We are daily confronted with temptations to exalt ourselves and other creating things above our God, the Creator, who alone is worthy of exaltation. This is why we must be reminded to lift up our mind’s attention and our heart’s affection to adore God alone. To that end, we gather together each Sunday to worship vertically: glorifying the Father by exalting Christ in the power of the Holy Spirit. (Hebrews 10:1-25).

As we meet collectively to glorify God, we also build one another up with gospel truths. Though we all have our various preferences, they are peripheral to our love for and humble submission to our brothers and sisters in Christ. For this reason, we gather together each Sunday to worship horizontally: edifying each other by reminding ourselves and those around us of the gospel and how it sustains us in everyday life. (Ephesians 5:15-21; Colossians 3:12-17)

We stand in a long line of worshippers, from the nation of Israel in the Old Testament, to the first established congregations in the first century, to the European Christians gathered in cathedrals throughout the middle ages, to the Puritan churches scattered along the East coast of America in the 17th century. From this rich history comes a vast wealth of theological and practical worship patterns. Thus, we gather together each Sunday to worship historically: honoring Christian generations past by incorporating their worship traditions into our services.

As we honor the past in our worship, we also reflect modern times and contexts. Though our services are certainly not driven by nuances in our culture, they are filled with people who represent a certain time and context in history. In light of this realization, we gather together each Sunday to worship accessibly: accurately representing the cultures around us through our songs, prayers, and sermons.