Last night we talked about the importance of worship in the life of a church, and said that worship is more than just singing songs (important though our sung worship is and I absolutely affirm that it is!) Today, I came across this quote from William Temple, former archbishop of Canterbury:
“Worship is a 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 this gathered up in adoration, the most selfless emotion of which our nature is capable.”
So as we choose to worship God today, here is a prayer to help us:
Quicken my conscience by Your holiness, Lord. Help me to see every situation in that light. Let Your purity purify me.
Nourish my mind with Your truth, that the lies of the enemy find no resting place in me, but that my mind may flourish and bring forth fruit from knowing Your truth which sets us free.
Purify my imagination as I gaze on Your beauty, so that I may find beauty from ashes and learn to see the world with Your eyes. Unleash creativity in me that is fuelled by an imagination sanctified from time in Your presence so that others may find Your beauty too.
Open my heart to Your love, a love without ending, a love that never fails. Help me to live in the knowledge of Your abundant and overflowing love lavished upon me, and let that love wash away all hatred, bitterness, fear and doubt from my soul like the streams that pour down the mountains leaving only crystal-pure water.
Help me to surrender my will to Your purpose, even when there is pain in that offering. Let me be like Jesus, praying not for relief from suffering or for my will to be done, but only that Your will be done.
And let me spend much time in adoration, learning to do what I will spend eternity doing: adoring, gazing, worshipping the One who alone is worthy.
In Jesus’ name. Amen.
