Spiritual Practices: Worship

This Fall the whole church will be walking together through a number of weeks introducing and describing Christian “spirituality,” or “Spiritual Practices.” We’re aiming to address questions like: “How do I grow?” and “How do I get close to God?” 

We’re beginning with worship.

Question: Why do we go to church? Why should we? People answer that question all kinds of ways, but three of the most common answers are “information” (we go to church to learn things about God and what he’s done in the world and how to live a faithful life), “community” (we go to church to be strengthened by others who believe the same thing as we do), and “inspiration (we go to church to be inspired, usually through beautiful music, to motivate us to live a life befitting the name “Christian”). 

While at a good church all three of these things should be happening to some degree, this is not primarily why we go to church. We go to church to offer ourselves to God as “living sacrifices”—a sacrifice of “thanks and praise” (or Eucharist). 

The Eucharistic worship of the Church, then, is the foundation of Christian spirituality: if nothing else, do this. It is what we were made for, it’s what we’re healed for, and it is the only proper response to the Good News of the Gospel. 

Hopefully, along the way you’ll learn something. Hopefully you’ll experience community, and hopefully you’ll be inspired toward a faithful life. But first and most, we go to church to be with God and to renew our self-offering to him in all we believe and do.

Scripture to consider:

• Romans 12:1

• 1 Peter 2:4-6

  
  

Questions for your kids

• I wonder: Why do you think worship might be a really important thing for us? (Hint: it’s a response to all of God’s good gifts: from creation through redemption, all is gift!)

  
  

Peace,

Danny+