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Defining Worship
Martin's book WORSHIP IN THE EARLY CHURCH. DEFINING the TERM "WORSHIP" Worship is a noble word. The term comes into our modern speech from the Anglo-Saxon WEORTHSCIPE. This later developed into WORTHSHIP, and then WORSHIP. It means "to attribute worth" to an object. We use the word loosely when we say of a man, "He worships his money," or his car, or his golf clubs. A deeper meaning is found in the honorific title, "His Worship the Mayor," by which we dignify the first citizen of our town or city as a person who deserves special esteem and respect. In the Marriage Service of the Book of Common Prayer, the prospective husband's promise is "With my body I thee worship" - a pledge of utter loyalty and devotion to his bride, who is worthy of this, in his eyes. If we may elevate this thought to the realm of divine-human relationships, we have a working definition of the term WORSHIP ready-made for us. TO WORSHIP GOD IS TO ASCRIBE TO HIM SUPREME WORTH, for He alone is worthy. - Ralph P. Martin, WORSHIP IN THE EARLY CHURCH, chapter 1 "The Church - A Worshipping Community," Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1974 revised edition. [Take a few moments and think what it means "to ascribe to Him supreme worth."] Have a great week, Chip Stam |