Thoughts on Worship

Definition from The New International Dictionary of The Bible:
“Worship (Heb. shahah, bow down, prostrate, Gr. proskyneo, to prostrate, do obeisance to).The honor, reverence, and homage paid to superior beings or powers, whether men, angels, or God. The English word means “worthship” and denotes the worthiness of the individual receiving the special honor due to his worth. While the world is used of men, it is especially used of the divine honors paid to a deity, whether of the heathen religions or the true and living God.

When given to God, worship involves an acknowledgment of divine perfections. It may express itself in the form of direct address, as in adoration or thanksgiving, or in service to God; it may be private, or it may be public, involving a cultus. Worship presupposes that God is, that he can be known by man, and that his perfections set him far above men…”

Questions and Response:

What is your theology of worship?
My theology of worship centers on a holy God that has provided redemptive grace through Jesus Christ, His Son, to humankind. Worship is a response to God which is holistic in nature conjoined with practices involving mind, body and spirit to live lives in submission to, adoration of, and commitment to pleasing and honoring God.

What are the elements of worship service that honors God?
There are both public and private elements of worship service that honors God.
I think that public worship which consist of preaching, reading of scripture, prayer, singing, service of Word and Table, and Baptism are the elements of worship that honor God in the corporate domain. I think also that active discipleship, being or making disciples is worship that honors God. In this venue it’s engaging spiritual disciplines for personal spiritual growth encountering the holy to equip, sustain, lead, guide and direct enabling us to re-present the kingdom of God in the present and to fulfill God’s purposes for one’s life that honor Him (“thy will be done”).

What role does corporate worship play in the life of the church you pastor?
Corporate worship is the weekly gathering of Christ followers in public testimony and demonstration of faith as well as a venue to extend the right hand of fellowship to those who may be new to, as well as those within, the gathered community. It’s also a time for invitation to discipleship, corporate prayer and celebration.