In our cultural context today there’s many reasons why God is taken for granted, causing us to lose focus on the importance of worship. To worship God in spirit and truth is our highest calling as Christians. Find out more about what this means by listening to this message. Scripture from John 4:23-24.
Tag Archive for 'worship'
Recently Tim Mathiesen introduced me to a magazine entitled RELEVANT (Relevantmagazine.com). One of the articles in the October issue included responses from church visionaries who were asked the question, “What trends in worship styles do you see coming?” I was intrigued and pleased with the responses of two visionaries in particular. One was Rob Bell who said, “I believe the old polarities (traditional vs. contemporary) are fading.” He went on to suggest that the church focus on worship that changes lives more than on issues of style. In the same article, Erwin McManus said, “What do we mean by worship styles? Why do we still equate singing and even what we are doing on Sunday with the whole of worship? There is something powerful about singing to God as an act of worship, but it is time to re-frame our perspective and our language to genuinely encompass all of life as worship.” Continue reading ‘Worship Is More Than the Music’
Worship: A Transforming Encounter With God
The author, a Princeton educated Lutheran pastor from Torrance, California, who has led his congregation in worship renewal for a number of years, defines worship as “nothing less than a personal encounter with the living God. God comes to us and we respond; the mysterious and transforming intersection is what we call worship.” Another way to talk about our response to God’s overture of love toward us, according to Rognlien, is simply “loving God.” The framework of his book is derived from the scriptural answer to life’s most compelling question, “Why am I here on the planet?” The answer is found in the words of the Great Commandment of Mark 12:30 – “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.” For Rognlien, worship is essentially loving God with our whole being – heart, soul, mind, and body. Continue reading ‘Worship: A Transforming Encounter With God’