Wednesday, August 26, 2009

Thoughts on Worship

Over the last month or so, I have been considering the hows and whys of worship. My thoughts are vast and varied, so in an attempt to clarify them, I thought I would pose some questions and discuss them here. If interested, feel free to post your own thoughts. No right or wrong answers here.

The history of the Christian faith clearly exhorts the believers to gather together for worship.

Acts 20
7 And upon the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul preached unto them, ready to depart on the morrow; and continued his speech until midnight.
8 And there were many lights in the upper chamber, where they were gathered together.

Nehemiah 9
1 Now in the twenty and fourth day of this month the children of Israel were assembled with fasting, and with sackclothes, and earth upon them.
2 And the seed of Israel separated themselves from all strangers, and stood and confessed their sins, and the iniquities of their fathers.
3 And they stood up in their place, and read in the book of the law of the LORD their God one fourth part of the day; and another fourth part they confessed, and worshipped the LORD their God.

Psalms 26
12 My foot standeth in an even place: in the congregations will I bless the LORD.

Acts 4
31 And when they had prayed, the place was shaken where they were assembled together; and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and they spake the word of God with boldness.

Acts 11
26 And when he had found him, he brought him unto Antioch. And it came to pass, that a whole year they assembled themselves with the church, and taught much people. And the disciples were called Christians first in Antioch.

Hebrews 10
24 And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works:
25 Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together...

The God I know is not frivolous in the commands He gives. Moreover, I believe His purpose in any commandment is to bless us. Considering that, what is the importance of gathering together? Can one worship effectively alone? How does gathering prove a blessing to the members?

5 comments:

Jennifer said...

Well...what first came to mind for me is the following verse:

"Truly, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.
Again I say to you, if two of you agree on earth about anything they ask, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven. For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I in the midst of them."
-Matthew, 18:18-20

I've never been big on the whole "I don't need to go to church, I can go into the woods and commune with God on my own" movement. I understand where people are coming from when they say that, and it is DEFINITELY important to cultivate a personal relationship with our savior, but we - His children - ARE the church.

The Song of Solomon in the Old Testament has long been understood by Christian tradition as a poetic representation of the union between Christ and His Church. I have only to think of how meaningful it is to me when my whole family comes together for a common purpose, to believe I understand how much it must please our Father to see his children come together in worship.

(Hey - you asked!)

ps...we're supposed to be helping each other get to heaven - I think it would be hard to do if we were keeping to ourselves all the time!

Logan said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Laurel said...

Yes, Jen. I did ask, and I'm so happy to read your reply. I agree with your points wholeheartely. Thanks for the insights.

Becky said...

Looking to Jesus as our example... we see that although He took time to be still and alone with God, the majority of His days were spent with people. He had his HAVERIM, his disciples, and used every moment as an opportunity to bring others closer to holiness...closer to God.

I had two AMAZING discussions with Jen while I was visiting in Colorado. In those moments, although we weren't in a formal worship setting, I felt God's presence. He was TRULY "in the midst." I believe that we need our brothers and sisters in Christ to help us grapple with the tough questions. It is through questioning that we find answers that can lead us to a firm faith. I started my conversation with Jen unsure about so many details of my faith, but when it was all said and done, an overwhelming feeling of assurance eased my mind. In this case, God worked through Jen to bring me closer to holiness...closer to HIM.

Audrey said...

Okay, as the non-Mormon, but yes, a Jesus follower, I must be brief since it is so late at night...and since I am not near my Bible, I must quote without reference: Do not forsake the assembling of the saints...There is a purpose to gather together as one body and worship the Lord Jesus Christ. I also find, though, as I grow and mature in Him, I enjoy my alone time with the Lord, worshipping freely with no distractions, completely focussed upon Him and Him alone. For He deserves the GLORY! *Phoebe and I enjoy our worship and praise dancing time together-it is so sweet to see her put on a tutu and bow down and worship the Lord with all her little heart!