The Vineyard movement is, at its very roots, a worship movement. Our vision of the fulfilled life is found in John 4:23-24, âYet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshippers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshippers the Father seeks. God is spirit, and his worshippers must worship in the Spirit and in truth.â
If God is always seeking honesty and authenticity, what âin truthâ may mean in the passage above, then there is no aspect of life â no struggle, no victory, no challenge â that He will not use to open our hearts to His love.
Worship â Our Highest Priority
As John Wimber said in 1992, âWe in the Vineyard have, from the very outset of our ministry, made worship our highest priority, believing that it is Godâs desire that we become, first, worshippers of God.â For this reason, we value both a vision of worship that permeates every aspect of our lives, as well as the gathered worship experiences that energize us and empower us as we say, âI love you, O Lord, my strengthâ (Ps. 81:1) in song.
In order to create worship environments that open the heart to Godâs love in a give-and-receive posture, certain values shape our approach to gathered worship. Here are just a few:
We value intimacy with God, believing that making ourselves vulnerable to Godâs Spirit as He has made Himself vulnerable to us (Phil. 2:5-11) is vital to knowing God as He desires to be known.
We value accessibility in our worship environments, seeking to create an open path for every person, of every age and background, to meet with God.
We value integrity in our worship lifestyle, desiring for our lives to match the lyrics we sing â whether they be about caring for the poor, loving our neighbor, or joining God in His work.
We value cultural connection in our worship styles, appreciating that sounds and forms of music provide a âbridge for the heartâ for different generations and people groups.
We value Kingdom expectation in our approach to worship leadership, believing that as we respond to God in song, His Spirit is with us to heal, deliver, and set us free â in the midst of worship.
These and other values shape both the content and style of our worship times in local churches. We value spiritual gifts, creativity, diversity, healing, prophecy, caring for the poor, and other themes that all impact the way worship is uniquely expressed in our churches.
Worship Overflows In Mission
Because the Vineyard movement is committed to equipping the saints for the work of ministry in all arenas of society (Eph. 4:12-16), we see our worship experiences taking us beyond our church services.
Worship, in our understanding of the Gospel, is to overflow in mission. We are committed to an understanding of worship that recognizes that we meet with God within the four walls of our churches to remember our calling, be healed in His presence, and offer God the praise that is due Him. Yet that experience also trains our hearts to express Jesusâ love to a waiting world.
To use an analogy, we breathe in Godâs presence as we yield to Him in worship, then we breathe out in fruitful work that heals individuals and society at large. For this reason, you may hear Vineyard leaders talking about worship in a way that goes beyond what happens when we gather to sing.
You will hear about worship being expressed through the giving of substance from our resources, caring for the poor, serving those in distress, praying for those in our workplaces, planting churches, administering justice, furthering the life of the mind in scholarship, and extending the Kingdom of God in every nation and people group.
To be a worshipping people, for us, is to experience the love of God â then to carry that love with us into a desperate world.
A Fresh Wind Of Courage
To be worshippers of God means that we are learning to love what God loves, and to hate what God hates. God loves people, and so we serve others as an act of worship.
[bctt tweet=”When we experience Christâs reality in worship, we are healed, refreshed, and empowered by Godâs Spirit.” quote=”When we experience Christâs reality in worship, we are healed by Godâs love, refreshed by Godâs presence, and empowered by Godâs Spirit.”] Strengthened by God in worship, week after week after week, we receive a fresh wind of courage to go into all the world âmaking disciples of all nationsâ (Matt. 28:19).
God Is Eager To Be Experienced
Worship has always been one of the hallmarks of the Vineyard. Many people describe their first moment in the Vineyard as being the moment in which they encountered God through intimate worship singing.
Worshipping and experiencing God goes far beyond singing. In every moment of our lives, we seek to live in the presence of the Lord. At the same time, corporate singing is a precious part of what it means for us to be the people of the Kingdom. In these times the Kingdom of God breaks in, and we, in the presence of Jesus himself, are changed.
Bless you as you experience Godâs presence in worship. May the reality of His love for you renew you, restore you, and compel you to join His Kingdom mission.
