ORSHIP IS ARGUABLY THE MOST important ministry of the Christian. Properly understood, all that we do in life is an act of worship, flowing from hearts that long to worship the one who "has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins" (Col. 1:13, 14).*

All that we are and all that we do, be it how we love our family, care for our neighbors, do our work, study for our classes, even walk the dog, reflects the worship we offer to God. After all, we honor with our lives what we value in our hearts. Our worship reflects the value we place upon God as well as our understanding of His character and His grace. Perhaps this is why we find such a renewed interest in the experience of corporate worship.

The Challenge of Our Times
Seventh-day Adventists proclaim the three angels' messages that invite us to "worship him who made the heavens, the earth, the sea and the springs of water" (Rev. 14:7). Yet we often struggle to grasp the meaning or dimensions of worship that often leaves us empty and longing for an encounter with God.

George Barna, president of Barna Research Group, has found the following to be true of American worshipers: "Worship is among the highest priorities of God. Each weekend millions come to church but few understand. Two thirds of regular churchgoers cannot describe what worship means. Our research shows that a majority of those who attend worship services in any given week (more than three fourths of all adults) do not experience the presence of God during worship. In fact, half of all churchgoers admit that they have not felt connected to God or in His presence at any time in the past year, in spite of their regular attendance at church. Even so, only 4 percent of senior pastors in Protestant churches list facilitating or enhancing worship as a top priority. Those who do indicate that energy is being put into determining the best music, the appropriate forms of technology and how to pack out the worship center."¹

Faithful people, going to church every week, find it difficult to explain what they experience. At least 75 percent report that they do not experience God during that time. Yet it is in the experience of worship that we meet with God through song, prayer, reflection, and listening to His Word. It is in worship that we seek to catch a glimpse of His glory, that we, "who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord's glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit"
(2 Cor. 3:18). But it's not happening for 75 percent of regular American churchgoers.

Unfortunately, worship has become in many regards a spectator event, which allows the modern worshiper to come with "remote control" in hand, clicking, pausing, or fast-forwarding those aspects of the service that are not to their personal liking.

The sense of awe and reverence is leaking away from the worship experience, and we are poorer because of it. Just think of our language; we refer to the chancel area as the platform or stage, which, if it really is, makes those who perform on it actors, and those who observe, spectators. How many times have you seen or heard cell phones or pagers going off, interrupting the atmosphere of worship? I'll never forget the person who answered their cell phone in the midst of prayer (perhaps they thought the Lord was calling). Nor will I forget the people I've witnessed clipping their fingernails in the sanctuary-something I wouldn't expect them to do in their living room.

This, while 100 million angels surround God's throne and sing "Worthy is the Lamb" (Rev. 5:12) 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and can't do enough to honor Him.

I'm afraid we're losing sight of whom we are called to worship. And it shows: empty hearts, empty pews, confusing experiences. The cry of our time and culture reflects a deep desire to experience the Holy One, so we cry out with Moses, "Now show me your glory" (Ex. 33:18).

The heart cry of many is to worship Him, to "come before him with thanksgiving and . . . music and song" (Ps. 95:2); for it is in His presence that we are transformed.

Throughout Scripture, and in particular the book of Revelation, worship is central to the life of the believer and the church.

As we reflect upon worship together there are perhaps some key points we should keep in mind as we plan our services to worship Him.

Recipes for Relevant Worship
1. The central purpose of corporate worship is to meet God. All that we do should be directed toward God-our hymns, music ministry, prayer, scripture reading, and offering. He is the audience, not the church. The psalmist reminds us that we are to "come before him with joyful songs. Know that the Lord is God" (Ps. 100:2, 3). Our gathering together is for the purpose of worship that is, according to William Temple, "the submission of the whole being to the object of worship . . . the opening of the heart to receive the love of God . . . the subjection of conscience to be directed by Him . . . the declaration of the need to be filled by Him . . . the subjection of desire to be controlled by Him; and as a result of all these together it is the surrender of the will to be used by Him. Worship is the total giving of self to God."²

Worship is about God, not us. It's about what He has done, not what we are doing; it's about being in the presence of the Holy One with respect and awe.

Here's a test for you: When you sing the hymns, do you sing about God, or do you sing to God? The difference is huge: one is worship; the other is singing in a big chorus. Answering the question Whom do we worship? is a profound beginning to experiencing His presence and His promise to meet with us.

2. Worship should reflect our best. We honor with our lives what we value in our hearts. We demonstrate it every day as we spend our money and our time. We demonstrate who is Lord in our lives through how we spend the energies, affections, and resources He has given us. We do the same in corporate worship, planning services that are thematically connected from the invocation to the benediction; ensuring that there is a standard, an expectation of how worship is conducted, and an anticipation of experiencing God.

When it came to the importance of demonstrating God's place in life, King David refused to sacrifice to God anything that did not cost him (2 Sam. 24:24). Yet so often we find ourselves offering God what is left over.

Let's take time to plan, to develop dramatic Scripture readings, to teach people how to pray in worship, to invest in rehearsal for music, services, and worship leading. Take time to teach your church how to worship and how to honor the God who calls us by name. Talk about what is disruptive and what is conducive to an atmosphere in which the Holy One is present and people are invited into His presence. Take time to prepare your hearts by praying for the worship service all week long, and see if God doesn't meet you there. We have not because we ask not (Matt. 7:7).

3. Worship reveals God's character. Our worship experiences reveal what we think of God's character. There are as many perspectives of God as there are people worshiping. And it is the ministry of the church to express through worship the biblical character of God in balance and completeness. As with all things important, we can overdo or underdo various dimensions, yet we need balance in worship. Scripture presents a God who thunders from Sinai yet whispers from Horeb, who spoke the universe into existence yet was born as a helpless infant, a God who judges and forgives. Worship must reflect His grace and His holiness, His high expectations of His disciples and His resurrection power. We are called to honor the God of Scripture, not to make Him into our cultural image.

When I think about the character of God so frequently revealed in worship, I sense that we as a Christian people are losing sight of the holy. It is slowly leaking out of our churches, our homes, and our worship.

Perhaps one of the greatest gifts we can give to each other and to those we would hope to reach with the gospel of Jesus Christ is the opportunity to worship Him in such a way as to experience His presence as we are lifted up to the throne of grace by His Spirit.

This is the highest form of evangelism, ministry, and service, and this is the source of our transformation as we see His glory.

*All Scripture quotations in this article are from the New International Version.

¹ George Barna and Mark Hatch, Boiling Point: It Only Takes One Degree (Ventura, Calif.: Regal Books, 2001), p. 241.
² William Temple, The Hope of a New World (London: Macmillan, 1940), p. 30.

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Peter Bath is senior pastor of Sligo Seventh-day Adventist Church in Takoma Park, Maryland.