T. Ashton Reynolds begins asking "what does worship look like?"
Does it look like a bunch of people standing in, what in any other context would be considered a rock concert, with their hands lifted and their eye closed in that kinda worshipful squint? It is sitting in church singing songs composed 400-600 years ago? Is it a capella (no instruments) voices working for perfect harmony? Is it falling on our face saying nothing?
He answers it with an unexpected answer: Isaiah 58:6-7.
Christian Post has Billy Graham's response to the question:
I know I'm supposed to worship God when I go to church, but I can't say I always do. My thoughts wander, or I get to thinking about the people around me and I come away disappointed in myself for not really worshipping. How can I keep from being distracted?
Every so often, I'll find two posts about worship that sound like they might have been done by the same person, or two posts that are on the same topic. These sound like they might have been done by a worship leader and someone in their congregation. My guess is that these two don't even know each other!
David Gate is starting a series of posts on Worship Clichés. He has issues with the phrase "worship is a lifestyle," and not in the direction you might think.
Chris Lazenby of Midlands Bible College and Divinity School writes on making the offerings of worship "the best we're capable of producing, and applying this to music."
His article continues to explore the significance of words in worship, acknowledging their essence, and also their inadequacy, but I'm struck by his initial assertion. What is "the best we're capable of producing?" The freeing thing to me about this is the "capable of producing" part. If you're capable of better... not in anyone else's estimation but your own, and not giving it, are you giving God your best?
Although Eric's post isn't specifically about it, he does mentioning using his Saturday night service as "part of preparation for Sunday mornings."
If you have multiple services, do you find yourself doing this? Does it at all shortchange the people in the first service... and shortchange could be in all kinds of areas?
Leadership Journal gives advice to churches who want to involve men in worship.
(Excerpt from How Women Help Men Find God.)
The Houston Chronicle chronicles how churches in Galveston and Houston are pressing on in the aftermath of Hurricane Ike.
For information about disaster relief, contact your local congregation or NAMB.net.
Joe blogs about worshiping "with your gut instinct," and has a scripture reference that he backs it up with... 1 John 3:18-20.
Tim and Laurie talk about what it is that we worship, and what Romans 12 helps us to understand about it. Great comment and response too (so far!)
Erica poses the problem that "if I didn't do what I do and I were church shopping, I'm not sure I'd worship at my church."
Is that true for you?
This Fuller Seminary professor blogs about the beginning of their transforming process.
Just reading the title of the post probably sparks all sorts of preconceptions, but the payoff in the post is this: "How might we create spaces for deep levels of participation within every aspect of the worship service?"
transformation <> style
Michael Quicke at Northern Seminary raises the concern that "too many preachers are marginalizing worship."
Scott's R.O.T.T. has an excellent post about kids and spies and the question about worship: "What does it mean when..."
Greg does an exegesis on Psalm 16:7 and talks about worshiping with non-standard parts of the body.
Sojourn Community Church talks about why people clap their hands in church.
The audience for this article is "the person in the pew," so this doesn't go into grand detail... but do you agree?
Isaiah Six is the first to respond to this week's "call to posts," and it's an exhaustive review! You can read the article for the punchline, but I love his setup:
But just because something might be proposed or published by the SBC or its publishing arm, LifeWay Christian Resources, doesn't mean I fall all over myself to buy it and use it. In fact, I'm often skeptical because sometimes we just flat out get it wrong.
Any more Proverbs 27:2 folks out there?
