What does it mean to worship?

[KJmom]

I am pretty new to Christianity, and I am reading my Bible daily. I see often the word worship and wonder what that really means?

Is worship about gathering in a church for a sermon and prayer? Is it about singing songs to God? Is it about reading the Bible? Is it something I can do on my own or is it just once a week on Sunday mornings?

How do Lutheran worship? I don't mean the order of your services, I mean what does worship mean to a Lutheran?

 

[Cheri67]

Hiya KJMom

I dunno if Im suppose to post or not..but I was raised a Lutheran and from what I remember, we used to sing yes..but as a child for a LONG time, I talked to God on a daily basis all throughout the day. Told Him I loved Him, shared my day (even tho I knew He already knew it), always said Good morning, always said Goodnight. Thanked Him, loved Him.

To ME, that was worship. I might be wrong, but maybe its a personal thing. VBS was awesome, and we all worshipped in many things and ways.

I wish I wassa child agian sometimes..lol

Sorry..just addin a lil personal .02 cents

 

[dinkime]

in Lutheran worship we hear God's Word -- a lot! we hear the Law and the Gospel

we sing -- a lot in many cases

we usually have communion, we pray, we fellowship with fellow believers, our sins are forgiven

can you have worship outside of sunday mornings? yup! God tells us in His word that were 2 or more are gathered in his name, He is there, so if you have a group together to pray or fellowship, God is there

 

[rd151]

Jesus said, the time is coming when believers will worship in spirit and in truth. From this we understand that worship is to be from our inner being or spirit and that we are to learn of God from his truth the bible.

I am a man and never was much a a song singer, but I can pray and I listen intently to the message of the presiding minister so I can learn what God wants of me. Plus when I go home, I read God's word during the week and try to set aside special time to be alone with God to pray to him. To me these things are what worship is.

Oh, I've been to "feel good" churches where the preacher whips you up emotinally and everyone is singing and clapping hands. But you are being manipulated into this state of mind by the preacher on the platform. One must worship God on their own level, whether silently or audibly, depending on the personality of the Christian. You don't have to shout and jump up and down to get God's attention. Come to God just as you are. God Bless you.

 

[seajoy]

Hiya KJMom

I dunno if Im suppose to post or not..but I was raised a Lutheran and from what I remember, we used to sing yes..but as a child for a LONG time, I talked to God on a daily basis all throughout the day. Told Him I loved Him, shared my day (even tho I knew He already knew it), always said Good morning, always said Goodnight. Thanked Him, loved Him.

To ME, that was worship. I might be wrong, but maybe its a personal thing. VBS was awesome, and we all worshipped in many things and ways.

I wish I wassa child agian sometimes..lol

Sorry..just addin a lil personal .02 cents

Sounds like you've lived a life of worship. Good .02 cents.

Great reminder for all of us...at least for me.

 

[Cheri67]

Yeah..I really did I reckin..and for some reason, I miss it?

You wouldnt believe some of the things that have come back to my rememberance...and just make me sit and 'feel'

Isnt there a word for that? lol

 

[KJmom]

Thanks for the replies. In my study I have found so far many different things about worship, it seems there are many ways according to the Bible.

I have read about sacrifice, exhaultation, singing songs of praise, clapping and shouting, dancing, coming humbly before the throne, coming in fear and reverance. There are many more but it would seem that worship is really about the heart of the worshipper toward God.

God doesn't ask us all to worship in the same way, not even that we worship in just one way. I asked may friends today how they worshiped and got a different answer from each of them.

I think that is my prayer right now, "God teach me to worship you in Spirit and in Truth".

 

[RadMan]

Thanks for the replies. In my study I have found so far many different things about worship, it seems there are many ways according to the Bible.

I have read about sacrifice, exhaultation, singing songs of praise, clapping and shouting, dancing, coming humbly before the throne, coming in fear and reverance. There are many more but it would seem that worship is really about the heart of the worshipper toward God.

God doesn't ask us all to worship in the same way, not even that we worship in just one way. I asked may friends today how they worshiped and got a different answer from each of them.

I think that is my prayer right now, "God teach me to worship you in Spirit and in Truth".

"Pray without ceasing". He wants to talk to us everyday.

 

[Cheri67]

"Pray without ceasing". He wants to talk to us everyday.

And I myself and workin my way back to the previous routine I had as a child and growin up. I set a better example for myself, or anyone, when I was 6..lol

Good thing to do KJMom, ask Him what HE wants of you

God bless everyone

 

[GratiaCorpusChristi]

Worship is any time we give thanks to God for the blessings he has bestows upon us.

But the fullness of worship is found in word and sacrament. Worship is the time when the angels surround us an usher us into the heavenly throne room, that we may worship alongside the departed saints as we see in Isaiah and Revelation.

Hebrews 9 tells us that just as the temple in Jerusalem immitated the worship of God in the throneroom of heaven, so now through our worship in Christ we actually participate in that heavenly adoration.

For this we need to remember where the idea of a 'scripture' comes from. In the ancient Near East, when a mighty king would make a covenant with a lesser party, he would leave a testament to that covenant relationship among his new people. And when the people came together to renew their covenant relationship to him at regular times (the Sabbath, the Passover, etc.), they would renew that covenant relationship through the reading of that testament.

So when we come together to worship the One who made a covenant with us through the blood of Jesus Christ (cf. Hebrews 9), we read from the Scriptures, God's own testament to our covenant relationship with him.

