The Rev. Laurie Rudel, retired Pastor and active artist, Seattle, Washington

Good worship is three things:

Simple: less is more.

We don’t need to create elaborate services of worship. We do, periodically need to look at our services and ask what is needed here, or what no longer contributes to a sense of worship.

Spacious: time disappears.

There is a flow to worship that leads us from one place to the other, that effectively opens our hearts. It is like a blossoming that actually takes place during the act of worship. If we are bored, disengaged then it is time to either ask some questions of the forms we have created, or ask our hearts what is missing from our lives.

Sincere: not cute or clever.

Running after the latest fad does not necessarily lead to deeper more meaningful worship. Good worship finds grounding through tapping into the flow of energy between God and the people.