Worship--Part 1
The United Methodist Church’s stated mission is to make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world. We fulfill that mission through participating in discipleship through our prayers, our presences, our gifts, our service, and our witness. One of the most visible ways we do that is through our corporate worship.
Whether we are new to worship or have participated in worship as long as we can remember, it is helpful to occasionally reflect upon our worship. What happens in worship? How should it be done? What is our role in worship?
In my congregation we worship on Sunday morning. We spend a great deal of time preparing for those worship services. Every word said has been carefully prayed over. Music has been rehearsed. The worship space has been prepared.
So, how do we, as members of a congregation coming to worship, prepare ourselves for worship? Worship, believe it or not, takes some work. It is a holy work. It is work worth doing. It is work that does not exhaust, but refreshes. Whether we participate in a uniform, regular order of worship or not, we all participate in a “Liturgy.” Liturgy literally means “the work of the people.” Liturgy does not have to be confined to something we read through in traditional worship.
It is indeed powerful to remember, participate, and celebrate the traditions of the centuries of worship that came before us. But all worship: traditional, contemporary, emerging, etc. is a form of “liturgy” as a WORK OF THE PEOPLE. Worship is not a spectator’s sport. That refreshing work comes when the people of God prepare themselves. True worship occurs when we bring OURSELVES to the worship of God. This requires more than our mere physical presence. This requires our entire being.
Worship is powerful! There is power when the people of God come to worship. The power is already there in the Person and Presence of the Holy Spirit. We don’t have to force it or make it happen. He is already there. Sometimes we are unaware of the power the surrounds us. It is then that our worship will feel dry and empty.
The Holy Spirit is working in worship. The difference is how we prepare for that encounter. We must open ourselves to the work of the Holy Spirit by reverent and careful preparation. When we come to worship we must put aside our physical distractions: the phones or other things that would take us away from the Spirit’s work. We must put aside our expectations, our demands, or our preconceived ideas. We cannot be concerned with making sure we “sing the right songs” or “say the right things” or “hear the right sermon.” Instead we must be concerned how our worship of God glorifies Him alone and transforms us in the process.
Worship--Part 1
The United Methodist Church’s stated mission is to make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world. We fulfill that mission through participating in discipleship through our prayers, our presences, our gifts, our service, and our witness. One of the most visible ways we do that is through our corporate worship.
Whether we are new to worship or have participated in worship as long as we can remember, it is helpful to occasionally reflect upon our worship. What happens in worship? How should it be done? What is our role in worship?
In my congregation we worship on Sunday morning. We spend a great deal of time preparing for those worship services. Every word said has been carefully prayed over. Music has been rehearsed. The worship space has been prepared.
So, how do we, as members of a congregation coming to worship, prepare ourselves for worship? Worship, believe it or not, takes some work. It is a holy work. It is work worth doing. It is work that does not exhaust, but refreshes. Whether we participate in a uniform, regular order of worship or not, we all participate in a “Liturgy.” Liturgy literally means “the work of the people.” Liturgy does not have to be confined to something we read through in traditional worship.
It is indeed powerful to remember, participate, and celebrate the traditions of the centuries of worship that came before us. But all worship: traditional, contemporary, emerging, etc. is a form of “liturgy” as a WORK OF THE PEOPLE. Worship is not a spectator’s sport. That refreshing work comes when the people of God prepare themselves. True worship occurs when we bring OURSELVES to the worship of God. This requires more than our mere physical presence. This requires our entire being.
Worship is powerful! There is power when the people of God come to worship. The power is already there in the Person and Presence of the Holy Spirit. We don’t have to force it or make it happen. He is already there. Sometimes we are unaware of the power the surrounds us. It is then that our worship will feel dry and empty.
The Holy Spirit is working in worship. The difference is how we prepare for that encounter. We must open ourselves to the work of the Holy Spirit by reverent and careful preparation. When we come to worship we must put aside our physical distractions: the phones or other things that would take us away from the Spirit’s work. We must put aside our expectations, our demands, or our preconceived ideas. We cannot be concerned with making sure we “sing the right songs” or “say the right things” or “hear the right sermon.” Instead we must be concerned how our worship of God glorifies Him alone and transforms us in the process.
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