Lesson 6: Soul Tending Together through Common Worship
(see Soul Tending pgs 146-149)
How many years have you been attending a church? How many different places have you worshiped? What was a favorite? Why do you attend worship services, or why don’t you attend worship services?
Worship is the gathering of God’s people to praise, honor, and glorify God. Common worship is vital to our life of faith. First of all, common worship reminds us that we aren’t lone rangers in our faith. We cannot be Christians in isolation, for it is only together we are the body of Christ. You may find that worship is sometimes uncomfortable because you find yourself surrounded not only by the friends you love but also by hypocrites, by people who irritate you, by those who don’t approve of what your wearing, by toddlers who are noisy and disruptive, by preachers who just don’t do it for you, musicians and choir directors who don’t play your favorite kind of church music, and by others whom you just plain don’t like. And this motley crew is the very body of Christ with whom we are called to worship and serve. If we worship only with people our own age or only with people we really like, we miss out on the amazing grace of a God who brings us together as a community of forgiven sinners. Worship teaches us that we are made for communion not only with God but also with one another.
We gather in worship to remember who we are and whose we are. In worship, we hear the stories of our family of faith - stories of God’s love and God’s people that have been passed down through the ages. This “Proclamation” part of worship is like listening to your grandmother tell stories about your dad when he was young, or give you a teaching on what it means to be a part of the family. In listening, you find out more about who you are. In worship, we are nurtured as a family of faith through the sacraments. These visible signs of God’s grace claim us as children of God and strengthen us for Christ’s service. In public worship, we hear the stories of God’s grace, learn more about who we are, and we give thanks for God’s love that will never let us go. In her book, Amazing Grace, the Presbyterian elder, Kathleen Norris, talks about worship as a response to grace and a celebration for God’s continued faith in us - God’s children.
Has worship ever “moved” you to tears? to praise? to peace? to a new way of life? How did that happen?
Soren Kierkegaard, a Danish Christian philosopher who lived during the 1800’s, said worship is like a play. Many of us imagine that the ministers are the actors in the play and that the congregation is the audience. The truth is that the congregation members are the actors with the minister and the choir coaching them to do their best for the audience - God. So, when we leave worship, the question to ask isn’t “How was it?” but “How did I do?”
Furthermore, when we gather in worship to praise God, confess our need for God, give thanks for God, and pray for God to hear our prayers, God uses all of it to transform us. Through music, the preaching (despite how bad it may be), and especially through the sacraments, God is powerfully at work. The Holy Spirit sometimes grabs hold of us and moves us to new places.
But, let’s face it. Worship doesn’t always move us. Worship, especially Sunday morning worship, can be boring, frustrating, and uncomfortable. We know God is with us when we gather for worship, but sometimes it feel like God is yawning, too. This brings to light a good question: How does is worship planned so it is the worship of the whole people of God? It also begs the question of how each worshipping member faithfully engages in the practice of common worship with an attitude of praise, confession, thanksgiving, and supplication, rather than one of simple duty and obligation.
If we find common worship to be boring, frustrating, or uncomfortable, we might try preparing our hearts for worship through prayer. We can pray for the worship leaders, and those worshipping with us. We can pray that God will meet us in worship and speak a personal word to us. We can pray for our hearts to be open to the movement of the Holy Spirit.
We can prepare for common worship by spending time with the Scripture text for the week, and perhaps discussing them with friends. We can also prepare for common worship as we engage in other spiritual disciplines. As we weave Scripture reading, prayer, acts of hospitality, and bearing witness into our daily lives, we will find our minds and hearts open to receive God’s grace. As we prepare, we can be confident that God will be with us in common worship and that we will be made one with the body of Christ, the Church universal and glorious communion of saints.
PRACTICE: Find one or two other people for a time of worship. If you need help in ordering you common worship, check out the resources on the Daily Prayer page. Include in your worship time prayer (praise or adoration, confession, thanksgiving, and supplication), scripture reading and discussion. You might even add prayer through the medium of music. Afterward, reflect together, “How did we do?”
HOMEWORK: (1) Prepare for common worship by praying each day this week for the worship leaders and those who you will be worshiping with, and that your own heart would be open to God’s leading. (2) Check out the weekly NCPC newsletter site, find out the scripture for this Sunday’s worship service. Prepare for worship by meditating on the Scripture passages each day. (3) Form a morning or evening prayer group and design a common “liturgy” you will share leadership in. (4) Volunteer to help lead worship on Sunday, from leading prayer, to sharing a music talent, to even preaching.
REFLECT: How does common worship deepen my relationship with God, other people, and my self?