Below are some of the things I am pondering today...
What is the purpose of a corporate worship service? Is it for reaching out to those who don't know Christ? Is it for encouragement and exhortation of those who already know Him? Both of those? Neither of those?
Is it OK to want an emotional experience on a Sunday morning (or Saturday night or whenever)? Is it OK to want an intellectual experience? Is it OK to want a sensory experience? Or should we even consider what we want?
Are there parts of a corporate worship service that are more important than others?
Are these even important or relevant question to ask?
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The word "service" historically was used because God was serving us in worship. It's a responsive situation. We pray and confess our sins, He forgives us, we praise Him, He meets us in His Word (and baptism and the Lord's Supper) and however else He chooses to comfort, encourage and minister to us. We leave refreshed and sustained by His power. This could be formal or informal, but that's where the word comes from
ReplyDeleteI think you are asking both important and relevant questions. Questioning implies that corporate worship either must be important and relevant or that you want it to be. I think your questions about the experience of worship implies that you want to experience something, albeit emotional, intellectual, or whatever. We were made for relationship, and experience makes relationship tangible. I think that to desire to experience in the different ways you mentioned is hugely relevant, because God has revealed himself in as emotional, in sensory ways, and in intellectual ways. The more ways we experience him, the more we know him. And why is corporate worship important? Well, I'm learning that to know others who image God and are part of the body of Christ is to know God better, too. Corporate worship reflects his image more fully through the many people confessing him as Lord.
ReplyDeleteSo, those are my musings, that are in process, so I'm not convinced I'm right or anything, but I thought your questions were important and relevant, so deserved a response. However, I did wonder if they were rhetorical questions.
Brenda - As I wrote this blog entry, I was wondering about the origins of the word "service" as it applies to a worship service. According to what you said were the origins, I think I sometimes approach a worship service wrongly.
ReplyDeleteBrook - I do want the worship service I attend to be experiential... intellectually and emotionally and a variety of other ways. And no, my questions were not strictly rhetorical... I was hoping someone would respond!