Worship

Worship

A Prayer for

April 2006

Lord, we faithfully go to church every Sabbath, but sometimes we wonder: Are we worshipping you? Are we really worshipping you?

In 2 Timothy 1:3, we read of worshipping “with a clear conscience, as my ancestors did.” Many translations have “serve” instead of “worship” in this verse. And the Greek word “latreuo” means to serve, but it always refers to service offered to you, my gracious God, as an act of worship.

We get our English word “liturgy“ from “latreuo.” Thus, we call the order of a Christian worship service a liturgy. It is our precious duty, our willing obligation, to offer loving service to you, O Lord.

Our whole life is an act of worship directed to you, my loving and faithful God. Our worship is a lifestyle of devotion, not just a Sabbath morning church activity.

For Christians, worship is primarily about celebrating Jesus Christ. We rejoice that Christ is a living presence among us. We give thanks to God for his guidance and his love. We come to church on a Sabbath to praise, honor and adore Jesus Christ.

Our facilities are significant to our worship only because they give us a place to gather. We do not worship the church building or any kind of denominational hierarchy. The preacher wears a robe every Sabbath to make him less noticeable--because we do not magnify the preacher, we magnify Christ.

We are not locked into a certain kind of worship service. We recognize that worship techniques must be suited to the culture of the community in which the church is physically located.

Some folks love contemporary Christian music, others hate it. Some folks see the Lord’s Prayer as some words said mechanically at the end of the service. Others feel that there is no worship at all without the Prayer of our Lord. It is probably best that each church should work out its own salvation when it comes to the techniques of worship. But when it comes to the object of worship, no deviation or turning can be allowed. We worship Jesus only, Jesus always, Jesus forever.

Jesus is the cosmic lord, the creator and sustainer of the whole universe. Jesus is also Omega, the purpose and goal of the universe. Further, Jesus is to each Christian my personal Lord and Savior. In his name, we pray. Amen.

If you have questions or comments, email Tony Grant

Last Modified: 08/28/07