5 1/2 Ways to Worship

Everyone who goes to church supposedly worships. There are lots of things one can worship, that's for sure. Here is a LIST. Admittedly, there are different worship styles within the Christian Church. And no one seems to agree what the right way to "worship" is.  Who really knows what God is after in our worship? Have you thought about it - about worship?

-1 Worship in Song: This is the singing stuff. Organs, choirs, plain chant, rock bands - we have a wide variety of musical styles within the Christian genre. And of course you have your folks who can't sing and advertise it by singing louder than anyone else. Musical worship seems to be the quintessential form of worship. After all there is a worship leader and he always leads the music. Seems odd... maybe (s)he's a Levite.

-2 Worship in Giving: My friend Dave calls them the beggars plates. Some churches have an offering basket, others put it on the platform, some just have a box in the back of the room. Me I like to go up and make big deal of the huge bag of money as I drag it to altar like Robert DiNiro with his armor in the movie the Mission.

-3 Worship in Dance: David danced before the Lord - nearly naked I guess. I admit, when I first saw this, I didn't like it. It was too much activity for me. I went to crazy Word of Faith church, and they had swords and shields. Folks would pick them up and dance around in front of the altar. I'm not talking Arthur Murry either. It was crazy, and the adults looked like kids - but they were dressed. Someone grabbed my arm and I joined in. Like Tarzan dragging Jane by the hair, there I was. They even got me a shield that said, "Lion of Judah" and big sword. Funny, the presence of the Lord came in like a flood. Hmmmm, maybe there is something to this.

I once went to a Winds of Worship conference, and they had a trained dance team. A mix of symbolic motion, ballet, and gymnastics - now that was stunning.

-4 Worship the Word: After 30+ years in the church, I don't get this. I am not seeing a sermon as worship. I don't do anything but listen.  Don't even take notes anymore. I worship Jesus, not the Bible. Is it merely a portion of THE worship service? Why do we call it that? More questions than answers here, I 'm afraid.

-5 Worship Through Sacraments: This one seems a little catholic. Before you get all widgy about the Catholic, or Anglo-Catholic church stuff, all of them are part of our non-denominational and evangelical services to some degree. I became born again in the Anglican church. We had lots of sacraments. Each one was a religious ceremony - a way to engage Jesus.

The definition of worship is to give God worth - there are lots of ways to do that. The church has set aside, baptism, confirmation (laying on of hands to receive the Holy Spirit), marriage, ordination, penance (confession) and communion as sacraments. We can do them with an empty heart, or one with the eyes of our heart open to the things of Christ. It is the same with any worship  - we can sing the song, or we can worship Jesus.

It's a choice we make.

-5 1/2 Worship in Spirit....

How about you, how do you worship Jesus?