by Alan Knox

Created on: April 28, 2008

Here I am to worship...

For as long as I can remember, I have been exhorted to come to church on Sundays in order to worship God. On Sundays, churches have "worship services" at certain "worship times" held in their "worship centers" during "corporate worship" to sing "worship songs" chosen by "worship leaders" accompanied by "worship bands". I learned that I could participate in this "corporate worship" by attending the worship service, putting money in the offering plate, singing the songs, and listening to the preacher. This is what I was taught to do in order to worship God.

Now, don't get me wrong, I was also taught that "personal worship" was important. I was supposed to read my Bible, pray, and journal (if I was very spiritual). But, though these were suggested as important, they always seemed to be less important somehow than "corporate worship". When preachers talked about being "fed from the Word", they always counted preaching times during a "worship service", but they didn't count personal Bible reading times during "personal worship". Thus, we were told, we should all see how important it is to come to the Sunday evening "worship service" because we would then be getting twice the amount of Bible teaching and "worship". Again, that "personal worship" seemed to be important, but it didn't really count. I was supposed to worship God personally, but I REALLY worshiped God on Sunday mornings, Sunday evenings, and Wednesday evenings during "corporate worship".

When I started seminary, this perception of "corporate worship" continued. The seminary held chapel services three days a week in which we were exhorted to "worship" God together as a seminary. I read articles about corporate worship, such as one where the author stated, "Corporate worship is the energizing center for all that the church is and does." (G. Temp Sparkman, "Corporate Worship: The Experience and the Event", Perspectives in Religious Studies 18 (Fall 1991), 241-48). Also, I was required to take a course called "The Ministry of Worship".

It was in this class that I first began to seriously question the belief and practice concerning "corporate worship", which led me to consider the topics of "worship" (in general) and ecclesiology. While much of the class dealt with music and the "worship service", the professor did not allow us to limit our definitions of worship as I had been taught. We were encouraged to study what Scripture said about worship. This was eye-opening and life-changing

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