Almighty God has revealed Himself in the person of the Word made flesh, Jesus Christ, and in His written Word, the Bible. From the first word of the Book of Genesis to the final word in the Book of Revelation, we have God’s revelation of His truth, who He is, and what He has done and will do. When, as God’s people, we gather for worship, we not only praise and adore Him for what He has done from His everlasting love but also for who He is. When we gather for worship as the Body of Christ, we seek to commune with Him as individuals and collectively. It stands to reason that His revealed Word would be foundational to that experience and shape and inform how we worship. The Bible is our infallible rule for faith and practice, which applies to worship.
Everything we do in worship relates to God’s Word in some way. His Word determines the purpose for what we do, defines the character and quality of what we do, declares the salvation message, and reveals the truth of our relationship with the One we worship. The most obvious manifestation of this is preaching the Word. As Ministers of Word and Sacrament, pastors are called to feed God’s Word to His people and to ensure that the Sacraments are rightly administered and interpreted. Faithful preaching comes from the text of the Bible with salvation in Jesus Christ as the central message. The application of biblical truth to daily living also comes from godly principles, as does our understanding of the Sacraments.
Likewise, our prayers, though not always direct biblical quotes, are still based on the truth of Scripture. The hymns we sing, choral anthems and solos, the call to worship, dramas, and quotes from our Confessions of Faith all proclaim the Bible’s message. Returning to God a portion of the resources He has given us with our tithes and offerings is also a biblical mandate. Periodic activities such as receiving new members, honoring first responders and missionaries, greeting one another in the love of the Lord, and even informing the congregation of what God is doing in our midst through the announcements all have roots in the biblical call. The Bible teaches us to praise Him using musical instruments, as in Psalm 150, and we see this through the ministry of our organist, solo musicians, guest orchestras, and bell choirs.
Our worship has such power and meaning not because we work to put on the most entertaining show but because we long to glorify God and edify our congregation. Worship services are often the one time when the whole community comes together. As the people of God, we are to gather in His name and to be faithful to what Scripture calls us to do and to be. So, worship services, as with all ministries of the Church, must be grounded in His Word.
There is one aspect of worship that is easy to overlook. We are a friendly and loving congregation that relishes being together. While it is beautiful and natural for us to want to fellowship before service, there is the danger of neglecting a crucial aspect of the whole worship experience: preparing for the service. Those several precious minutes before we begin is a time to fulfill the call of the psalmist who wrote, “Be still, and know that I am God” (Psalm 46:10). Focusing our hearts and minds, physically calming ourselves, and preparing to receive God’s blessing is a sweet part of the Sabbath day experience. Before appearing on the platform, the pastors and choir, some deacons and elders, musicians and music leaders include a time of prayer to dedicate our humble efforts to God’s purpose and glory, to ask for His empowering Spirit, and to refocus from the busyness of the morning to the joy of sharing in worship. “Your Word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path” (Psalm 119:105). This verse is no less true when we worship than when we go out into the world as His disciples, sharing His love with all He places in our paths!
by Pastor Steven Grant
