First, Worship is a manifestation of God's presence and action in the midst of His people. It is God who gathers His scattered people together, and it is He who reveals Himself as we enter into His presence. The Worship of the Orthodox Church very vividly expresses the truth that God dwells among His people and that we are created to share in His life.

Second, Worship is our corporate response of thanksgiving to the presence of God and a remembrance of His saving actions - especially the Life, Death, and Resurrection of Jesus Christ. Orthodox Worship is centered upon God. He has acted in history, and He continues to act through the Holy Spirit. We are mindful of His actions and we respond to His love with praise and thanksgiving. In so doing we come closer to God.

And with regard to whether God cares how we praise Him, I cannot presume to speak on God’s behalf. But I can say that we are called to worship “in Spirit and Truth,” as we read in Scripture; that we are called to partake of the Body and Blood of Christ “as often as you come together” lest, as we read in the words of Our Lord Himself in the Gospel of Saint John, we have no life in us; that we are to “lay aside all earthly cares” [which is pretty difficult with rock music, and often lousy rock music at that]; that we are called to transform our fallen human existence by bringing it into the very presence of God Himself—in His Kingdom, not ours—and meeting God “where He is,” rather than “where we are” or *“where we would like Him to be.”'