Worship

[Marsh]

I'm having trouble with this word. What exactly does it mean to worship God? I mean the act itself: What does it consist of? People who pray to God speak to God. People who praise God speak of God to others. People who love God obey his commandments. People who worship God...

 

[Mus Zibii]

Hmmm, I never thought of that. I guess its like 'love'. The definition can be as mild or severe depending on the context.

1. To regard with ardent or adoring esteem or devotion.

2. The ceremonies, prayers, or other religious forms by which this love is expressed.

 

[lunamoth]

I'm having trouble with this word. What exactly does it mean to worship God? I mean the act itself: What does it consist of? People who pray to God speak to God. People who praise God speak of God to others. People who love God obey his commandments. People who worship God...

I think it is all of the above: prayer, praise, love. A concept I like from Baha'i is that all work done in a spirit of service and to the best of your ability is considered worship of God. I think about that a lot while I am scrubbing the toilets.

 

[iBrian]

"I worship my children"..."I worship my girlfriend"...are not statements that imply offering, idols, or obeyance - simply selfess love.

 

[bananabrain]

in hebrew the word for "worship" is 'AVoDaH, which also means "service" or "work". either way it's concerned with actions, which fits with the commandment paradigm. there is another word for actual work work, like employment, which is used when, say prohibiting work on Shabbat (whilst commanding "avodah"). the same word is used for a modern synagogue service and the ancient Temple service. however, doing any action commanded by G!D is, i dare say, technically a form of this "service", so you can effectively worship G!D by, say, keeping kosher.

b'shalom

bananabrain

 

[MadHatter]

For me, to worship, is simply to spend time with God, and with him alone.

 

[shannon]

I'm having trouble with this word. What exactly does it mean to worship God? I mean the act itself: What does it consist of? People who pray to God speak to God. People who praise God speak of God to others. People who love God obey his commandments. People who worship God...

HI Marsh,

I found this description that may serve to give you confidence in just what it means to worship...

The following "Question" was asked by a member of the congregation at Grace Community Church in Sun Valley, California, and "Answered" by their pastor, John MacArthur Jr. It was transcribed from the tape, GC 1300, titled "Bible Questions and Answers." A copy of the tape can be obtained by writing, Word of Grace, P.O. Box 4000, Panorama City, CA 91412 or by dialing toll free 1-800-55-GRACE.

Question

What is true worship?

Answer

Well, you know, we all grew up with a lot of misconceptions that worship is where you have a very somber choir in long robes, a few stained-glass windows, and a loud organ, and you say, “We’re going to worship.” What is worship? I believe this: worship means adoration or praise. Really, here it is--worship is whatever glorifies God. Would you agree to that? Whatever honors him--whatever exalts Him is worship. So all you got to do is find out what honors Him.

“Who so offers praise glorifies Me,” it says in the Psalms. He’s glorified in our righteousness, in our holiness. He’s glorified when we recite His wonderful works. He’s glorified when we love Him. He’s glorified when we minister to one another. He’s glorified when we believe Him. He’s glorified when we confess sin, like Joshua said to Achan, you remember, who stole out of the city of Jericho when he wasn’t supposed to and then he buried it in a hole in the ground in his tent--thought God could never find it there, God couldn’t see through dirt--and then Joshua said to him, “Give glory to God and confess your sin.” Confession gives glory to God. Anything that glorifies God is worship.

It isn’t some superficial thing; it’s the real thing. It’s really giving him glory.
______________________________

I believe that what you worship is what you serve is what controls you. An addict serves/worships/is-controlled-by the addiction a lover of television serves/worships/is-controlled-by their TV and a lover of God serves/worships/is-controlled-by God. Amen

Shannon
[ please visit, read articles and comment at my christianity now blog ]

 

[Marsh]

What is worship? I believe this: worship means adoration or praise. Really, here it is--worship is whatever glorifies God. Would you agree to that? Whatever honors him--whatever exalts Him is worship. So all you got to do is find out what honors Him.

Ok, then my question is this: Why do we go to church? When I go to church, my pastor begins by saying, "Good morning, and welcome to worship." I often hear music sung by "praise and worship teams" from different churches around the world.

If worship is doing what honours God, then why is it so closely associated with church? After all, the most important work that Christians can do is outside of the church, isn't it? As the old joke goes, "Why go to church? There aren't any souls to be saved in there!"

 

[shannon]

Ok, then my question is this: Why do we go to church? When I go to church, my pastor begins by saying, "Good morning, and welcome to worship." I often hear music sung by "praise and worship teams" from different churches around the world.

A pastor, and any Christian for that matter, should recognize that 'coming to church' to worship is a facet of worship that honors God. It is not the only worship and it is biblically encouraged.

Also, unfortunately, Worship has come to mean just the music and singing type praise to many Christians... that's just not right.

You worship what you serve... what you allow to control you. If you only 'Worship' on Sundays, or at your bible study, you are not living the Christian life. If during the week you are ultimately controlled by your job, your cigarettes, your television, your computer... then that is what you are worshipping. Note, it's possible to be involved with (some) those things, and still 'keep your mind on things above', on the Lord.

If worship is doing what honours God, then why is it so closely associated with church? After all, the most important work that Christians can do is outside of the church, isn't it? As the old joke goes, "Why go to church? There aren't any souls to be saved in there!"

Heb 10:22-25
23 Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. 24 And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. 25 Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another-and all the more as you see the Day approaching.
NIV

The Church is not a building it is the Body of Christ. The people of the Church are brothers and sisters who (at least profess) to love God and wish to serve and worship Him. All Christians are to meet and encourage each other.

From: http://pausetoponder.org/private.htm

"I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. If anyone does not remain in me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. (John 15:5-6) We cannot live the Christian life and be fruitful Christians apart from Christ any more than those limbs could live after being tore off the tree trunk. Every branch draws its identity, its sustenance, it life from the vine. No two branches are alike and yet they are all the same. Paradoxical as it is, it is true. Every Christian is unique and yet every Christian is the same. Our identity is derived from the Vine. We are known by the Vine. We receive our sustenance and life from the Vine.
Being connected to Jesus means that we are connected to His Church. The Church is the visible enfleshment of Jesus on earth. One cannot be connected to Jesus and be separate from His Church. In the privatized, individualistic mentality of our society this sounds foreign. We have mistakenly made the Christian life a private individual matter. But the fact is, that as personal as our life in Christ is, it is never private. We cannot live our life in Christ in isolation. If we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all a sin. (1 John 1:7) Walking in the light with Jesus is communal. It is through community that we are cleansed and purified. The Church does not purify and cleanse us. Jesus does. But it is through our fellowship with Him and His people that His sanctifying work is accomplished. There is no fellowship with Christ apart from fellowship with His people and there is no fellowship with His people apart from fellowship with Christ. Being connected to the Vine connects to the other branches on the Vine."

There is no such thing as a solitary Christian.

I left. By God, I came back. I know first hand the truth in the above words.

I hope this has proven helpful.

God Bless you and fill you with His peace which truly "passes all understanding"

Shannon

 

[Ciel]

Once lived in a spiritual commune where all work was entitled worship, active meditation in superlative quality of living in love. Made toast for 400 for breakfast and wiped away the crumbs with rapture. Worship comes through in the simplicity of being when one is true to their life, selfless love in the beauty of being that wishes to manifest happiness as the first ingredient.