How does worship affect us

Our physical actions affect our emotions. We posture ourselves to pray, our hearts lean into prayer. We engage in worship physically, our hearts are affected. We need to put 2 and 2 together. In other words, what happens in church is important to the degree that we both respond to it, and live out its implications in all areas of daily life.

Every Sunday, in various shapes and forms, the liturgies of all kinds of churches provide vehicles for us to respond to God in worship.

The sharing of the word, the sacraments, the singing of the songs that lead us home — these are all vital to the worshipper. But if a worshipper does not engage with these mechanisms of devotion, then the heart may fail to experience the love of God for lack of initiative.

And yet, there is Grace, sweet Grace. If music is provided for us, we engage with it and enter into prayer with it. We engage in the Eucharist. We engage in the reading of the Scriptures. But we also engage in responding to God in the way we talk about our boss when they are not there.

We engage in worship by thinking about how we are responding to God in the way we speak to our spouse. We engage our whole selves in a time of worship. We step in. We lean in. We then expect God will meet us as we do. Sacraments and songs and Scripture readings are places we go to meet with God. We choose to meet with God when these mechanisms of devotion are presented to us. And we begin to develop rhythms in our lives that keep us thanking God at all times throughout the day.

First, before I speak to this topic, know that the gathering of the Church to worship around the Scriptures, the sacraments, and the songs, is vital to the life of the Christian in my view. As a general statement, on a Sunday, or in whatever time and space a community of Christians is gathering for worship that you or I can access, we should always be looking for ways to be with the Body of Christ in a growing depth of community life.

While being alone in worship is both important, and at severe times, inevitable, we must not give up meeting together as Paul said — or our faith will become fragile and fragmented. While we are presenting him with our lives, to be His hands and feet in this world, He is filling us to overflowing with love and light so that we can share all that He is with those around us.

When we miss worship, we feel drained because it is through that communion time of worship that we are able to replenish our spirits.

It is our creator that instills in us the fruits of worship to share with others. All too often we continue to minister to those around us without taking the time that we need to refill our basket and cup. As Christians, we need to make worship a priority in our lives and the lives of those we care about. And if we allow it, worship can transform us.

Worship awakens a desire to change by challenging our spiritual status quo. Certain hymns and praise choruses, when taken seriously, are guaranteed to rock your boat.

Worship challenges us to take an honest look within. As Howard L. Because God knows us better than we know ourselves, pretending will not work. During worship recently I ran across a couple lyric lines that stopped me dead in my tracks. Worship brought them to the forefront. Worship also affirms our intentions to obey God.

Spiritual formation is something God initiates and does in us Philippians ; However, it is our responsibility to co-operate with his work in our lives. Worship songs emphasizing faith and commitment give voice to our intentions to follow Christ. Very often the Holy Spirit uses worship to convict us of sin. One time I was embroiled in a sticky relational conflict with a brother in Christ.

However, I was absolutely convinced I was right and that he was completely wrong. Then I came to church. The next morning I apologized and made amends. At the Transforming Center, many of us are being drawn to a style of worship befitting our community—one that is inherently transformational.

Specifically, I would describe our worship as prayerful, truthful, and beautiful. Borrowing elements from Taize and other monastic communities, our worship is, first of all, contemplative—incorporating periods of silence for reflection, listening, and communing with God.

For that reason, the music we sing is relatively simple, uncluttered by too many words. The songs are also somewhat repetitive, allowing the words to wash over us and speak deeply to our hearts. We read portions of Scripture, allowing the words to penetrate our souls. It's something that happens in your heart and soul when you begin to praise God for who He is and thank Him for what He has done. There is nothing difficult about worship. Christian or non-Christian, pagan or holy, every human being was designed to worship, and does worship—something.

Consider a group of sports fans watching and talking about a game. They worship. Consider a group of teenagers at a concert.

We readily worship food, sports, arts, and music. We worship comfort, control, power, achievement, work, money, and relationships, but God calls us to worship Him. He commands it, He desires it, He pursues it, He deserves it, and He will reward it. For God bestows His provision, grace, sovereignty, and power on those who worship Him in spirit and in truth. But if you choose not to worship God, you need to understand that you are worshipping something else.