Lutheran Church of Mahomet, The Invitation Summer Newsletter 2017 | Page 2

What are the differences between
We often hear the terms "Music and Worship" and "Praise and
Worship" as if they are synonymous but the three are actually
quite different.
The word Worship comes from Old English words that mean
"worth". If it is of worth to you, you will spend time and energy
on it. When you worship God, you are proclaiming that God
alone is worthy of your adoration.
Now, let's look at Praise. Merriam-Webster defines praise as
Music, Praise and Worship?
1. to express a favorable judgment of (commend)
2. to glorify (a god or saint) especially by the attribution of per-
fections.
"When we praise God, we are ringing the doorbell, making our
presence known, letting Him know that we have come to see Him.
When He hears our praise, He [goes] to open the door and invites
us to come in. When we go inside, we move from praise to wor-
ship. In other words, praise is the vehicle into God's presence,
and worship is what we do once we get into God's presence"
Praise is often defined as declaring what God did or does,
while worship is defined as honoring God for who He is.
Praise
Praise sets the stage for worship. Praise anticipates what is to
come, entering the presence of God. Praise precedes worship.
Praise is the way into worship. David Edwards, in his book,
Worship Three Sixty Five, writes this.
Music is a sacrifice of praise but it is only one way of express-
ing our praise and worship for God.
"Music and liturgy can assist or express a worshipping heart, but
they cannot make a non-worshipping heart into a worshipping
one. The danger is that they can give a non-worshipping heart the
sense of having worshipped. So the crucial factor in worship in
the church is not the form of worship, but the state of the hearts of
the saints."
In other words, our corporate worship should be an expression
of our individual worshipping lives. In the next newsletter, we
will explore other forms of worship.
John MacArthur, radio host and president of the Master's Uni-
versity wrote: