31. Is it right and good to worship our creator and redeemer?
It is our duty and privilege to bow in adoration, humility, and dedication in the presence of God.
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According to Paul, humanity’s first and fundamental misstep was to fail to recognize the Creator, so as to honor him and give him thanks (Rom. 1:18–21). Because we did not remain properly oriented through worship in what ought to have been the most foundational of all our relationships, all our relationships were thrown into disarray (in many instances, grievous disarray!) and our moral compass was sent spinning (Rom. 1:22–32). When prophets are allowed to see into the divine realm, by contrast, they see supernatural beings centered on God in orderly worship (Isa. 6:1–6; Rev. 4:1–11), enjoying ordered lives themselves because they are properly oriented toward the God who gave them their existence.
Worship is our duty. If we confess that God is “maker of all things, seen and unseen,” we owe it to God to acknowledge with gratitude the fact of our existence every day that we have life and breath: “You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, because you created all things—they exist and were created because you wished it!” (Rev. 4:11 DST).
If we confess that we have been ransomed from the prison house of sin and death, we owe it to Christ to acknowledge this fact as well (Rev. 5:11–14). Worship is also indeed a privilege. As we open ourselves to the awareness of God’s presence around us, we touch eternity and find perspective. We bask in the radiance of God’s holiness and love and, like Moses, we go forth reflecting some of that radiance. This experience led David to exclaim: “One thing have I asked of the LORD, that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the LORD” (Ps. 27:4–5 ESV).
Worship re-centers us on our Creator and our Redeemer and reorients our hearts and lives in the direction of grateful response. It reminds us whose we are—and thus for whom we should always seek to live. And according to the psalmist, it’s not just for Sunday mornings, but a discipline that healthfully frames every day (Ps. 92:1–2).
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Ascribe to the LORD the glory due his name; bring an offering and come before him! Worship the Lord in the splendor of holiness. (1 Chron. 16:29 ESV)
It is good to praise the LORD and make music to your name, O Most High, proclaiming your love in the morning and your faithfulness at night (Ps. 92:1–2 NIV)
Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever. (Ps. 107:1 NIV)
You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they existed and were created. (Rev. 4:11)
See also Ps. 95:1–7; 103:1–5; Phil. 2:9–11; Rev. 5:9–14; CoF XIII
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This is an excerpt from Christian Faith and Doctrine: An Annotated Catechism for the Global Methodist Church. Seedbed is pleased to partner with The Global Methodist Church to offer this companion resource to A Catechism of Christian Faith and Doctrine for the Global Methodist Church.
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