Worship

By Tom Brantigan

If you look at worship across the Christian world, you find a practice as varied as falling snow flakes but also something forming as much of a unified form and consistency as a blanket of snow once it's fallen. Worship for Christians, regardless of the style of worship, strives for the same goal even when those worshiping may, outside of worship, argue fervently about Christian doctrine.

Perhaps that dichotomy of worship versus doctrine expresses outwardly the theme for this Sunday that worship is not something that satisfies our appetite for God, but rather whets it. We encounter God in worship and through that encounter, be it a first encounter or an ongoing relationship, we open ourselves to the exploration of what is important in our lives and how those things then relate back to our understanding of God, His plan for us, His will for us.

Though none of us can speak for others in this regard, I consider myself blessed every time I come out of worship and have been particularly touched by something in the scripture that was read, the sermon that was preached, or the music I either listened to or participated in. When this happens, I know the coming week will be different in some way, sometimes small ways and sometimes large ones, but different. The encounter with God in worship gives something new to think about that will hopefully lead us ever closer to Christ.

I have been writing about worship as if it is just corporate worship but that is, of course, not accurate. Worship can happen at any time and often does. For me personally, practicing the organ, studying Bach's old music or Rutter's new music, rehearsing with the choir are all personal links for me to spirituality. Corporate worship is just an opportunity to join other believers and be fed by their journeys through their own relationships with their Lord. Corporate worship just helps us focus as a group on what God wills for us and perhaps opens the debate that helps to fuel our own journey.

I admit that I am a creature of the Traditional Service style. I like to sing the hymns my parents and grandparent used to sing. I like to hear the power of the pipe organ and the soul-touching experience of the real singing congregation we have at Central. I like to recite the Nicene Creed and Apostles' Creed. These are all things that give structure and foundation to my life. They link me to both the past and the future in a way that nothing else can. At the same time, I am positive that God doesn't care how we worship but just that we do worship. He gives us the opportunity; all we have to do is accept it!

Do we have to worship? No, we don't. No one will force us. Many people don't. We worship out of love and gratefulness to God. We worship because it is a valuable time to encounter God and to listen to His plan for our lives.

As Bach used to sign all his manuscripts,
"To God alone be the Glory!"