A website some of you might want to check out – some Protestants thinking through worship issues in the context of tradition :

I wonder if the more recent emphasis on self in worship is one more way of expressing our autonomy and self-importance.

It runs like this: "God, I am going to worship you. I consider you worthy of my worship. God, this is your lucky day. I, this self-sufficient, independent human being, around whom all of life centers, I am going to give you some of my time. I am going to declare you worthy of my worship."

So how do we go about correcting this misunderstanding? Only by understanding that worship focuses on God and God’s mission to rescue the world through Jesus Christ. In words, signs, and gestures we sing, proclaim, and enact God’s mission.

The heart of this story is that God assumed human nature so that we, whose humanity he shares, may be presented to the Father. By faith we are united to Jesus and baptized in his name. He is not only our Savior but also our worship.

Our worship is not an autonomous, independent act arising from self but is accomplished for us by Jesus himself. The work of Jesus is the only worship pleasing to the Father. Therefore, our worship—feeble, broken, and incomplete—is offered to God through Jesus who is the one true worship of God.

I find this biblical and ancient vision of worship to be enormously freeing.

From a past issue of the newsletter – thanks California friend Katherine for sending the link!