Allen Memorial United Methodist Church

What is Worship?

Recently at Allen Memorial, we have had anything but “worship as usual”.  Yes, we still sing many of the old songs we all love, with a sprinkling of new ones.  But the lively spirit and heartfelt prayers of the people, coupled with some new modes of worship, have definitely changed the worship experience here.  In recent weeks, we have had: a college student-led service, with several instrumentals, liturgical dancers, and a student preacher; a homecoming service with a booming choir, and a trip down memory lane with Dr. Richard Hunter; and the beginnings of a new contemporary worship service in the evening, with guitar, drums, and visual effects.  Clearly this pushes the envelope, but we all want to preserve the best of our worship traditions, and remain faithful to the heart of worship.  All of this brings some questions to mind.  What is worship?  What is its purpose?  How do we know when we are doing it right?  These are important questions, because worship is the single most important function of the church.  While each of us have a God-given purpose in life, when we come together we all share a common purpose—to worship God.  Here are some thoughts to consider.

Worship is genuine and authentic.  We enter into the realm of the holy with reverence and awe.  It is genuine when we are mindful of God’s presence, and authentic when we are honest about what we bring to the experience.  God loves a humble and contrite heart, but despises meaningless ritual.
Worship involves our whole selves.  God created us as body, mind and spirit.  What part of this should we leave out when we worship God?  Worship requires our physical presence.  It is affected by our body language, our physical exertion, our mental focus and our sensory perceptions.  Sometimes people excuse themselves from worship, saying, “I’ll be with you in spirit.”  Sometimes people are “asleep at the wheel”, and cannot remember what the sermon was about.  This doesn’t offend me.  It offends God.

Worship is work.  God created us to work, and when our work is for the praise of God, it becomes a form of worship.

Worship is rest.  God commanded us to observe Sabbath for rest, to rejuvenate our bodies, minds and spirits.  Heeding this commandment is a necessary ingredient to worship that pleases God.

Worship is corporate.  God calls us into loving communion, so how can we worship God while keeping distant from one another?  Some people say they can worship God in the peacefulness of their fishing boat.  Surely, God is found in nature, and God speaks to us in those quiet moments.  But are we worshipping God, or are we merely sensing His presence?  The best worship is when we stop our other activities and focus our whole beings in the worship and praise of God.  We come together to build up the worshipping community with our presence, our prayers, our gifts and our service.  Christianity cannot be practiced in solitude, apart from the community of faith.

Worship is private.  When all is said and done, worship is less about what you get out of it, and more about what you bring to it.  Ultimately, God looks into our hearts to find the essence of what we are offering.  It is our adoration, our trust, and our honesty which delights God the most.  May God bless us all as we bless God with our utmost in worship.  

See you at Allen,

Brian