The Wonder of Worship

Here is the party. All of creation—physical, angelic, human—joins together in praise of the God who is worthy of all praise. The function of creation is to give glory to God, and we humans are caught up in that glorious praise of God. As the Westminster Shorter Catechism puts it, our chief end is, “To glorify God and enjoy him for ever.” The picture of heaven in Revelation is of all heaven joining in the praise of the One who sits on the throne and of the Lamb (Rev 5:13). He is praised for who he is and for what he has done in creation (5) and salvation (14).

What we believe matters, but perhaps even more important is what and how we worship. Israel’s failure was not primarily one of belief, but one of worship. The two are inextricably interwoven, but right convictions have not always led to right worship. Of course, it is true that we can only worship correctly when we have a true understanding of God, but there is a danger in putting the emphasis on belief alone. It can lead to a focus on ourselves and lead to arrogance and division; worship helps us to place the focus where it belongs, on God, and encourages humility. Worship lies at the heart of our relationship with God. Worship is about bringing glory to God in all that we do and in the way that we live as much as in the songs that we sing. Our whole being, mind (right beliefs), emotions (right feelings) and will (right actions) combine to produce true and spiritual worship. What would happen if we were to call others to worship, to give them a vision of the beauty, glory and majesty of God, to show them his wonderful activity in the world, rather than starting by asking them to sign up to a particular set of beliefs?

How will you express your worship of God this week, in church, in your personal time with God and in your daily life and work?