The center of all else that happens in the human relationship with God begins in worship. Without the act of worship, all the other events that develop out of religion, such as ethics, social events, study, community, etc., are diminished in their importance. They become mere human activities in a moment of time. With the act of worship, our human activities become connected with something greater and more enduring than ourselves.
Abraham’s first act upon entering Canaan and being told by God that God would give his descendants this land was to build an altar and offer worship. Noah’s first act upon leaving the ark was to build an altar to offer worship.
Worship secures our freedom as humans. When Moses went back into Egypt to tell Pharaoh to let the slaves go, he told Pharaoh that he wanted to take the children of Israel out into the wilderness to worship their God. Pharaoh claimed to be their god and so would not let them go. Their freedom as humans was intricately tied up with their freedom to worship.
So we begin our exegesis of Highland Presbyterian by looking at worship.
