This is a post from Brett Harrision. He shared some of his thoughts on worship, particularly our Sunday assemblies. He has some good thoughts worthy of our consideration. I put the comments in bold/italics that really caught my attention.
Sunday gatherings as “worship"
I’ve made it known I believe we should rethink what we do in our Sunday gatherings, and even what we call them. I’m afraid we’ve done a great disservice to actual worship by referring to what we do on Sunday mornings as just that — “worship.” Here are a few of my scattered thoughts on Sunday gatherings. For my just as scattered definition of worship, see this.Sunday gathering is an opportunity for believers to bring our lives of worship and obedience and lay them before God. We come together to celebrate what God has been doing in us, and in our community through us. And we encourage one another in this process of worship and obedience. Spiritual gifts are used to build up one another and, more importantly, the body as a whole.
I’m afraid we’ve made worship about songs and sermons. The Old Testament prophets speak to us, yet we refuse to listen. God desires for us to know him, enjoy him, love him, and be obedient to him. He desires for worship to penetrate the very core of our lives, and change who we are — so that we live more and more in keeping with his desires.
We waste a lot of time measuring our Sunday gatherings, in order to assess how “good” they are. The unfortunate truth is that a Sunday gathering can only be as “good” as are the sacrifices of those in attendance. Have I brought before God the fruits of worship, a changed and obedient life? Or have I once again laid before him a blatant disregard for his commandments and wishes?I believe Sunday gatherings are primarily for Christians — not for visitors and/or proselytizing. We should be using the gifts given us by the Spirit to encourage one another, build up the body of Christ into maturity. Our time together has become about evangelism and “seeker-friendliness” because of our stubborn refusal to be Christ’s representatives in our communities, and to live every day as citizens of God’s kingdom. If we’re not willing to live glaringly spiritual lives in front of non-Christians, what we’re left with is to invite them to a Sunday assembly of the “saints.”
I view Sunday as the last day of my week. My reasoning is that I have lived an obedient life of worship throughout my week, and on Sunday I’m able to bring and lay before God in worship the sacrifice of my own life . I don’t see Sunday as my “day of worship,” but rather it is the day I celebrate with my family my past week of worship. I do worship God on Sundays, but I would suggest no more than on other days of the week. But Sunday is a tool for bringing greater worship in every other day of my life, as I’m encouraged and held accountable by other believers, so that I can worship God by obediently living Christ into the community for another week.
