Exchange in Worship

From Worship, Community and the Triune God of Grace by James B. Torrance:

As the head of all things, by whom and for whom all things were created, (Jesus) makes us His body, and calls us to be a royal priesthood offering spiritual sacrifices.  He calls us that we might be identified with him by the Spirit, not only in his communion with the Father, but also in his great priestly work and ministry of intercession, that our prayers on earth might be the echo of his prayers in heaven.  Whatever else our worship is, it is our liturgical amen to the worship of Christ.

This is the "wonderful exchange" (mirifica commutatio - admirabile commercium) by which Christ take what is ours (our broken lives and unworthy prayers), sanctifies them, offers them without spot or wrinkle to the Father, and gives them back to us, that we might "feed" upon him in thanksgiving.  He takes out prayers and makes them his prayers, and he makes his prayers our prayers, and we know our prayers are heard "for Jesus' sake."  This is life in the Spirit, worship understood in the terms of sola gratia.  This is the trinitarian nature of all true worship and communion.

Christian worship is, therefore, our participation through the Spirit in the Son's communion with the Father, in his vicarious life of worship and intercession.  It is our response to our Father for all that he has done for us in Christ.  It is our self-offering in body, mind and spirit, in response to the one true offering made for us in Christ, our response of gratitude (eucharistia) to God's grace (charis), our sharing by grace in the heavenly intercession of Christ.  Therefore, anything we say about worship--the forms of worship, its practice and procedure--must be said in light of him to whom it is a response... (p. 14-15)