Worship

-Chris Tomlin-

“Worship, in itself, is not a religious word. Everybody worships things, whether they realize it or not. It doesn’t mean they’re worshipping God; most people aren’t. It’s a natural thing to give value, to give worth to something or someone,” Tomlin says. “That’s what we’re trying to do through this music, to help people give worth and to say there’s something in life that matters most. There’s one thing that’s more beautiful, more famous, more amazing than anything else. We’re trying to help people realize that He is Jesus Christ.

“I know that it’s easy to get anyone into the mechanics of worship and the lip service of worship. But it’s all about your heart, and your heart can be so far from God and you just go through the motions. When it just becomes about the reflex or routine, it’s dead,” he continues. “You have to engage your heart and be moved to the core of who you normally are. That’s when the worship becomes real.”

And that’s exactly when you rediscover your brand-new relationship with love.
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-Tim Hughes-

“These are the days to be daring, exuberant, and passionate in worship,” Hughes asserts. “These are not times for half-hearted, apathetic worship. The need is great, and the church has to rise up and take on board all who God is. I sometimes get so frustrated of being in churches where we just go through the motions. God is worthy of everything we can ever give him.

“It should be common in our churches to see people weeping in worship, overwhelmed at the sheer mercy of God. It should be common to hear people singing at the tops of their voices, passionately expressing the love that God has lavished upon us. It should be common to see people dancing like lunatics, freely and with abandon, responding to God’s salvation. It should be common to see people rapt in silence, lost in wonder, completely transfixed at the transcendence of our God. We have an amazing God, and our worship should be real, honest, authentic, engaged, expressive, and wholehearted; we should be holding nothing back.”
“I was involved in a mission to London called Soul in the City and there saw 10,000 young people come together to spend 10 days reaching out to the community. We picked up litter, painted old houses, organized sports for underprivileged kids, played late-night cafes and gigs for unbelievers. And when we gathered together to worship through song, there was an amazing depth to our worship. It felt like God was pleased with us because we weren’t just singing the songs—we were actually living a life of worship that was making a difference to those around us.”

And that goes a long way toward explaining why Hughes’ primary passion isn’t for the music he creates; it’s first of all for those who hear it: God and the church.
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-Matt Redman-

Sing first with an eye towards God – let every melody and word be an inspired heartfelt response to Him. But sing also with the church in mind – crafting that inspiration in a way that might help others give voice to their worship of Jesus.”