Why We Worship

Hello everyone - my name is Joshua Calhoun. I just recently started working with CCFM as their official Worship Coordinator. I've been playing guitar and leading worship for about seven years now, and seeing as it is my mission to lead others into times of worship, I thought it would be appropriate to share some thoughts about what worship is and why we’re called to enter into it.
I think it’s reasonable to assume that when people hear the words 'praise' and 'worship' they tend to associate them with God, or at least with faith. We’re told that we are to give God praise, to "worship Him in Spirit and truth" (John 4:24). During Mass, we join with the angels and Saints, who are constantly worshipping at the throne of God, singing "Holy, Holy, Holy Lord God of hosts" (Revelations 4:8). Scripture sheds light on how we should and even how we shouldn’t worship. (I'm sure none of us can forget the many mistakes of the Israelites). Despite how often the word “worship” gets thrown around, I think most people rarely ever think about what it means or why we should even spend our time worshipping in the first place.
If we wanted to nail down a definition of worship, it essentially means to give glory to something or someone. So, at first glance, we might think this is something that happens all the time. People honor celebrities, their favorite bands, and even in the Bible it tells us to honor our father and mother. I'm sad to say that some of the best worship I've ever seen was not in a church or chapel, but in a set of bleachers, as fans adore and cheer on their favorite sports teams. I'm not saying we shouldn't respect and honor our parents or important people in our lives or the things we care about, but we need to be aware of what we're doing and make sure we are not creating idols. We don't want our honoring to cross over into worship, which goes deeper and should be for God alone.

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So how do we express gratitude to God?He has everything and needs nothing._________________________________

In Scripture, if we look at the original Hebrew, there are at least 7 different words for 'praise'. One of these words that can bring us to a deeper understanding is the Hebrew word todah, which means praising God in thanksgiving for his goodness. Typically, this word is used in reference to the Mass, but we are always called to make an offering of our lives to God. We’re called to recognize the ways He has worked in our lives and praise Him for that, and in this lies the essence of worship. If what we know and believe about God is true, that He is all good, and that He created us for love, then why would we not want to give Him honor and glory for it? We don't worship God because He needs it, we worship Him because we need it. We need to thank him for all He does for us. We need a way to express our love for Him. 

I would compare it to this: if you had a friend who continually did acts of kindness for you and cared for you out of sheer love, you might feel indebted to that friend. You would want to express your love for them somehow to return the favor. You might make them dinner or get them something to show your appreciation or find a way to serve them somehow. But how can we do that for God? It's not like we can just bake Him a cake to say thanks. He has everything and needs nothing.
The only way we can truly show God our gratitude is by honoring Him. He has given us so many ways to do that; through song, with thanksgiving, through sacrifice. That is why we worship. We want to show Him our love and gratitude for Him sharing Himself with us, for the way He pours life and love and goodness into our entire existence. Ultimately we want to worship the Lord with our whole lives, having such a deep union with God that everything we do glorifies Him.
Worship is prayer that incorporates body, mind, soul, and heart. It is an expression of love to the One who first loved us, and it is a key aspect of maintaining a good relationship with Him. Let us all seek out ways we can pour out our lives to the Lord, and lead those around us into a deeper union with Him.
"Present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship" -Romans 12:1
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