Welcome

Welcome to Worship: The Doctrine of Meeting with God, the fourth course in the Pathmark series.

In Scripture you saw what God has spoken. In Missions you saw what He has sent His church to do. In Discipleship you saw what He is making of the people who follow Him. In Worship you will see what those people do when they stand before Him.

Worship is the oldest human act. Before there was religion. Before there were rules. Before doctrine was written into creeds. There was worship. Adam walked with God in the garden. He beheld the beauty God had made. He named the creatures God had given him. He rested in God's presence. Worship in its purest form. The response of the beloved to the Beloved.

The shape of this course is the square. Four sides. Four movements of worship that mark the soul brought into the presence of God.

• Adoration. Beholding God for who He is.
• Confession. Honest acknowledgment of sin.
• Thanksgiving. Gratitude for grace received.
• Supplication. Bringing our needs to the Father.

The square also has four points. They mark what happens when the church gathers on the Lord's Day. Gathering. Singing. Sacrament. Sending. We will walk into all of it.

By the end of this course you will be able to explain what worship is, name the four movements, distinguish gathered worship from whole-life worship, and name one specific preparation you will make before next Sunday's gathering.

Plan for about fifty minutes. You can stop and come back. Your progress will be saved. Before you start, open your Bible to John 4:23-24 and Romans 12:1-2. Read both slowly.

Begin with prayer. Ask the Spirit who makes worshippers in spirit and truth to begin His work in you as you read.