Spiritual Practice:

Worship

An All of Life Response

By worship we mean “our response, both personal and corporate, to God for who He is, and what He has done; expressed in and by the things we say and the way we live” (Louie Giglio).

Worship must flow from the heart (Matthew 15:8), be expressed through our words (Hebrews 13:15-16), and be performed with our bodies (Romans 12:1). In other words, we worship with our heart, mind, and body.

The Corporate Gathering

Our worship is centered in the weekly gathering of the body of Christ where we see and savor God and his gospel through reading, praying, preaching, and seeing the Bible. Energized by our corporate worship, we have the opportunity to personally worship God for who he is and what he has done throughout the week in all of life.

Outside of bringing praise to God, what does the New Testament say that the church’s corporate worship gatherings are for? Paul, writing about the Corinthian church’s weekly gathering, states:

"So with yourselves, since you are eager for manifestations of the Spirit, strive to excel in building up the church."
1 Corinthians 14:12

"What then, brothers? When you come together, each one has a hymn, a lesson, a revelation, a tongue, or an interpretation. Let all things be done for building up."
1 Corinthians 14:26

And to the church in Colossae, he says:

"Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God."
Colossians 3:16-17

Our worship together should edify and strengthen one another in our faith. Energized by our corporate worship, we have the opportunity to personally worship God for who he is and what he has done throughout the week in all of life.

Personal & Family Worship

Worship should be a feature of our homes and personal lives as well. The Bible speaks of families instructing their children in the Scriptures (Deuteronomy 6) and engaging in family worship. Alongside regular rhythms of personal worship, another way to promote this practice is to schedule remembrances of the Lord’s work in our lives. For example, marking the anniversary of your conversion and celebrating the occasion as a feast of worship could promote gratitude towards God and his gospel.