Worship has been on my mind again. With so many things going on around us and in our church as well, it is easy to lose sight of what is important. I had the revelation many years ago that I can’t make everyone happy. I am not everyone’s favorite cup of tea. But God is doing a work in me and through me that I simply cannot ignore. To avoid the risk of sounding like a broken record however, I decided to seek the wisdom and the words of one of my heroes in the Faith.
Rev. Billy Graham’s passing was a hard time for me. We as believers have a mix of emotions, from sadness and grief from the loss we feel, to the joy and excitement for the homecoming to Heaven. What this did for me though spurred me into researching and listening to many of the sermons and teachings Rev. Graham did. I stumbled across this gem about worship:
“Worship in the truest sense takes place only when our full attention is on GOD – on His glory, power, majesty, love and compassion.
We should come together to worship God. God is worthy of our praise, and we honor Him when we worship together. In the Old Testament God’s people were commanded to “enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name” (Psalm 100:4). The Bible tells us to come together to “sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God” (Colossians 3:16).
If you have visited various churches, you know they differ in the way they worship. Some are very informal in their services, others are very formal, and most are somewhere in between. Some churches stress the place of the sacraments (such as the Lord’s Supper) more than others.
Is only one style of worship right and all others wrong? Of course not. One style may be more comfortable for you than another; the important thing is that it should turn your heart toward God in worship and praise. (Don’t, however, look down on those who prefer other styles of worship. God is more concerned about the attitude of our hearts than the way we express it.) Worship isn’t supposed to be entertainment; we don’t come together to enjoy ourselves but to worship God. Jesus said, “The true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks” (John 4:23). Think of that: God seeks those who will truly worship Him.” – Billy Graham
Worship is more than our preferences. Worship is more than our worship leader. Give patience in this time of change. Encourage one another instead of sowing dissent. Seek after the God who seeks after you.
Don’t take my word for it, take the late great Reverend’s.
Canaan Myers
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