By Dr Agnes Tan
Worship is an integral part of the believers’ lives. We are commanded to worship God. Through our worship— singing, giving, reading and hearing of God’s word, celebration of the sacraments, we give God the glory that is due Him. In worship, we are enjoying a foretaste of heaven, the greatest longing of our soul, and the very purpose for our creation. Therefore, we should honour the Sabbath commandment. Because worship is a sacred gathering between the redeemed and his/her Redeemer, here are a few things to consider as we gather for corporate worship.
Prepare our hearts. Worship starts before Sunday. Make a habit of having personal and/or family worship during the week. Get a copy of the Sunday’s bulletin on Friday afternoon and look through the order— practice the hymns and meditate on the sermon passage. Go to bed early on Saturday and come to church early on Sunday. Spend time in quiet meditations and prayers before worship starts.
Pay attention in worship. Godly worship requires worshipping God in spirit and in truth. Participate in all the worship elements including the singing. Reformed theologian Karl Barth points out that singing is one of the essential ministries of the church.
Come before God with awe. Be careful with our thoughts and demeanour. When meeting God, Moses took off his shoes (Ex. 3), the people of Israel shook with fear (Ex. 20), and John fell down as though dead (Rev. 1).
Reflect on God’s word after worship, throughout the day and throughout the week. Share God’s truth to your friends. Worship not only looks upward and inward but also outward. Worship is mission and mission is worship.
This coming October is our church’s 163rd anniversary and the Worship Emphasis Month. Sermons series on worship, Sunday School classes, ministry recruitment drives, including a musical presentation called “Worshipping God Through The Ages” are some of the programs line up for our church to create awareness and exposure. The Worship Emphasis Month not only promotes the worship ministry but also helps worshippers know more about God and encourages stewardship of talents so that every believer will mature in faith and the church will be built up in truth and in love. Plan to be here throughout October and join our Worship Emphasis month.