True Worship

By Fr. Chuck Collins on June 12, 2015 in From Our Pastors
“To love his neighbor bids him to do all he can to bring his neighbor to love God. This is the worship of God; this is true religion; this is the right kind of devotion; this is the service which is owed to God alone.” – St. Augustine, City of God

Last Saturday I had the honor of preaching at the Himalayan Community Church that meets in an Assemblies of God church down the street from us. This congregation is made up of refugees from Nepal who have settled in Phoenix. Thanks to my wife Ellen, Mark and Mary Kaech, and Shawn and Amy Carson (and Mahir and Matias) for coming to support me and their friend, Pastor Bishnu. It was so much fun! The whole service, from the reading of lessons to the announcements and the singing, was all in Nepali. The generous pastor translated my sermon and it was obvious he was embellishing in just the right ways. When the pastor invited each of us to speak, Amy Carson thanked them for giving us an experience that was like a little piece of heaven. I got to thinking about this…

We didn’t understand a word they were saying, or a single prayer they prayed, or the lyrics of the songs they sang (to discordant tunes, at least to this western ear!). But it was clearly directed at giving God honor and praise. God was the audience. We were drawn to God by the authenticity of the heartfelt worship of those around us. There is something about God showing up that is spiritually invigorating, whether it’s in my own language or another, whether it’s our musical preference or not. It showed me that if I can’t worship and sing God’s praises in a style outside my personal preference, then I can’t really worship him at all – that I am worshiping my worship experience, not God (thanks to Andrea Lucado for helping me see this).

Worship is not about making me feel good. It’s not entertainment or even about having my needs met. In fact, it’s not about me at all. It’s about God. It’s joining our voices with angels and archangels and all the company of heaven who are continuously showing their appreciation to God.

This summer at Christ Church, by bringing two services together, we have a great opportunity to experience God in a style that may or may not be our first choice. (If I had it my way, it would be cathedral organ with boys choir!) But being at the Himalayan Community Church on Saturday showed me once again that worship is not about worshiping our worship experience or making me feel good. It’s about God and his worthiness. That’s why we begin our service with this reminder: “Blessed be God!” I really look forward to being with you this Sunday, and to what God will do when he meets the people he loves.