Monday, February 1, 2010

Learning Great Things

I have been puzzling out what to write about the past few days, but recently all my thoughts have been centered on the Splendor and Holiness Seminar. Nathan and I have been working furiously checking and double checking our information so we get it right. And I don’t want to give too much away, but I will say it is going to be good.

As we have started pulling our information together and beginning to articulate what we have learned about worship, we have found that so many of us don’t really understand the full depth and purpose of worship. Our primary definition of worship is often too small and we miss the grandeur of what we are doing. Each new idea that we explore has brought us face to face with God’s creative wisdom in how he reveals himself to his children.

Some of the ideas we will be exploring will be worship as an inspired act, how worship brings unity to the body, and the distinction of description and definition within worship. Worship does more than serve God through music, it is participation in a relationship with the Father, and the depth of our relationship is reflected through many expressions of worship. We will be talking about how worship shapes our culture, and how our culture impacts our worship. We have been encouraged as we have seen how small shifts in our perspective and understanding have opened up the world of worship to mean something far greater than we originally anticipated.

We believed that we were pursuing the right topic for this event, but the doors that have been opened and the resources that have been made available only confirm that this is a matter of utmost importance to the body. Our goal is not to tell you how to do worship, give you the right formula, or even try to persuade anyone to do things differently. We hope that through providing you with some Biblical teachings and perspectives, you will experience the awe that we have encountered as we have begun to piece this all together.

We have been encouraged by the number of you who have shown a desire to know more about worship, and we glad to have those of you who currently serve on the worship and praise teams of your church join us. We are also delighted to have the individuals who want to take their personal experience of worship to a new depth. To be a worshiper is to occupy a place of honor, and our desire is to help us all learn how to fulfill that role even more honorably.

And let me encourage every Christian to see themselves as worshipers. This seminar is not only for those who sing, play an instrument, or participate in the things we have traditionally called worship. It is for anyone who serves our God and desires to know more about his intent for our lives, and how to function as a unified body of believers.

Pray for us all as continue to press forward with one of our favorite dreams.