Our View of Worship

Corporate worship is the most important activity of First United Presbyterian Church.

In worship we hear God’s word proclaimed through Scripture and preaching, we celebrate baptism and communion, sing songs of our faith, offer prayers of adoration, confession, and thanksgiving, and respond to God’s teaching by dedicating ourselves to His service. While all those who participate in worship are blessed and inspired, the primary focus of our worship is to humbly seek and glorify God and to express our love to God in the name of Jesus Christ, much as a child expresses love to a parent.

In worship we not only give God His due praise, we find that we are being transformed into the glorious humanity God intended from the beginning. In worship, we are “re-imaged” into the likeness of Christ Who is the very imprint of the glory of God.  Worship is not just a meeting, it is service where we are called to actively participate in ascribing glory to God through listening, praying, singing, speaking, and the sacraments.

The Bible and our Presbyterian, Reformed heritage make clear that God created us to glorify Him and we are called, as a community, to worship together. Worship is the means by which we enter into the very presence of God. It is the place where believers, by faith, center their mind’s attention and their heart’s affection on the Lord. Not simply an activity to practice for some later heavenly experience or something to check off a to-do list, regular weekly worship is vital toward becoming a more complete follower of Jesus Christ. While worship can happen anytime, anywhere, God’s people are called throughout Scripture to set aside time in our busy lives to gather together for worship.