Worship as Surrender

14Feb12

This week I ran across this definition of worship, and thought it was worth sharing.

“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 will to His purpose – and all of this gathered up in adoration, the most selfless emotion of which our nature is capable and therefore the chief remedy for that self-centeredness which is our original sin and the source of all actual sin.”
- William Temple (1881-1944), Readings in St. John’s Gospel

When we approach God in worship, are we perpetuating an active battlefield of His will and purpose versus ours? Or do we come before Him eager to lay down the weapons of our pride, and surrender? What a beautiful thing to remember that worship—including, but not limited to our Sunday gatherings—is a chance to once again crown Christ king of everything that we have and everything that we are.

Tell me your thoughts! Is this definition of worship something new or something old to you? Do you agree with it? Do you find this kind of worship easy or hard?