To Worship as One

Johnny Markin passed along some thoughts he had written a few years back about the nature of worship and what happens when we gather together as a corporate body each weekend. Here they are…

The church is an enigmatic creature. Where else can we find a collection of people that willingly band together in worship, despite differing ethnic, cultural, financial, and demographic backgrounds?

The grace of God working in our midst is evident in Northview’s services. I am regularly moved to see people bearing with one another in styles of worship and music, going beyond their own preferences from time to time so that all might find a connecting point with Christ during our meetings. The freedom we have to express our devotion to God in diverse ways is an awesome privilege, and underlines the fact that our Creator made us each so uniquely different and thus we display His glory. One likes hymns, others ‘happy-clapping’ songs, some quiet meditation, and still others something else. Yet we all meet at the foot of the cross each time we gather, and lay our agendas at His feet, that we might be as one, even as Christ prayed. (John 17:11 –‘ that they might be one…’) In this, showing love and grace to one another, we find the key to winning a factioned, fractured humanity to Our Saviour. (John 13:35 By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”)