Church Of God, Anderson, Indiana

In ascribing worth to God, worshipers find themselves confronting God's presence in the whole of life. In this entry, a representative of the Church of God, Anderson, Indiana, explores the relationships between worship and evangelism, pastoral care, social ministry, and inclusiveness toward all people.

The Westminster Confession states that "?the chief end of man is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever.?" Before the mission of the church can be fully realized, there must be an appreciation and understanding of the importance of worship. The mission of the church flows out of the believers' love for the Lord of the church. Worship is the believers' positive response to the revelation of God. Worship means worth-ship, or in other words, to give someone the honor or worth that is due that person's name. The Holy Scriptures speak of worship as bowing down: "?Come, let us bow down in worship, let us kneel before the Lord, our Maker?" (Ps. 95:6). In addition, the Scriptures indicate that worship is a sacrifice of service: "?O Lord, truly I am your servant .… I will sacrifice a thank offering to you and call on the name of the Lord?" (Ps. 116:16–17). The prophet Isaiah described worship as revelation and response: "?I saw the Lord seated on the throne, high and exalted .… Holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty; the whole earth is full of his glory?" (Isa. 6:1, 3). In the context of worship, Isaiah senses the worthiness of God and his own inadequacy. However, in his weakness, Isaiah is made strong by the touch of God's grace. Thus, Isaiah responds with the only appropriate response, "?Here am I. Send me!?" (Isa. 6:8b) Worship is complete when the encounter with God issues forth in ministry to and with others. The church meets for divine worship to give praise to God, the Creator of all. However, the gathered church does not represent all of the life of the church. The worshiping community exists credibly only when it remains true to its calling to be the church, not only gathered, but scattered. Inclusiveness in Worship Worship involves the recognition that all persons, regardless of race, class, or gender, can experience the grace of God as it is revealed in Jesus Christ. On the day of Pentecost, Peter spoke of a new era in the history of God's revelatory acts: "?In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams?" (Acts 2:17). The apostle Paul speaks of this new wave of grace and ministry when he writes: "?There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus?" (Gal. 3:28). In relation to inclusiveness, scriptural hermeneutics must be approached with caution. One must be cautious not to superimpose culture and circumstances of the first century upon the church of the present century. For example, some of St. Paul's correctives to the church were written within the Jewish culture, which forbade women to learn and take part in the synagogue services. These passages were also written in the Greek culture, which did not protects the rights of women as persons and citizens in their law. The church in the age of the Spirit must consistently challenge women and men, young and old, to respond positively to the revelation of Christ. Worship demands response, whether that response is to an ordained or non-ordained ministry status. If women have equal access to the grace of God, then women in ministry should not be the exception, but rather the rule. Women with gifts of teaching, preaching, or leading must not be relegated to some secondary status, but be given full participation in church life. Women with the charisma of leadership should serve capably on official boards and committees in a fellowship of leadership. When women meet the criteria for the ordination process, then there seems to be no biblical or rational obstacle to their taking full participation in church leadership. Worship and Pastoral Care The church at worship also provides ongoing opportunities for pastoral care. When the Word of God is proclaimed, it often encourages, enlightens, instructs, and sometimes rebukes. One of the ways the church can minister, not only to the corporate needs of the body, but also to the personal needs of members, is through the ministry of the open altar. The open altar gives people opportunity to immediately act on truth that has been revealed to them in the context of worship. Worship should provide people with access to counsel and prayer in the immediacy of the moment. Worship that allows persons to respond in this immediate manner seeks to be relevant to the issues that worshipers bring to the service from week to week. While in-depth counseling does not take place in the service of worship, prayer and counsel at the public altar often open up other opportunities in other contexts to continue the pastoral care of the congregation. Worship and Evangelism Evangelism is also a part of the effective worship experience. The proclamation of the gospel of Christ to the unchurched can and should be an integral part of worship. There is a contagious factor about the faith of a community of believers. While not every worship service is evangelistic in nature, there should be periodic opportunities throughout the year for nonbelievers to respond to what God has done for them in Christ. This response can be facilitated in a number of different ways: by allowing people to pray the sinner's prayer in the privacy of their pew; by inviting people forward to stand at the front of the church as a public testimony of their commitment to Christ; by giving people the opportunity to kneel at a public altar to pray a prayer of repentance; by allowing people to express through uplifted hands a decision for Christ; or by asking people to fill out a commitment card concerning their new decision for Christ, to be followed up at a later date. Christian baptism is also a vital part of public worship as new believers declare their faith in Jesus Christ. Worship and Social Ministry Worship that takes place in spirit and truth is worship that offers up the whole of life as a sacrifice of praise. "?And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased?" (Heb. 13:16). Worship compels some individuals to seek justice and do righteousness. Often a social consciousness is awakened in worship that leads some worshipers to be involved in crossing barriers and becoming involved in social issues. Social issues are addressed consistently when hearts have been stirred by God. Receptive worshipers provide a linkage between the sanctuary and the streets. For example, some choose to be involved in such social issues as abortion counseling, picketing, and letter writing to create public awareness of theological and moral concerns about abortion. Others are involved in working with handicapped adults by providing a place to meet their particular needs, and then by incorporating them into the worship life of the church at large. Still others respond to worship by seeking to be involved with such groups as Habitat for Humanity in creating decent and affordable housing for the poor. Still others are involved in working with other congregations from the inner city to bring about race reconciliation. These examples are a few of the practical ways that some people choose to respond in worship to the social concerns of the day. In the words of William Temple: Worship is the submission of all our nature to God. It is the quickening of conscience by His holiness; the nourishment of mind with His truth; the purifying of imagination by His beauty; the opening of the heart to His love; the surrender of the will to His purpose. And all this is gathered up in adoration, the most selfless emotion of which our nature is capable.