Marcus Green Lectures

This week we had the awesome opportunity to have Marcus Green author of Salvation's Song come to inspire and lecture the Beeson Pastors. Marcus is from Wales in the United Kingdom. He is Vicar of St. Catherine's Church (Anglican) in Pontypridd, Wales. He is both the priest and worship leader of his church. He is also the chaplain to the most well-known Big Band in Britain. He is currently working on a Big Band worship album along with Tim Hughes (author of the song "Here I am to Worship"). A graduate of Oxford and Cambridge, Marcus shared with us a theological framework for worship being the chief goal of God's people. He primarily focused on the Greek word proskuneo which is often translated bow down. Marcus asserts it should almost always be translated as worship. Literally the word means "move toward with a kiss." At the giving of the law, before and ever since God's desire is that we worship him. Marcus says that at its heart sin is a worship problem. Since Eden people have not always chosen to worship God first. Ultimately Marcus believes the cross is about right worship. Jesus' work on the cross provides the avenue through which we can worship God in Spirit and in truth, and on the cross we see the most perfect form of worship -- the voluntary denial of self for the glory of God. In response we are to seek God's kingdom first as we live out his call to love God and love neighbor.