Lesson 14: Worship 159
God (cf. Isa. 6:3), the twenty-four elders (recall 4:4) prostrate themselves
before God and worship him. Casting their crowns before the throne,
they declare that Creator God is worthy of worship.
Focusing on the Meaning
Danish philosopher Søren Kierkegaard (1813–1855) once likened the
worship service to a drama. In so doing, he contended that God is the
audience, the speaker (or worship leader) the prompter, and the worship-
pers the actors. Kierkegaard’s analogy, albeit incomplete and imprecise,
helpfully calls into question the common perception of God as prompter,
ministers as actors, and worshippers as audience.
Today’s texts remind us that the aim of worship is not entertainment,
neither are worshippers meant to be “movie critics,” grading the sing-
ing, praying, reading, and preaching. Rather, worship is meant to be a
transformative encounter with a holy, worthy God. While we may never
experience God in precisely the same way as the prophets Isaiah and
John did, we should regularly assemble in worship with other believers
to offer God our praise and our lives; and to also receive instruction and
encouragement from the Lord and the gathered assembly.
What is more, even as we enter church to worship and receive God,
we should leave church prepared to serve the Lord with gladness. Were
we to more regularly gain a glimpse of the Great I AM, then we would
likely be more inclined to say, “Here am I.” May we replicate the pattern
of Isaiah 6 in our churches and lives, with life-altering worship issuing
forth in live-giving service. Amen.