WHAT WE BELIEVE ABOUT WORSHIPING GOD
Simply put, worship is the response of the heart to what God has done for sinners in Christ. Having been set free from bondage to sin through the new birth, the Christian is now able to live a life pleasing to God. He does this by fulfilling the cultural mandate (Genesis 1:26-31) to exercise dominion and subdue the earth through the pursuit of noble activities (building strong families, work, recreation, etc.)
There is, however, a special time God has set apart for His people when He promises to meet with them – Lord’s Day Worship. Many churches have different approaches to worship. Some focus upon evangelism, others have a therapeutic approach – to help folks to overcome their problems. Other churches focus upon creating common ground with unbelievers through creative entertainment.
Our primary focus is upon God Himself. We believe God has given the gift of Lord’s Day worship to those who know Him and have the desire to honor Him. We believe God has shown us what worship is in His Word, and will only be worshipped by His people “in spirit and in truth”. We believe God is the audience in worship and we are the “actors.” We are not there to be entertained, though carefully crafted worship is pleasing. We are not there to be cured, or coddled or fulfilled, though biblical worship may help us greatly.
We worship God as we offer our hearts and gifts to Him, through the merit of Christ, dependant upon the Holy Spirit’s assistance. We worship Him as families – children and parents together. We worship Him as we sing, pray, confess Him and confess our sins, give attention to His Word, give of our material bounty, experience communion with Him through the sacraments.
Such God-centered worship requires preparation, energy and work!