The “Why” of Worship

Why do we do the things we do in worship? That’s a great question. The pieces of worship that you find in your worship program each week are not random but rather intentional.

God Sensitive Worship

It is our intention to be extremely sensitive to the seeker’s desires. Perhaps your thinking that is terribly subjective and wondering who I am to presume to know such a thing. Again, this is a valid thought. How do I know? It’s really not a difficult task and not as subjective as you might think. We know the seeker’s desires because they are revealed in the Scriptures. After all, the “seeker” is God, not us. You may indeed know people currently seeking for truth and seeking to know God, which is a good thing and something we should pray for – but ultimately we need to realize that the reason they are seeking (if they are truly seeking God) is because God has kindled a new desire in them and their seeking is a natural response to that kindling work of God. Ephesians tells us that we were “dead in our trespasses and sins” but that God “made us alive together with Christ.”

A Pattern for Worship: Praise, Renewal, Commitment

Corporate worship is a re-presentation of the Gospel. God calls, we respond. Hence we always begin worship with a call to worship; an invitation into His dwelling place where His glory is visible. It is only fitting that our response would be praise. Still, the overpowering awe and wonder of His glory quickly moves us to a sense of our own inadequacies and we properly find ourselves in need of renewal and so we take time to confess our failings and our need. Our confessions do not fall on deaf ears and we are then relieved to find ourselves in the presence of a Holy God issuing forth great assurances of peace in Christ. Finding all the deepest struggles of our heart swept away, we hear God’s call to action and we are lead to commit ourselves to working out the salvation we have so graciously received. Thus, you’ll find the different elements grouped into three main “cycles” of worship: Praise, Renewal, and Commitment. To see this pattern in worship illustrated in Scripture, see Isaiah chapter 6.

For further reading see :

• Worship by the Book, edited by D.A. Carson - particularly chapter 4, Reformed Worship in the Global City by Tim Keller.
• Worship in Spirit in Truth, by John M. Frame