Worship

For those of us at Hope, worship is a way of life.

Perhaps the greatest example of pure worship in the Bible is found in the simple statement of the prophet Isaiah. He had come to the temple to seek God during a time of national unrest following the death of the king. But he never expected what the Lord had waiting for him. He entered the temple and found himself in the presence of God. Angelic creatures hovered about as God's presence filled the place, and they shouted out declaring God's holiness again and again. As Isaiah saw the Lord revealed, he broke down in utter humility. And when God asked whom he might send as his representative, Isaiah uttered such a pure and beautiful statement of real worship: "Here I am." (Isaiah 6:8)

Ultimately, worship is recognizing the worth and wonder of God, and it leads us to offering all of who we are to him. We worship when we honor God with our choices and priorities. We worship when we pause and sit silently in his presence, allowing his Spirit to lead us. We worship when we we ponder his marvelous faithfulness and power. We worship when we dance and sing like delighted children in the presence of their Father.

We also enjoy God's extraordinary gift of worship together as a church family as we follow in the footsteps of our biblical ancestors in lifting up our voices in song and celebration before the Lord. At Hope, times of music and singing are a treasured part of our weekly gathering. Because the Psalms repeatedly call us to "sing a new song" to the Lord, our desire is to make our worship a contemporary reflection of our own personalities and expressions. Most of our songs are contemporary, and we're always seeking fresh ways to share our love for the Lord.