Why worship?
Christ Jesus is at the center of everything we do; Christians are built on Christ. Without Jesus we would have no reason to gather for worship; we would be separated from God and each other. But Jesus, our Savior, has restored our relationship with God by his death and resurrection. Since Christians set their faith on what Christ has done, they want to worship him. So, worship focuses on what God does for us, not on what we do for God.
When we gather for worship, we desire to be near God. Yet, it is God who draws near to us. He comes to you with forgiveness, speaks through the Bible, and listens to your prayers. This makes Christ the center of worship. So, our service involves everyone in a meaningful way as we receive God’s love and as we give God praise. Our service is explained below.
When we gather for worship, we desire to be near God. Yet, it is God who draws near to us. He comes to you with forgiveness, speaks through the Bible, and listens to your prayers. This makes Christ the center of worship. So, our service involves everyone in a meaningful way as we receive God’s love and as we give God praise. Our service is explained below.
What to expect in worship
- Expect to hear Jesus proclaimed. Worship services repeat God’s sweet good news of sin forgiven and death defeated to hearts broken and burdened by guilt.
- Expect to proclaim Jesus. We open our hearts to hear this message and to offer God our songs of praise, thankful words, and prayers. Because music ties words to memory (try speaking the words to "Happy Birthday" without singing it in your head), we sing hymns. Some hymns proclaim God's characteristics. Other hymns are prayers for an increase of faith and trust. Still other hymns repeat Bible verses in song.
- Expect to learn more about Jesus. Through the Bible God reveals his promises made and kept. So that we do not fixate on a repeated few promises at the expense of the many others God saw fit to tell us, we read from both the Old and New Testament. Each reading shares a common theme, showing a promise made, a promise kept, and a promise for our life today.
- Expect to build on Christ. Faith placed squarely on Jesus and his saving work allows us to "build" our lives. Jesus' self-giving life gives us the proper motivation to live a self-giving life. Jesus' forgiveness fills us with certain peace. Jesus keeping his promises increases our trust in him. In worship, God builds stronger Christian lives.
