I’ve been thinking alot lately about the purpose of worship in a local church. These are a few thoughts I’ve had banging around in my head. I don’t intend this as a full theology of worship, just as an outline of some thoughts I’ve had to get them organized.
1. Worship is Central to the Purpose of a Local Church Because it is Central to our Purpose as Human Beings: to Glorify God and Enjoy Him Forever. God created us to enjoy and worship Him. When we worship, we are fulfilling one of His great purposes for our existence, one which we will continue to fulfill throughout eternity. Moreover, God richly deserves our worship and praise. Therefore, worship is inherently good and vital apart from any other utility it may hold. We worship simply because of who God is and who He made us to be. If we fail to worship, we fail to engage in a central purpose for our lives.
2. Worship is Central to the Purpose of a Local Church Because it Helps Form Community and Edify the Body of Christ. When a local church community engages in corporate worship, that community is drawn closer together and strengthened in the faith. Corporate worship is a time of refreshment, healing, grace, and unity. It helps us set aside the worries of the world, prepares us to receive the ministry of the teaching of God’s word, reminds us of God’s care over and goodness to us, and strengthens our resolve to serve God and advance His Kingdom throughout the world. If we fail to worship, we will fail to function and be strengthened as a corporate body.
3. Worship is Evangelistic. When we worship, we proclaim the Evangel, the good news of Christ’s life, death and resurrection. There is no conflict or contrast between worship and evangelism; they are cut from the same cloth. The church’s principal task in evangelism is to proclaim the Gospel so that those God is calling to Himself will hear and respond in faith. A principal focus of worship is to celebrate and publicly and joyfully declare that the Kingdom of God has come in Christ and is to be fullfilled at Christ’s return. If we fail to worship, we fail to evangelize.
4. Worship is Contextual. Because worship is evangelistic, worship serves a missiological function, and it is appropriate to speak of worship in missiological terms. From a missiological perspective, worship should be contextualized. We seek to proclaim the unchanging Gospel in the varied and changing cultural contexts in which God places local churches. When we proclaim the Gospel to a culture in written or spoken language, we seek to do so in the “heart language” of that culture, be it English, Swahili, Chinese, Kitatuga, or any other of the world’s many languages. When we proclaim the Gospel in art, music, or literature, we should seek to do so in forms that are part of the “heart language” of the culture in which we minister. What this means for any local church, as it continually evaluates its cultural context and the physical and human resources available to it, will and should vary. For many North American churches with a relative abundance of resources and a relative diversity of constituents, this may require a range of different worship events and settings. But if we fail to contextualize worship, we will fail to realize fully its core exaltative, edifying, and evangelistic purposes.
5. Worship is Music and More. Music is a central part of worship. We are admonished in Ephesians 5:19-20 to “speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.” Likewise, we are encouraged in Colossians 3:16 to “let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God.” The singing of “psalms, hymns and spiritual songs” must be a priority for any local church. Yet, worship is more than music alone. Everything we do when gathered as a corporate body should be viewed as an act of worship, whether it be music, public prayer, readings, visual art, dance, or preaching and teaching. A Christian community by definition is a worshipping community, because everything the community does is under the Lordship of Christ.