THE MEANING AND PURPOSE OF WORSHIP

             First Christian Church believes that worship is at the heart of who we are and is essential to furthering our relationship with God.  We are created in the image of God to be in constant outpouring worship.

Since we were created in God's image, we were "created to act as God acts," ^l and to continually pour out love, mercy, justice and righteousness upon all creation. Worship is the continuous outpouring of all that we are, all that we do, and all that we can ever become in light of God who has chosen us.

Jesus' life, death, and resurrection show us how to be a continuous outpourer. So our vision must be to follow Christ in all aspects of our lives. We must worship God with every ounce of our being, continually outpouring the love, mercy, justice, and righteousness that we have already received from God.

The more we worship God through our daily outpouring, the more we are able to worship corporately with other Christians. In corporate worship, we step out of the world's time and into God's time.² In corporate worship, God renews us in His image and empowers us to reenter the world to continue outpouring the love, mercy, justice, and righteousness that God has given us. Every activity during corporate worship - singing, praying, preaching, reading, listening, and playing, is worship. These activities are also tools to help us express our love for God who continually pours out His love and blessing on us.

"You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength." (Mark 12:30) Heart worship means we have chosen to worship. Soul worship means expressing our deepest feelings for God. Mind worship means pondering the great mysteries of God. Strength worship means worshiping with bowed heads, raised voices, and eyes and ears that feast on the holiness of God. To cover all four elements for a complete worship experience, we converge many different traditions and styles into each service we share together.³

The convergence of different styles enables more people to worship God in ways that represent their love for God, "based on the background and personality God gave each of us."⁴ This is important because God is calling us to be a Christ-centered community where all are unconditionally loved, accepted, and respected. We can appreciate our differences as we journey together on a pilgrimage that makes us one with Christ and one with each other.