--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: If there is one characteristic more than…" description: "\"If there is one characteristic more than others that contemporary public worship needs to recapture it is this awe before the surpassingly great and gr..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/677/henry-sloane-coffin-109648_awe_if-there-is-one-characteristic-more-than_2354566.png" --- # If there is one characteristic more than others that… ![“If there is one characteristic more than others that contemporary public worship needs to recapture it is this awe before the surpassingly great and gracious God.” quote by Henry Sloane Coffin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/677/henry-sloane-coffin-109648_awe_if-there-is-one-characteristic-more-than_2354566.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/677/henry-sloane-coffin-109648_awe_if-there-is-one-characteristic-more-than_2354566.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/677/henry-sloane-coffin-109648_awe_if-there-is-one-characteristic-more-than_2354566.png) > “If there is one characteristic more than others that contemporary public worship needs to recapture it is this awe before the surpassingly great and gracious God.” Henry Sloane Coffin ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Contemporary worship should revive awe before a magnificent, gracious God, emphasizing reverence and divine greatness. **In simple terms:** Worship needs awe of a great God. Key Takeaway Cultivate reverence for the divine. Themes faith awe divine greatness contemporary worship spirituality humility Mood reverent hopeful solemn Type Awe:1 Characteristics:0 Contemporary:0 God:1 Gracious:1 Ifs:0 Needs:0 Prayer:0 Worship:0 Worship the lord:0 Gracious God:0 Public Worship:0 Worship Needs:0 Awe Surpassingly:0 When to use this quote - church services - personal prayer - spiritual retreats - community gatherings - religious education Key Concepts theology religious experience ritual practice Questions to Reflect On - How can worship stay relevant yet awe‑inspiring? - What practices foster divine reverence? A Different Perspective Modern secularism can dilute reverence. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Awe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/awe/) [God](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/god/) [Prayer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/prayer/) [Worship](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/worship/) [Worship the lord](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/worship-the-lord/) ## Related quotes > [All labours draw hame at even, And can to others say, "Thanks to the gracious God of heaven, Whilk sent this summer day."](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-hume/all-labours-draw-hame-at-even-and-can-to-others-say-thanks-to-the/) Alexander Hume > [Our gracious God, we need the ministry of the Spirit of God within our lives so that Your Word may take root within us.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alistair-begg/our-gracious-god-we-need-the-ministry-of-the-spirit-of-god-within-our/) [Alistair Begg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alistair-begg/) > [God be praised for his gracious long suffering towards me in sparing my life so long. Grant, gracious God, that I may make a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-gordon/god-be-praised-for-his-gracious-long-suffering-towards-me-in-sparing/) Patrick Gordon > [You are a gracious God and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonah/you-are-a-gracious-god-and-merciful-slow-to-anger-and-abounding-in/) [Jonah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonah/) > [All that is good is ours not by right but by the sheer bounty of a gracious God](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brennan-manning/all-that-is-good-is-ours-not-by-right-but-by-the-sheer-bounty-of-a/) [Brennan Manning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brennan-manning/) > [“There is no one as marvellous, glorious, and gracious as God.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gift-gugu-mona/there-is-no-one-as-marvellous-glorious-and-gracious-as-god/) [Gift Gugu Mona](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gift-gugu-mona/) > [“Our modern worship needs the philosophy of the second glance, an ongoing attempt to make sure that all that we do in worship gatherings…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-c-sproul-2/our-modern-worship-needs-the-philosophy-of-the-second-glance-an/) [R.C. Sproul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-c-sproul-2/) > [“The first and most important thing is present in our lives and that’s something to praise God for. Where the gospel is present and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-first-and-most-important-thing-is-present-in-our-lives-and-that-s/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“The LORD, the LORD, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-lord-the-lord-the-compassionate-and-gracious-god-slow-to-anger/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Most gracious God we come praying on this Ash Wednesday as we remember our Lord Jesus' trek toward Calvary. Thank you for such love,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/most-gracious-god-we-come-praying-on-this-ash-wednesday-as-we/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Gracious God, thank You for showering Your grace and gifts upon me wherever I am, however I am. Amen. —Marci Alborghetti”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/guideposts/gracious-god-thank-you-for-showering-your-grace-and-gifts-upon-me/) Guideposts > [“Gracious God, how precious it is to know that you are sovereign and that you protect your people. In the midst of confusion, you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-roach/gracious-god-how-precious-it-is-to-know-that-you-are-sovereign-and/) Jane Roach > [ \[I\]t is impossible for those, who believe in the truth of Christianity, as a divine revelation, to doubt, that it is the especial duty… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-story/i-t-is-impossible-for-those-who-believe-in-the-truth-of-christianity/) [Joseph Story](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-story/) > [“Unless your daily life from Monday to Saturday is a life of worship, there will not be much reality in your public worship on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/florence-l-barclay/unless-your-daily-life-from-monday-to-saturday-is-a-life-of-worship/) [Florence L. Barclay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/florence-l-barclay/) > [It is a long established principle of the Church never to completely drop from her public worship any ceremony, object or prayer which once…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fulton-j-sheen/it-is-a-long-established-principle-of-the-church-never-to-completely/) [Fulton J. Sheen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fulton-j-sheen/) ## More by Henry