John 4 23-24: “… a time is coming and has now come when true worshippers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshippers the Father seeks. God is spirit and His worshippers must worship in the Spirit and in truth.”
As we know, worship is not restricted to the songs and hymns we sing together on a Sunday morning. Yes, that is one important way in which we may express our worship towards God. Ultimately, though, true worship is a matter of the heart expressed through a lifestyle of holiness and which may be defined by the understanding we have on who God is and where He sits in our list of priorities. That is an ongoing challenge for us all.
Having led congregational, sung worship for over 20 years, I am resolute in my aim and purpose in this – to lead the church to the throne room of God and to leave them there for as long as possible. Each time we meet, I pray that people will leave different to when they came in, having met with the living and risen Lord. God loves us as we are, but He does not want to leave us that way. As we come into His presence and spend time worshipping,
understanding more of the truth of who He is and how much He loves us, we cannot help but be changed.
This, too, leads to another important principle for me – that the words we sing are truth. Being wonderfully and fearfully made as individuals, we will each take away something different from a time of meeting together. Some will be challenged by the preacher and will dwell on the thought or Word. Some will leave with a passion to pray further following a time of intercession. Some will leave singing a song, either in their heart or on their lips. For those doing the latter, whatever song or melody it is resonating with them, I want to ensure that the lyrics continue to deepen their understanding and relationship with Father God because they speak of truth about Him.
If you share this passion to lead the church into God’s presence, please come and speak with me and we can see how we may work together to bless the family of St Saviour’s.
Phil Smith, worship team leader
