“Simply Simple Worship”

          “Simply, Simple Worship.” It sounds so simple. Yet over the years we have made it so very difficult. Worship is the fundamental purpose of our existence. The all powerful, all knowing, all seeing, magnificent One desired for a very special and unique relationship. It was not because He was lonely. There they were – Father, Jesus and the Holy Spirit. There were thousands upon thousands upon thousands of angels that sang and praised their Creator.

        Yahweh was not looking for great songs or great vocalists or great musicians. All of the angels were created for that and He made them with excellence. No, God desires a unique kind of worship - a worship that would touch His heart in a very unique way. It is a worship that comes from a source of true awestruck love, amazement and wonder. A worship where there is a genuine heart to heart, “deep calling to deep” relationship.

        This kind of unique worship that the God of our Salvation is seeking for comes from a source that recognizes that there is nothing that could be or needs to be done for this wonderful God. It comes from a heart that all it wants to do is anything and everything unto Abba Father, its Daddy God – just because. Just because I love Him for Who He is not for what He does. Real and true worship is simply an “attitude of the heart.” Your heart!!! My heart!!! Our heart!!! It begins and ends there.

        Worship has seemed to evolve and become synonomous with music, song and the Arts. There is nothing wrong with using these forms in expressing our worship. Unfortunately they have become the epitomy of what worship is. Whenever we hear the words, "Let's worship the Lord now," we immediiately think that the worship team will come and start in with music and song. Again, there is nothing wrong with that. However, true worship goes far beyond just that. Worship is an "attitude of the heart" that must be expressed every day, every moment of our lives in every action we do and every situation that we find ourselves in.  

        The concept of "worship" seems to have become so much about the “sound of the time,” into “atmosphere and room ambience,” lyrics that sound “cool” and being “trendy” in worshipping the Lord, etc. It was at this point that I began to question God about the worship that would be truly pleasing and acceptable to Him. It was at that very moment that I heard God’s voice say to me so very clearly, “Simply, Simple Worship.” I heard Him say to me that He wanted me to worship Him with “Simply, Simple Worship.”

        You see, worship is all about God. It is not about anything else. And the only thing that pleases God is “Simply, Simple Worship” that comes from the correct attitude of the heart of the worshipper. It infiltrates into every aspect of your life and lifestyle. Not just on Sundays in a Corporate Gathering, but in everyday situations - at home, at work, in school. Our lives become one big worship service unto the Lord.

        If the attitude of the worshipper’s heart is not to see God alone being worshipped, then he/she is not really being a worshipper. When we worship the Lord in a way that is pleasing to Him, with the correct motives and attitude of the heart, our God cannot help Himself but to pour out all that He is upon the true worshipper. That should never be the reason we do what we do but it becomes a very good by-product of our worship.

        My desire is to point those who desire to be true worshippers back to the basics and worship our Lord and King, our God with an attitude of the heart that wants to “Simply, Simple Worship.”

        Ray Tripi has been leading and teaching on worship for over 45 years. He believes that "true worship" bypasses all cultural barriers and allows those involved in the worship experience to enter into pure "Throne Room" worship, for the one purpose of giving glory, honor and adoration unto the Lord.

        Ray believes that our worship must transcend us from the natural into the supernatural - the spirit realm. Our worship must not be something we do at specific times but rather it must become a lifestyle, an attitude of the heart, which then allows the true worshipper to enter into the presence of the One who alone is worthy to be worshiped and glorified during every moment of the worshiper's life. He believes that "Worship is not for the believer but  rather it is totally unto, and for, the pleasure of our King."

        Ray has written over 100 worship and praise songs that have been birthed by the move of God in the ministries that He has been involved in. He has led times of worship in venues both nationally and internationally. His desire is to train up and equip both the worshipper and the worship leader to become the "true worshippers" that the Lord seeks after.

         Through his years of ministry Ray has been a part of the whole Body Life and ministry experience. He has served as a Pastoral Overseer of a Bible College in which he has developed and written curriculum and courses, as well as overseeing faculty and students. He has been involved in trainings, conferences, and presentations to groups ranging from just a few to hundreds. He is gifted in the area of administration such as organizing, mentoring, training and team management. He has also been a part of the planning and participating in Mission Outreaches, International Conferences and church plantings to Trinidad, Antigua, Haiti, Uganda, Nigeria, Tanzania, Israel, as well as here in the United States.

          Ray is passionately married to Trish and together they have nine children and fifteen grandchildren and counting - grandchildren that is!!!