When it comes to worship, everyone has opinions, preferences, and expectations. Whether it is a long-standing pillar of the church or a new person who is "just shopping around" for a church to call home, everyone has an idea of what worship should be. All too often, our worship is ambiguously described as "blended worship" or we find ourselves comparing our worship to other denominations (and sometimes negatively). As a diverse congregation approaching God from many traditions, there is a need to have clarification and understanding so as to have unity and balance in our celebration times.
This Worship Philosophy was written to address the position of Rainbow Springs Village Church . We believe that because of God’s holiness and worthiness, our church should give priority to our times of corporate worship and celebration. It is our desire that our worship be dynamic and inspiring, but more importantly, focused on the pre-eminence of Jesus Christ.
Our worship will be Christ-centered and relevant, honoring our rich heritage, and will lead us toward an encounter with God. 1. Christ-centered Worship. The essence of true worship is responding to the revelation of God in Christ. Worship is never about us – it is always about God!
"He [Jesus] is the image of the invisible God…that in everything he might have the supremacy. For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him…” Colossians 1:15-19
2. Biblical Worship. The uncompromised Word of God gives shape, definition and freedom for worship. All aspects of corporate worship will be saturated with biblical truth so that it will always conform to the truth of Scripture. "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." Colossians 3:16
3. Wholehearted Praise. God desires the wholehearted expression of our love for Himself. We believe that halfhearted worship is an insult to God. We worship with our head, and we worship with our heart. "God is spirit and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth." John 4:24
4. God-encountering Worship. Our worship celebrations are prayerfully designed to lead people into an encounter with God. To this extent, God is not only the object of our worship, but He is an active participant as He is revealing Himself to us. C.S. Lewis explains, "It is in the process of being worshiped that God communicates His presence to us." (Reflections on the Psalms) "Part your heavens, O Lord, and come down; touch the mountains, so that they smoke." Psalm 144:5
5. Transparency and Brokenness. The key to worship is not a million dollar pipe organ nor is it a modern-day praise band; the key to worship is a broken and contrite heart. We always give preference to brokenness and humility. "I live in a high and holy place, but also with him who is contrite and lowly in spirit, to revive the spirit of the lowly and to revive the heart of the contrite." Isaiah 57:15b
6. Freedom in Worship. Human creativity is a vital part of being created in the image of God, and it includes singing, instrumentation, expressive praise and drama. Speechless awe and wonder as well as joyful, exhilarating praise are both appropriate responses to God. “Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom." 2 Corinthians 3:17
7. Authentic Worship. Honesty, sincerity, integrity and purity are vital elements in both private and corporate worship. We renounce hypocrisy, pretense, deceit and religious clichés which would destroy the authenticity of true worship. A.W. Tozer wrote, “If you will not worship God seven days a week, you do not worship Him on one day a week.” These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me." Mark 7:6
8. Evangelistic Worship. The declaration of worth to God is one of the most effective means of leading sinners into a relationship with Jesus Christ. "Worship is ultimate, not missions, because God is ultimate, not man . . . Worship . . . is the goal of missions because in missions we simply aim to bring the nations into the white-hot enjoyment of God's glory. The goal of missions is the gladness of the people and the greatness of God." (John Piper, Let the Nations Be Glad). "Let the peoples praise you, O God, let all the peoples praise Thee. Let the nations be glad and sing for joy." Psalm 67:3-4
9. Diverse Worship. As a diverse congregation, we desire to honor God with the rich heritage that each of our people bring to corporate worship. Our own worship identity is shaped and influenced through God’s Word and by the wide range of traditions among our congregation. For this reason we value the virtue of flexibility as we enjoy the mingling of historic and contemporary forms of worship and music. "Do not put out the Spirit's fire!" 1 Thessalonians 5:15
10. Awe-filled Worship. Ultimately worship, even when done corporately, is before an audience of one. While worshiping the Lord God Almighty, there should be times of reverence, awe and wonder which move us to speechlessly gaze on the grandeur of our God. A healthy fear of God brings us to a singular focus to please God alone and thereby frees us from being self-conscious and man-pleasing. "Everyone was filled with awe and many wonders and miraculous signs were done by the apostles." Acts 2:43
Why Think About Worship
Worship in Spirit and in Truth
Joyful Worship
Reverent Worship