But that's not all. This ceremony always involved the ritual eating of a corresponding meal- whether the bread and wine of the Sabbath, or the lamb of the Passover.

It was through the reading of the testament and the eating of the ritual meal that the covenant relationship was maintained and renewed. And they would celebrate these mighty acts of God on the day when he has accomplished those mighty acts- whether on Friday at dusk to celebration the completion of the old creation for the Sabbath, or on the 15th day of the month of Nisan to celebrate the Exodus on Passover.

And so, what is worship?

Worship is the time when we read the Holy Gospel that proclaims the mighty deeds of Christ, and consumate those deeds in the present through partaking in the ritual meal of Holy Community. In the historic Lutheran praise, word and sacrament.

And through the hearing of the word and the partaking of the sacrament, we are ushered into the throneroom of Christ himself, to experience his real presence and sing among the angels with their eternal chants: Glory to God in the highest; Holy, holy, holy; Lamb of God you take away the sins of the world.

That's the fullness of worship.

 

[KJmom]

Worship is any time we give thanks to God for the blessings he has bestows upon us.

But the fullness of worship is found in word and sacrament. Worship is the time when the angels surround us an usher us into the heavenly throne room, that we may worship alongside the departed saints as we see in Isaiah and Revelation.

And so, what is worship?

Worship is the time when we read the Holy Gospel that proclaims the mighty deeds of Christ, and consumate those deeds in the present through partaking in the ritual meal of Holy Community. In the historic Lutheran praise, word and sacrament.

And through the hearing of the word and the partaking of the sacrament, we are ushered into the throneroom of Christ himself, to experience his real presence and sing among the angels with their eternal chants: Glory to God in the highest; Holy, holy, holy; Lamb of God you take away the sins of the world.

That's the fullness of worship.

If that is the fullness of worship in the Lutheran church then why don't we have communion every Sunday morning?

My question is really more about personal worship, that seems to be so prevelent in the Bible, especially in the OT. I love to go to church and recieve communion and hear the Word but I am asking more about worshiping Him during my daily quiet time, I pray and read the Word but don't usually feel as I have spent time in worship.

KJmom

 

[mrshoperose]

If that is the fullness of worship in the Lutheran church then why don't we have communion Sunday morning?

My question is really more about personal worship, that seems to be so prevelent in the Bible, especially in the OT. I love to go to church and recieve communion and hear the Word but I am asking more about worshiping Him during my daily quiet time, I pray and read the Word but don't usually feel as I have spent time in worship.

KJmom

Have you tried lifting His name in song? I know I can't sing well, so I make sure I am alone when I do. I usually feel closer to Him after a couple of songs and some prayer.

 

[KJmom]

Have you tried lifting His name in song? I know I can't sing well, so I make sure I am alone when I do. I usually feel closer to Him after a couple of songs and some prayer.

Yes, I love to sing songs of praise to the Lord, and I think I need to try to incorporate it in my daily quiet. I also find that praying His many names reminds me of Who He is and that He is always so much more that I can comprehend. Thanks for the reply.

 

[mrshoperose]

Oh, and welcome KJmom! My name is Hope.

 

[GratiaCorpusChristi]

Funny, ever Lutheran parish I've been to offers communion every week.

And I'm not so sure about your reading of the Old Testament. Communal worship was the norm in Hebrew society; worship experience was based around the weekly Sabbath- which was a family event- and the three pilgrimage festivals in which all Israel met together at the temple shrine.

Luther, Chemnitz, and Gerhaard would tell you the same thing.

 

[mrshoperose]

Funny, ever Lutheran parish I've been to offers communion every week.

And I'm not so sure about your reading of the Old Testament. Communal worship was the norm in Hebrew society; worship experience was based around the weekly Sabbath- which was a family event- and the three pilgrimage festivals in which all Israel met together at the temple shrine.

Luther, Chemnitz, and Gerhaard would tell you the same thing.

Our church offers communion two times a month. Usually every other week, but if there are five sundays, we don't have communion on the last one.

 

[GratiaCorpusChristi]

Yeesh.

 

[DaSeminarian]

Worship is a contraction word meaning Worth Ship. Is God worthy? Yes. THe word is a misnomer for what occurs at church on Sundays. The better word is Service or better yet Serve Us. We go to church so that God can serve us with his gifts of Word and Sacrament. Our response to him is hymns and prayers of thanksgiving for what we have received from him.

God doesn't need us to do this though. He doesn't need our praise. We do it because of the Holy Spirit in us to do this.

 

[KJmom]

Worship is a contraction word meaning Worth Ship. Is God worthy? Yes. THe word is a misnomer for what occurs at church on Sundays. The better word is Service or better yet Serve Us. We go to church so that God can serve us with his gifts of Word and Sacrament. Our response to him is hymns and prayers of thanksgiving for what we have received from him.

God doesn't need us to do this though. He doesn't need our praise. We do it because of the Holy Spirit in us to do this.

I was asking more about personal worship time, rather than church time. I thank you for the clarification of our response. I think that in my quiet time before the Lord that I'll keep in mind that my singing and praise are in response to what I recieve from him.

 

[KJmom]

And I'm not so sure about your reading of the Old Testament. Communal worship was the norm in Hebrew society; worship experience was based around the weekly Sabbath- which was a family event- and the three pilgrimage festivals in which all Israel met together at the temple shrine.

I am not sure I understand what you are saying here? Are you suggesting that in the OT worship is only in reference to communal gatherings? That we are not to worship God in our private time? Surely Lutherans don't save worship til Sunday mornings only?

KJmom