WHAT IS WORSHIP?

“Give unto the Lord the glory due unto his name; worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness”  (Psalms 29:2)

Have you ever been in the presence of a dignitary and remember the feeling that the encounter provoked?  Have you ever stood in awe of a wonderful achievement of man or a wonder of nature?  When we witness the power of Niagara Falls or the power demonstrated by acts of nature we tend to stand back and reflect, “You know, I am just not that big”.

Imagine what would happen to these emotions when a person enters into the presence of the Creator of the universe.  The apostle John had this encounter and fell down as though he were dead.  Isaiah had this encounter and exclaimed, “Woe is me, for I am undone”!  Worship occurs when we have a divine encounter with God.  Worship occurs when we realize that we “are not that big”.  Worship occurs when a person realizes that every breath taken and every item owned is a gift from the only Holy God.  Worship occurs when a person gains an insight into what God gave up so that we could become His children.

Worship is coming into the presence of the Holy God.  Worship is about falling down, bowing in reverence, and thanking Him for all that He is.  Worship occurs when we give God the adoration and respect that is due Him.  Worship is a matter of the heart, not the voice.  The Bible says, “we worship God in spirit and in truth”. (John 4:23-24)  

We at Meadow Grove realize that we are not that big.  We believe and know that we serve the Creator of all things.  We know that all things come from God.  We know that we would not exist if not for the love of God.  The Bible describes God in this way,  “The voice of the Lord is powerful, the voice of the Lord is full of majesty.  The voice of the Lord breaks the cedars…  The voice of the Lord divides the flames of fire…The voice of the Lord shakes the wilderness…. The Lord sits upon the flood, yes, the Lord sits King forever”.  (Psalms 29)

Worship is more, much more, than an event that takes place in various churches around the world each Sunday.  If you are waiting for the preacher or the minister of music, or the order of service to getyou going, you are probably not going to have an encounter with God.  It is not about “worshiping worship”.  Praise and worship are not synonyms.  Praising God for His wonder and for his power and for his love are activities that lead to worship.

Our goal at Meadow Grove is to prepare and equip the believer with the tools necessary to encounter God.  We preach the word of God.  We sing praises to the God of the universe.  We offer opportunities in discipleship that help believers draw closer to God.  We pray that God will lead us to the lost in order that we may share with them the love of God so that they may be converted and may also worship God in “spirit and truth”.  Our services are simple—we preach God’s word, we sing praises to our Creator, and we seek His face and will for our lives through prayer.

We pray that we will see you soon!