makes the whole body fit together perfectly. As each part does its own special work, it helps the other parts grow, so that the whole body is healthy and growing and full of love. Ephesians 4:11-16 (NLT)