On Worship

Some things I have come across recently on the topic of worship. Also check out Chad's post "What is Worship?" at his blog Relevance.

"Worship is not under the control of human beings, nor is the form it takes up to their whims. Rather, worship is a response to a God who initiates toward His people, gives them life, and shows Himself active on their behalf." J. P. Moreland, Love Your God With All Your Mind

"God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth." John 4:24 (NASB)

"The enemy of worship is not that our desire for pleasure is too strong but too weak! We have settled for a home, a family, a few friends, a job, a television, a microwave oven, an occasionaly night out, a yearly vacation, and perhaps a new personal computer. We have accustomed ourselves to such meager, short-lived pleasures that our capacity for joy has shriveled. And so our worship has shriveled.... The scenery and poetry and music of the majesty of God have dried up like a forgotten peach at the back or the refrigerator." John Piper, Desiring God

"We need to increase our expectations of excellence when it comes to corporate and private worship. And if we do, the proper cultivation of the mind will be a crucial dimension of our excellence in worship. Loving and worshiping God includes the total personality, including the mind. We worship God with our minds when we struggle to read something so we can love and serve Him better, when we understand the contents of the hymn we sing, when we activate our minds and make them ready to hear before given something to which to respond in the worship service." J. P. Moreland, Love Your God With All Your Mind