By Paul Gordon • August 30, 2024
We believe worship is an active response to God’s initiative and revelation in a way that brings Him glory. The Scriptures teach that our entire lives are to be lived as an act of worship as we respond to the Lord with all of our heart, soul, and strength. Worship is dynamic and fluid. As we see more of God, as we press deeper into Him, as more of Him is revealed through the Scriptures and His people, our worship of Him increases. Worship is like a canvas that is constantly being added to with small brushstrokes, until the picture becomes clearer, and we see more of His fullness.
Worship is the overflow of a heart amazed by the otherness of God. When we experience how good and great God is, we then have no other choice but to fall on our knees before Him and yield our lives to Him.
While worship cannot be so narrowly defined as the moments of musical response that we share in when we gather on Sunday mornings, responding to God through the creative arts is a significant component of our Sunday gatherings. We have a heart for our worship that we call Ancient Upgrade. We love to take the art that is deeply rooted in the faith of our fathers, yet spoken in our culture’s language. Historically, there have been truths spoken, lyrics written, and scenes painted that communicate eternal truths about God. These offerings of worship are an important part of our spiritual heritage. We attempt to resurrect these historical expressions in an artistic way that makes sense in our culture because they teach us about God’s nature in a depth that is not often duplicated today.
On Sundays at Terra Nova, you will find multiple bands leading worship with different styles based on the unique giftings and interests of the band members. God has chosen to bless His people with gifted musicians and vocalists and we seek to bring that God-given talent to bear on our gathered worship. As a result, if you are checking out Terra on a Sunday, it helps to attend for several weeks to get a more full picture of what our worship is like. If you’d like more information, you can email our Pastor of Worship and Operations, Matt Schwartz.