Theology of Worship
At First Baptist Church of Lacey, our theology of worship is rooted in Scripture and centered on God’s glory (John 4:23-24). We believe worship is an act of ascribing worth to God, who alone is truly worthy (Revelation 4:11). Our worship is expressed through song, prayer, Scripture reading, and the faithful preaching of God’s Word (Colossians 3:16). As a church, we embrace both personal and corporate worship, encouraging full participation from our congregation (Hebrews 10:24-25).
Our worship is defined by Scripture, ensuring that both its form and content align with biblical truth and our statement of faith. It is God-centered, focusing on His character, His works, and His worthiness rather than our own experiences (Psalm 29:2). Worship is also an offering — a time of surrender and submission to Christ as the head of the church (Romans 12:1). Through our worship, we proclaim the gospel, making it evangelistic in nature, inviting all to encounter the fullness of God’s grace and truth (Matthew 28:19-20).
Charles Spurgeon, while putting together his hymn book, followed a similar approach to what we strive for as a church in our selection of worship songs. Spurgeon writes:
The area of our researches has been as wide as the bounds of existing religious literature, American and British, Protestant and Romish; ancient and modern. Whatever may be thought of our taste we have used it without prejudice, and a good hymn has not been rejected because of the character of its author, or the heresies of the church in whose hymnal it first occurred; so long as the language and the spirit commended the hymn to our heart we included it, and believe that we have enriched our collection thereby. The range of subjects is very extensive, comprising not only direct praise, but doctrine, experience, and exhortation; thus enabling the saints according to apostolical command to edify one another in their spiritual songs.
He explains that in selecting his music for the church, they looked widely across religious literature — from different traditions, time periods, and denominations — without prejudice. They didn’t reject a song because of the author’s background or the beliefs of the church it came from, as long as the music’s language and spirit reflected truth and touched their hearts. Their collection covers a wide range of themes, including praise, doctrine, personal experience, and encouragement, helping believers strengthen and build one another up through song.
At FBC Lacey, we follow a similar approach in selecting the songs we sing in worship. Our desire is to choose music that is rich in biblical truth and stirs our hearts toward genuine, Christ-centered worship — regardless of its source — so long as it aligns with Scripture and edifies the church.
We value a blended style of worship that reflect the generational and cultural variety of our congregation. Worship at FBCL extends beyond music, encompassing prayer, preaching, fellowship, and the observance of ordinances like baptism and the Lord’s Supper. Through it all, we seek to worship in spirit and truth, offering our whole selves in reverence and joy to the God who saves. For further information on our worship, the leadership of FBCL has drafted a Theology of Worship document, and we encourage you to read it.