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The Nature of Worship The eternal hunger of the human heart for God was expressed by Au gustine in the memorable Words, “O God, thou hast made us for thyself and our souls are restless until they find their rest in Thee.” There is also a divine need to be met by worship. You remember the words of Jesus to the woman at the well, “The hour cometh, and now is, when true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him” (John 4:23). We have always known whom the Son is seeking, for He came “to seek and to save that which was lost,” but few have per ceived the truth that from among those saved by the Son, the Father is seeking worshipers. It is not easy to interpret the na ture and significance of worship. Sat isfactory definitions are very diffi cult to formulate. W. D. Maxwell says, “Christian worship at its best provides a way for man’s whole being and na ture to approach God, and opens many channels of grace through which God draws nigh to man.” * An outstanding Christian educator has described worship as a time ex posure to God during which ^God il luminates and shines through the windows of the soul. During this ex posure, God sketches with' indelible lines the impress of His character upon our personality. Central in Christian worship is an intimate fellowship with God. The acts and attitudes of worship estab lish and maintain this fellowship and communion with God the Father through the mediation of the Son and the Holy Spirit. When we come into such a vital relationship with God that we have a wonderful sense of His nearness, our hearts w ill over flow in adoration and praise. This is the essence of worship: the soul’s adoration of God Himself. This .is what God is seeking, redeemed men and. women to love and honor Him with intense devotion. Functions of Worship Worship is not coming to the Father to receive some material .gift; it is being completely engrossed with the Giver—the heart going out .in grati tude not only for what God has done for us, but for what He is in Himself, the eternal, sovereign God. When we feel the awe, reverence, and holy af fection due His great Name, we will cry out with the Psalmist, “Bless the Lord, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name.” Worship will bring individuals into great life-changing experiences with God. Isaiah had such an experience *Maxwell, W. D„ An Outline of Christian Worship, Its Development, and Forms, Lon- don: Oxford University Press, 1936, P. 4S.
with God as he worshiped God in the temple in the year that Uzziah died. The brilliant and wealthy Augus tine was a cynical, hardened young man who scorned the church of Christ until one day, out of curiosity, he attended a service of worship. That experience led directly to his con version near Milan, about A. D. 384. He became one of the greatest lead ers of the Christian church, because a worship service had led him to con trast his worthless life with the purity and beauty of the life of Christ. Worship will develop spiritual growth. AS the worshiper ■comes into a more vital relationship with the Fa ther, he will seek to rid .himself of the differences between his own thinking and conduct and those of God. He w ill endeavor to put out of his life all that is recognized as being unworthy of intimate fellowship with Questions for answer in this depart ment should be sent to the Editorial Department, THE KING'S BUSINESS, 558 So. Hope St., Los Angeles 13, Calif. QUE .: Please tell me what the sin is which is mentioned in 1 John 5:16 as that which is “ unto death,” and that for which we need not pray. This sin is not the “ unpardonable sin” as some would suppose, but has to do with that which provokes God’s chastisement in the form of physical death. When the child of God falls into sin, his salvation is not endangered; for since he is “in Christ Jesus,” con demnation of him is impossible (Rom. 8:1); but his fellowship is broken. If he refuses, or neglects to follow the Holy Spirit’s injunction in 1 John 1:9 to "confess” his sins, and thus re establish fellowship between himself and his Lord, he may have to suffer the Lord’s punishment mentioned here as being that which is “ unto death.” An illustration of this is given in 1 Corinthians 11:27-34. The Corinthian Christians had been disorderly in their observance of the Lord’s Supper. They had been partaking of it “ unworthily,” and because they failed to judge them selves, they were judged by God with bodily weakness, and in some cases, physical death. From the verse in question, it would seem that the Christian is not obliged to pray for his erring brother in this particular respect. Lest there hs a misunderstanding,
God. Genuine worship w ill result in spiritual growth. Moreover, worship will enable the Christian to see the difficulties and problems of life in their true per spective. Psalm 73 gives a picture of a godly man who is agitated because of the prosperity of the wicked. The Psalmist says, “When I thought to know this, it was too painful for me; until I went into the sanctuary of God; then understood I their end” (vs. 16, 17). Worship enables us to see life as it is related to the eternal and abiding realities. In the sanctu ary of God there is understanding and enrichment of life. Worship is a delicate art of the Christian ,life, and careful guidance must be given in order that adults as well as children may have fruitful experiences as they bow down and worship God. let it be said that there is no Scrip tural teaching to substantiate the the ory that physical ailment and death involving the Christian are always the result of individual sin, and a sign of the Lord’s displeasure with His, re deemed one (2 Cor. 12:7-10). It is possible both to suffer and to die in full victory in Christ—but this condi tion .is distinct from the disciplinary action here being discussed. QUE .: Is it right fo r Christians to cremate their dead? Nowhere does the Scripture state a rule as to how believers should bury their dead; nor in the Old and New Testament records of death and bur ials is cremation described. There are people who prefer cre mation, and some have been known to ask that their ashes be scattered on the sea or land from boats or airplanes. While these requests have, no doubt, come from unbelievers, let it be remembered that the fact of a body’s being in the form of ashes in an urn, or elsewhere, places no limit on God’s ability to raise those ashes in the form of an incorruptible body. Nevertheless, in thè light of the truth that the saints’ bodies will be raised in the likeness of Christ’s glorious one (cf. Psa. 17:15; Phil. 3:21), and that the body is said to return to “ dust” rather than to ashes (cf. Gen. 3:19), to follow the more accept ed method of burial would appear to be our Lord’s preference for His children.
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