As you prepare for worship today, take a moment to reflect on what brings you here. Why do we gather for worship? What are our hopes as we open our hearts and minds for this sacred time together?
Let’s explore the essence of worship. Corporate worship is a dedicated time where we collectively acknowledge the presence of the Divine in our lives. In our context, we structure our worship using sacred elements rooted in ancient traditions that have evolved over millennia. The book of Acts illustrates the early church’s commitment to fellowship, teaching, prayer, Communion and offering. This foundation encourages our gathering to listen for God’s voice, communicate with God, receive divine gifts and reciprocate by offering our gifts to God and one another.
At its essence, worship is a dynamic practice of nurturing and honoring relationship. It’s a dedicated time to foster, celebrate and deepen our bond with God and our community. It’s not a passive act of observation but of active engagement. Like any significant relationship, worship requires an open heart and mind, inviting us to be responsive to the Divine. Our weekly gathering should reflect the ongoing work of the Spirit in our lives, drawing us closer to God and each other.
You may notice subtle shifts in our service order in today’s worship. These adjustments reflect our ongoing pursuit to engage more intentionally with God’s voice through word, song and prayer. As you join in our worship, stay attuned to where you may encounter God’s presence in fresh and transformative ways.
Let our prayer resonate with the words of our hymn: “Love divine, all loves excelling, joy of heaven, to earth come down. Breathe, O breathe thy loving Spirit into every troubled [heart]. Finish then [a] new creation; pure and spotless let us be. Let us see [your] great salvation perfectly restored in [us].”