Sloane Coffin > [God is to me that creative force, behind and in the universe, who manifests Himself as energy, as life, as order, as beauty, as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-sloane-coffin/god-is-to-me-that-creative-force-behind-and-in-the-universe-who/) Henry Sloane Coffin Explore all 2 Henry Sloane Coffin quotes ## More Awe quotes > [Because I've never had any higher education of any sort, I've never held in awe those who have had it or have a sense…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremy-corbyn/because-i-ve-never-had-any-higher-education-of-any-sort-i-ve-never/) [Jeremy Corbyn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremy-corbyn/) > [Of course the Dharma-body of the Buddha was the hedge at the bottom of the garden. At the same time, and no less obviously,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aldous-huxley/of-course-the-dharma-body-of-the-buddha-was-the-hedge-at-the-bottom/) [Aldous Huxley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aldous-huxley/) > [When I look at the human brain I'm still in awe of it. Every single time you lift off the bone and open the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-carson/when-i-look-at-the-human-brain-i-m-still-in-awe-of-it-every-single/) [Benjamin Carson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-carson/) > [“I know you deserve better than me. You think I don’t know that? But if there was any woman made for me … it’s…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamie-mcguire/i-know-you-deserve-better-than-me-you-think-i-don-t-know-that-but-if/) [Jamie McGuire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamie-mcguire/) > [There are certain scenes that would awe an atheist into belief without the help of any other argument.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-gray/there-are-certain-scenes-that-would-awe-an-atheist-into-belief/) [Thomas Gray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-gray/) > [As we contemplate with reverence and awe how our Savior embraces us, comforts us, and heals us, let us commit to become His hands,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dieter-f-uchtdorf/as-we-contemplate-with-reverence-and-awe-how-our-savior-embraces-us/) [Dieter F. Uchtdorf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dieter-f-uchtdorf/) > [My journey deep into coma, outside this lowly physical realm and into the loftiest dwelling place of the almighty Creator, revealed the indescribably immense…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eben-alexander/my-journey-deep-into-coma-outside-this-lowly-physical-realm-and-into/) [Eben Alexander](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eben-alexander/) > [Awe combined with intimacy is the essence of Christian worship.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/awe-combined-with-intimacy-is-the-essence-of-christian-worship/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Everything we perceive to be solid and static is made up of almost entirely empty space.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-p-kauffman/everything-we-perceive-to-be-solid-and-static-is-made-up-of-almost/) [Joseph P. Kauffman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-p-kauffman/) > [“Oftentimes we call Life bitter names, but only when we ourselves are bitter and dark. And we deem her empty and unprofitable, but only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kahlil-gibran/oftentimes-we-call-life-bitter-names-but-only-when-we-ourselves-are/) [Kahlil Gibran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kahlil-gibran/) > [The laws of nature are the skeleton of the universe. They support it, give it shape, tie it together. Taken as a whole, they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-trefil/the-laws-of-nature-are-the-skeleton-of-the-universe-they-support-it/) James Trefil > [When you look at yourself and feel dissatisfaction about any part of you, you will continue to attract feelings of dissatisfaction, because the law…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rhonda-byrne/when-you-look-at-yourself-and-feel-dissatisfaction-about-any-part-of/) [Rhonda Byrne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rhonda-byrne/) > [“What can we make of the inexpressible joy of children? It is a kind of gratitude, I think—the gratitude of the ten-year-old who wakes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annie-dillard/what-can-we-make-of-the-inexpressible-joy-of-children-it-is-a-kind-of/) [Annie Dillard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annie-dillard/) > [Sometimes not seeing things can be a blessing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/august-strindberg/sometimes-not-seeing-things-can-be-a-blessing/) [August Strindberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/august-strindberg/) > [I'm always in awe at how fast television is and how quickly you're called upon to be 100 percent invested in a character with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/latanya-richardson/i-m-always-in-awe-at-how-fast-television-is-and-how-quickly-you-re/) [LaTanya Richardson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/latanya-richardson/) [Browse all 1,119 Awe quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/awe/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "If there is one characteristic more than others that contemporary public worship needs to recapture it is this awe before the surpassingly great and gracious God.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Henry Sloane Coffin" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-sloane-coffin/if-there-is-one-characteristic-more-than-others-that-contemporary/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Awe" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-sloane-coffin/if-there-is-one-characteristic-more-than-others-that-contemporary/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/677/henry-sloane-coffin-109648_awe_if-there-is-one-characteristic-more-than_2354566.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/677/henry-sloane-coffin-109648_awe_if-there-is-one-characteristic-more-than_2354566.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/677/henry-sloane-coffin-109648_awe_if-there-is-one-characteristic-more-than_2354566.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“If there is one characteristic more than others that contemporary public worship needs to recapture it is…” — Henry Sloane Coffin", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Henry Sloane Coffin", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-sloane-coffin/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "If there is one characteristic more...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-sloane-coffin/if-there-is-one-characteristic-more-than-others-that-contemporary/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-sloane-coffin/if-there-is-one-characteristic-more-than-others-that-contemporary/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```