Unity in Worship
You have probably heard the popular phrase, “worship is more than going to church, it is a lifestyle.” This is a truthful and important statement (see Rom. 12:1-2). While it is true that worship is more than just going to church on Sunday mornings, it is not less than that. Christians ought to join together in worship weekly so as to “not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near” (Heb 10:25). Worship brings us together in a shared confession, expression, and story.
Worship unites us in a shared confession. “There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call— one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all ” (Eph 4:4-6). God wants us to worship Him in spirit and truth (John 4:23-24). As a church, we don’t have to share every belief down to the fine details. However, there are truths we affirm that unite us. There is one God. Christ is Lord. He is the way, truth, and life. We are sinners who can only be saved by faith in the atoning death and resurrection of Christ. Our proclamation of these truths unites us in faith and separates us from the unbelieving world. We affirm the preaching of God’s Word as we sit under it. We affirm the gospel as we sing and recite together.
Worship unites us in a shared expression. It’s not about musical style or if you lift your hands when you sing. It’s about liturgy and heart. A liturgy is a purposeful order of worship. It defines the “movements” we go through during our worship service. Going through these together – singing, praying, preaching, and the Lord’s Supper – each week both reflects who we are and shapes who we are. When our hearts are locked in on the glory of God and the praise due to Him, we then begin to truly worship with one voice.
Worship unites us in a shared story. Nothing in the world unites people like a shared story. Take a glance at any ancient or modern civilization and you’ll notice the common denominator of each respective culture. It is a story of origin that answers the questions of where we come from and why we are here. Once this cultural heritage is lost, a people fall apart. Christians have a unique story because we are united not by heritage, ethnicity, or culture, but by a shared Savior, Faith, and Body (church). We know the story of redemption from beginning, middle, to end. When we gather together, we recount the gospel of Jesus Christ who has united us in Him and promised to establish an everlasting kingdom. When we worship together on the Lord’s Day we acknowledge this story, our story.
Bro. Tyler Williams
