Worship – Healing for the Nations

You don't have to look far to find conflict and turmoil. In fact, most reported news is good supporting evidence for the need for diversity and tolerance. But among these ideologies' great hope for peace and acceptance, diversity and tolerance are failing in schools, places of employment, cities and governments and religious organizations. God seems to have a different idea for humanity's peace... it is worship.

In 1922 Helen H. Lemmel must have had this in mind when she penned "...the things of earth will grow strangely dim in the light of His glory and grace." This revelation seems to hold something that evades today's top thinkers; conflicts are trivialized when we focus on God's supremacy.

There are three times in the Bible when humanity is united. The first was that short time Adam and Eve lived in the garden. Another was during the construction of a tower to access heaven (Gen 11:1-9). The last will come when all of humanity joins the 4 living creatures, the twenty-four elders and the angels in unison worship around the throne (Rev 4 & 5).

Among the many reasons for humanity's peace is the "face to face" (1 Cor 13) experience we will have with Jesus. That encounter will profoundly change our values and perceptions. In worship, we experience a foretaste of this "face to face" encounter. We also experience a foretaste of our transformation because, as is said, "We become like what we worship."

Our congregants have a broad theological range as a result of their past and moments with eternal God. I too have held different perspectives of God that have changed and adjusted throughout my spiritual journey. Knowing this urges worship leaders to allow people to worship the God they know and let the power of their encounters with God shape their theology. The only thing we can add is a balanced Biblical revelation of Christ in our worship.

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