"The authenticating, inner essence of worship is being satisfied with Christ, prizing Christ, cherishing Christ, treasuring Christ. You can see how this definition of the essence of worship is free from Sunday worship services. It encompasses all of life that flows from the heart. But it is tremendously relevant for understanding what worship services should be about. They are about "going hard after God."
When we say that what we do on Sunday morning is to "go hard after God," what we mean is that we are going hard after satisfaction in God, and going hard after God as our prize, and going hard after God as our treasure, our soul-food, our heart-delight, our spirit s pleasure. Or to put Christ in His rightful place-it means that we are going hard after all that God is for us in Jesus Christ, crucified and risen."
And ... as you lead your flock into worship today and in days ahead, I pray that you will "GO HARD AFTER GOD". Never settle for anything less and the Lord will surely bless!
From a heart that thirsts for God, as the deer thirsts for flowing streams,
~ PJVS
