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Forms
of Corporate Worship
(How Do I Love Thee? Let Me Count the Ways.)
In John 4:23,
Jesus says that God is seeking worshippers. This is clear evidence that
the Lord takes the worship lives of his people very seriously. But worshipping
God has never been just about singing (though we sometimes, unfortunately,
think it is). What follows is a specific and practical (but not exhaustive)
list of different forms of corporate worship. Use them liberally!
- Silence
- In a fast-paced, busy, and noisy world like ours, there are few things
more profoundly worshipful than slowing down and being quiet in God's
presence. Being silent is an act of worship because it says to God that
we choose to focus on him and his voice rather than everything else
that is commanding our attention. There is nothing more important than
being with and hearing from God and it often takes an act of reverent
worshipful silence to accomplish this. Furthermore, in the presence
of an awesome God like ours, reverent silence is sometimes the only
appropriate response.
- Making
Noise - We get plenty loud at our non-religious worship services
(like sporting events), so why shouldn't we do the same when we gather
to worship the most awesome and high God? When we get excited, it's
natural to show it. What is there to get more excited about than a God
who loves us and shows it everyday?
- Hearing
God's Word Expounded - Like listening in silence, giving our ears
to those God has sent to speak to us is an act that demonstrates our
desire to hear from God. This is an act of worship because it's an action
that proclaims our belief that we need to hear from God more than we
need anything else (it's like food to our souls). It also says that
we believe God is gracious and trustworthy and that he will speak to
us if we listen. And in a highly relativistic world, when we choose
to receive and focus on God's word as ultimate truth, it is a startling
act of worship.
- Reading
Scripture Together - Similar to hearing God's word preached is the
act of hearing from our own and others' mouths. Simply put, we fill
our heads and hearts with what we value (i.e. worship) the most. We
hear from God and speak to him in unity when we read his word corporately.
- Prayers
- Demonstrating our belief that God listens, that he cares, and that
he has the power to respond, praying is a tremendously important act
of worship.
- Giving
Offerings - Yes, giving our money is an act of worship! We show
that we believe God is good by giving our financial resources and trusting
him to supply our needs. At a church I attended a couple of years ago,
the offering time was one of the most exciting points of the service.
Church members certainly liked singing and praying together, but when
it came time to give their money to God, the whole congregation would
start to hoop and holler. It was a worshipful thrill to give some of
God's blessings back to him and acknowledge that "everything comes
from thee, O Lord, and of thine own have we given thee."
- Physical
Movement - God's people of the Old Testament would move, dance,
clap, lift up their hands, and bow down when they got caught up in worshipping
him. Though different cultures do it in various ways, it's a natural
human response to want to move around physically when we're excited
about something.
- Singing
- God's people have always been singing people. It's one of the things
that every period of Old Testament and Church history has in common.
Instrumentation and musical style have changed dramatically, but singing
has remained constant. There are very few denominations today for which
singing is not an important element of their communal worship. The ability
of music to break down our emotional and psychological defenses is unparalleled.
It's as though while singing (rather than speaking, for example) we
can put parts of ourselves into communicating with God that we could
not otherwise access. Singing-type worship is going on in heaven right
now and as far as we know, it always will be.
- Using
Different Kinds of Music/Songs - There are many ways to sing to
God and worship him in musical forms. Sometimes we fall into patterns
of singing only one or two types of songs (we usually call them "fast"
and "slow" - or "praise" and "worship"), but there are lots of other
categories to consider. There are songs that help us to access our
feelings
about God. There are songs that help us to think about God. (Some songs
do both at the same time.) Some songs give a sense of how near God
is,
while others demonstrate how great God is. These (and many others)
are all important. Occasionally, even instrumental music can help us
to
encounter God in a way that is deeper than words allow.
- Many other
kinds of artistic expressions - dance, poetry, and visual
art can all be useful forms to express worship. Sometimes they
are participatory, and sometimes spectator oriented, but they can always
be worshipful. Good art not only communicates meaning, but it also
strengthens
meaning. "In fact, the effect of any proposition, whether true or false,
can be heightened if it is expressed in poetry or in artistic prose
[or in dance or in sculpture, etc.] rather than in a bald, formulaic
statement (Francis Schaeffer, Art & the Bible, IVP, pp. 38-9).
Matt Frazier
Urbana Worship Team Leader
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