Until now I have never really given much thought or even have considered corporate worship to God as being more than singing songs of praise and adoration with instruments and voice. I am beginning to understand that acts of worship to God can be seen in every aspect of the Christian life through acts of service, confession, song, tithing and giving, prayer, reading, meditation, adoration, work, remembrance, and anything and everything that glorifies God and Christ. The more I think about worship the more I am recognizing that music and song are simply one form of worship amongst many other forms of worship.
I have been thinking of how much prayer and scripture reading was imbedded into the early Jewish and Christian believers’ lives. It is amazing to me how the early Christians would set aside seven times in a day for short times of prayer and remembrance to God and to Jesus, when today I am struggling to set aside just one time. I was also reflecting on how the Jews will bind certain scriptures on the arms, wrists and foreheads so that when they would pray the word of God would not be far from their physical bodies. It makes me realize how much they cherish even the physical written word of God.
I can only say that I am impressed with the devotion of the early church and with those that still maintain these acts of worship to God. I must admit that knowing more about these practices does leave me saddened because these have not been my experiences of worship, or those probably of the post-modern Christian church. As saddened as I am, I really do feel inspired to devote myself more these acts of worship. I really believe that prayer and scripture reading is an essential worship devotion that should practiced both on a personal and corporate level. It will draw us closer to knowing and hearing God and also experiencing His magnificent presence.
“Oh Lord, bind every God breathed word on our hearts and in our minds and help us to remember your unceasing love that never foresakes us”
Good post Paul
ReplyDelete