Are You An Inside-Out Worshiper?

I just finished reading Andy Stanley's Making Vision Stick. Among many others, he makes a great point about vision. Basically, if your vision isn't clear and concise, you can't effectively communicate it, much less embrace it and carry it out.

This is why we, in the worship ministry, have been discussing a simpler vision and how we can better embrace, communicate, and live it out - both inside and outside Hannaford.

We've reduced our worship ministry vision - our goal - down to this simple statement: "To do anything we can to encourage inside-out worship with everyone we meet." It's not complete. it doesn't explain everything. But it puts our main goal right out front.

Here are some basic thoughts behind inside-out worship:

1. If our worship does not begin on the inside, then it's really not the worship that Jesus talks about when He says, "True worshipers worship the Father in spirit and truth." (John 4:23-24)
   
   
2. If our worship is only on the inside, is it really true worship? Especially when we believe God's word is true when He says that "From the overflow of our heart, the mouth speaks." (Matthew 12:34, Luke 6:45)
   
   
3. Then finally, if our worship is only on the outside then it's more like "worshiping with our lips, when our hearts are far from Him." (Isaiah 29:13, Matthew 5:8, Mark 7:6)

Our worship needs to be both "inside" and "out" - and the worship ministry at Hannaford is committed to encourage others in that direction. For more on inside-out worship and the Worship Arts Ministry Vision, click here. If you have comments or questions, feel free to leave a comment below.

Eric Powell, Worship Arts Pastor