Joy: The Mission of Worship
By David Williams
Joy. Pure joy.
Remember your wedding day. The moment you saw your spouse in his or her wedding garment brought a profound smile to your face. Your heart could hardly contain your joy.
The Christian experience is similar. Consider your conversion to Christ. Remember the sense of profound joy as it washed over you as you surrendered your life to Jesus. The enormity of your burden of sin washed away by His peace. You are loved by God.
I also experience this joy in going to church. Singing praises to God, hearing His Word, finding belonging in community, and hope for the future. Joy not only resides in our houses of worship, but in the home, at work, and in our service to the world. We find joy in works of justice for the oppressed, solidarity with the marginalized, and love for the hurting.
As the eminent editor of this fine newsletter says, Christian worship is the rehearsal for life in the world. We come together in worship to rehearse the things of God that we might live the ways of God.
Genuine worship is essential for Christian discipleship. As Moses beheld the glory of the Lord on the mount, so do we in our gatherings, through prayer, song, Word, and sacrament. Communion with God transforms us (2 Cor 3:18) that we might be His witnesses in the world (2 Cor 3:3). As the Holy Spirit imprints His character in us, He produces His fruit: Love, joy, peace, etc. This is how we know our worship is biblical, when it bears the fruit of the Spirit.
The fruit of the Spirit is essential to the mission of the church. Proclamation of the Three Angels’ Messages includes not only spoken truth but lived truth through acts of loving service to humanity. What a privilege and joy to share the good news of Jesus Christ in this way!
I envision an Adventist church that is passionate about this kind of missional worship, in the church and in the streets. This is the purpose of the 23rd Annual Andrews University Music & Worship Conference, this February 12-14, 2026. The conference theme centers on worship as missional discipleship. The theme springs from 2 Corinthians 3:3, “You are a letter from Christ.” The conference aims to explore the transformative role of worship in fulfilling God’s mission through nurturing discipleship. Public worship is not merely an event but a way of life that forms believers, deepens faith, and propels the Church into mission that changes the world. This conference invites scholars, pastors, and practitioners to examine how corporate worship serves as both an expression of and a catalyst for spiritual growth and missional engagement.
That mission is rooted in joy. Pure joy.
“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope” (Romans 15:13, ESV).