What It Is
“Worship begins with God. God the creator, the rescuer, and the redeemer initiates our human approach to Him. … Worship is seen as reverent devotion and service to God motivated by God’s saving acts in history.” (International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, Vol. 4, p. 1117) Worship includes one’s actions in daily life generally (when one lives as describe previously) as well as what the church does when we gather for a “worship service” on a weekly basis.
What It Looks Like
Many different physical postures are described as a part of worship in the Bible. In addition, many specific postures are deeply connected to culture. At Crossway, we want to give people freedom to express worship in ways that are appropriate for them while respecting the preferences of others. People may raise their hands, stand, sit, or bow down. People may stay still or dance or clap. God invites us to use our bodies and our voices to express the reality of what He is doing in our spirits.
What It Sounds Like
The Bible describes people singing, using musical instruments, praying out loud and silently, weeping and rejoicing, celebrating the “Lord’s Supper” (also known as Communion), listening to people tell of God’s work in their lives, and listening to preaching from the Bible. Singing has been a common way for people to express themselves “with one voice” with each other, but it is not the only way. At Crossway, we want to express worship in various ways, and we want to learn the songs and sayings of Christians from many cultures. We also want to give people freedom to sing or not sing, to use English or another language, as is helpful for them.