What Worship is "NOT."

Worship is not a “spectator sport” at Loxley. The singers and musicians on the stage during our worship services are not there to entertain us but to lead us in worshipping God and into His presence. This is why you will see people throughout the congregation with their eyes closed and their hands raised. They are participating in and not just watching worship.
 

Worship at Loxley is not a “warm-up” to get us ready for the sermon. Although worshipping God often does soften our hearts and open our minds up to hearing from God during the sermon, that is not the purpose of worship. Worship is to express thanks and adoration to God for who He is and what He has done. Worship has value in and of itself and is not a prelude to anything, including the message.

Worship is more than songs and music. It is coming into contact with the living God. Expressing our thoughts and feelings to Him in song is simply a vehicle towards that end.

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What Worship is at Loxley:

Worship at Loxley is about intimacy with God.

It is during worship that we come into contact with the living God in a deep and personal way. Worship is when we turn our attention away from the pressures and stresses of daily life and, through song, consider God and what He has done for us. At Loxley, we try not to hide behind “religious” masks and keep God at arms-length. We come to Him honestly, letting Him see us as we really are, with all our weaknesses, failings and needs.

The Bible teaches that God “dwells in the midst of our praises.” It is during worship that many people actually feel God touching them at their point of deepest need. You will see people with their eyes closed and their hands raised; they might even be crying. God is doing something in them at that moment.

It is because we value intimacy with God that:

• we worship for 20-25 minutes. It takes time for people to re-focus and open themselves up to God.

• we project the words to songs onto overhead screens rather than use songbooks. We want people focused on the Lord and not distracted behind a book.

• we sing songs with simple lyrics that are easy to follow and memorize. That enables people to focus on the Lord as they worship and not worry if they are singing the right words.

• we sing songs that are directed to the Lord and are not just about the Lord. We want to build up our relationships with God during worship.

   

  • we sing hymns that are God-focused and rich in theology.

   

   

   

   

• we won't always have an “upbeat” type celebration during our worship services because people don't feel upbeat all the time. We don't use music to manipulate people or manufacture a certain “mood.” Instead, we value honesty and authenticity in worship.

• we use songs that express how we really are-that admit weakness or need, ask for help, or tell God how much we love Him for what He has done.
  
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• we have a contemporary style worship band. This style of music has become the most relevant and meaningful to our culture today

• we dress casually or in your "Sunday best," allowing people to “come as they are."