Grace United Methodist Church - Franklin, IN
  • About Us
    • Staff
    • What to Expect
    • What We Believe
    • Calendar
    • Upcoming Events
    • Institutional Partners
  • Classes & Small Groups
    • Adult >
      • Classes and Spiritual Formation Opportunities
      • Small Group Locations & Times
    • Youth
    • Children
  • Missions
    • Service Opportunities
    • Ministry Partners
  • Give
    • Giving
    • Ways of Giving
    • What is tithing?
  • Preschool
    • Home
    • Classes
    • Calendar
    • Kroger Community Rewards
  • Resources
    • Sermons
    • Blog
    • The Kids These Days podcast
  • About Us
    • Staff
    • What to Expect
    • What We Believe
    • Calendar
    • Upcoming Events
    • Institutional Partners
  • Classes & Small Groups
    • Adult >
      • Classes and Spiritual Formation Opportunities
      • Small Group Locations & Times
    • Youth
    • Children
  • Missions
    • Service Opportunities
    • Ministry Partners
  • Give
    • Giving
    • Ways of Giving
    • What is tithing?
  • Preschool
    • Home
    • Classes
    • Calendar
    • Kroger Community Rewards
  • Resources
    • Sermons
    • Blog
    • The Kids These Days podcast

Celebrating Music and Worship Arts - Psalm 100

5/16/2022

0 Comments

 
“Worship is ecstatic, mystical praise and celebration.  Worship is what you do inside and outside of church when you DO God’s word.” 
                        -John Wesley


When I reflect on worship - what it is and what it means, I find myself thinking that worship is about people, purpose, and place.  

Worship is people - intergenerational, learning and growing together through the act of worship; sharing our stories alongside THE story.  Worship is my story informing your story and your story influencing my story and hearing, seeing, and living it all out within THE story.   Seeing how they intertwine, support, inform, build up, and challenge one another along the way.  It is about milestones and moments shared that recognize and celebrate Christ with us in the living out of our days - births, deaths, accomplishments, achievements, hard work, celebrations, memorials, loud moments, quiet moments, still moments, and even the difficult moments.  Especially the difficult moments. 

Frederick Buechner writes,
 “phrases like Worship Service or Service of Worship are tautologies.  To worship God means to serve him.  Basically there are two ways to do it.  One way is to do things for him that he needs to have done - run errands for him, carry messages for him, fight on his side, feed his lambs, and so on.  The other way is to do things for him that you need to do - sing songs for him, create beautiful things for him, give things up for him, tell him what’s on your mind and in your heart, in general rejoice in him and make a fool of yourself for him the way lovers have always made fools of themselves for the one they love.  A Quaker Meeting, a Pontifical High Mass, the Family Service at First Presbyterian, a Holy Roller Happening - unless there is an element of joy and foolishness in the proceedings, the time would be better spent doing something useful.”  Wishful Thinking-A Theological ABC. 

Worship is about purpose and must have purpose to have impact.  That purpose is to be in relationship with the One who created us; to turn and look at God looking at us.  Our greatest desire, whether we name it or not, is to be in connection with our creator.  Worship provides us time and space for that purpose.  We balance our purpose between messages, music, prayer, arts, something old and something new; between challenging, equipping, inspiring, convicting, teaching, encouraging, and leading one another while walking alongside each other. 

Worship is about place.  It is a place for us to experience the presence of the Holy in the midst of all that goes on in our life and world.  It is the act of doing God’s word.  It is a place to intentionally work on being with God and with one another.  It is also a place in which we make a place for God.  It's about finding your place - seeking to serve, participating in missions and outreach, as well as volunteering.  It’s about providing a place for others.  A place for people to be who they are and where people are on their journey.  It’s about recognizing God’s place among us whether in a formal or relaxed, planned or spur of the moment, organized or organic way.  When the Christ in me honors the Christ in you, we create a place for the divine to work on us both.  Worship then is about people, purpose, and place.  

Prayer: May all that we are be an act of worship in which all that you are is celebrated and made known.  Amen.

​Pastor Jenothy Irvine
0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    Archives

    March 2023
    February 2023
    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018

    RSS Feed

Grace United Methodist Church
1300 E Adams Dr,
Franklin, IN 46131

Phone: 317-736-7962
grace@franklingrace.org

Weekend  Worship Services
Saturday: 5:30pm 
Sunday: 9:00am & 11:00am

Picture