Just recently I had the opportunity to go back in time and observe worship here at Burns Memorial UMC. I asked Dee to locate past worship bulletins and newsletters. I was able to start with the year 1945. The purpose of reading these bulletins was to have a better understanding of how Burns defines worship.

Worship can simply be defined as to bow oneself down or to honor as a divine being. Worship does not require a church building. Worship is not about religion. Worship does not require a dress code. We don’t worship because our parents did. Worship is about a relationship with the Creator of the universe, who sent His Son to die for you. To worship is to experience, to touch, to feel the resurrected Christ in our midst.

Matt Redman is a Christian songwriter and singer. Matt describes the importance of worship in his song “Heart of Worship.” Matt writes, “I'll bring You more than a song, for a song in itself, is not what You have required. You search much deeper within through the ways things appear. You're looking into my heart. I'm coming back to the heart of worship and it's all about You, all about You, Jesus. I'm sorry Lord for the thing I've made it. When it's all about You. It's all about You Jesus.” True worship is simply about Jesus.

In John 4:23-24 , Jesus says, “Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. God is spirit, and His worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth." Jesus is very specific about the type of worshipers His Father is seeking. We must worship Him in spirit and in truth. This means that we are to allow the Holy Spirit to lead us in worship, and the truth refers to Jesus. This means that our entire focus must be about Jesus when we enter into worship.

As I began to read those precious documents, I was overcome with a sense of reverence and joy. Over the past 65 years the order of worship has changed but the focus and purpose has remained the same. Burns Church understands the importance of worshiping God in spirit and in truth. It has been my prayer and desire that we continue to worship in spirit and in truth. Starting in September, the order of worship may look a little different but the focus and purpose will continue to remain the same. One example will be that on the 2^nd and 4^th Sundays of each month I will need volunteers to share a brief testimony of how God is guiding you and your family. This testimony will only last 3- 5 minutes. I believe this is very important because it allows our members to see God moving in the lives of others. I want to encourage each of you to begin praying about when you would like to give your testimony.

Staying with theme, "What is Worship"; starting in September, I am asking for people to submit in writing what worship means to you. We will be placing these meanings in The Flame each month. If you would like to submit what worship means to you please contact the church office.

- Pastor Keith