The church comes to life in its worship.  Called out of the world to perform an act of service to its God and neighbors, it gathers as an anomaly, standing in stark contrast from the world that it has departed.  Subverting what is normative, standard, and expected, it celebrates the victory of its God over sin and despair, offering its participants a new way of living and interpreting the world.  Yes, the world is full of religious observance and ritual, but only the church submits itself to the will of the Triune God, maker of heaven and earth.  Through the liturgical movements of Word and sacrament the church is renewed and transformed into the servant community, disciples who have encountered the Living God and have been radically affected by His love and grace.  Worship, then, shapes and transforms us—our hearts, minds, souls, and wills—to love and serve God and our neighbors more fully.  It draws us into the very mystery of God’s being and equips us for the ministry of reconciliation that He has called us to.  Therefore, all that the church does—its vision, ministries, and daily life—must flow from its practice of corporate worship.       

Nevertheless, the church’s worship must also stand as an open invitation to the world to taste and see the goodness of the Lord.  We never forget that our worship takes place in between heaven and earth, in the borderlands between this world and the one to come.  Therefore, we are people of two tongues, fluent in the languages of both heaven and earth.  This tension undoubtedly make itself known in our worship.  We do not shy away from the popular dialects of our culture, but enjoy them as good gifts from our Heavenly Father.  For we know that the same God who created all has chosen to redeem all.  Therefore, we celebrate the arts; we glory in all that God has made, lifting up and enjoying all of creation.  Breaking the sacred/secular divide, we declare that the whole earth is charged with God’s grandeur.  With this view of worship in mind, the concept itself becomes much more fluid.  Not only is worship something we, as the body of Christ, gather to do, but it is also the warp and woof of our daily existence—it is our life.