Worship Service
Two years ago, Margaret, my wife, had ankle surgery. While she was recovering, several of our brothers and sisters in Christ took care of her, our children, our house, etc. while I was at work. I wrote about this in a post called “Worship Service“. Given my series this week about semantics, I thought this would be a good opportunity to use the words with their scriptural meanins. So, here is a post about real worship service.
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We have seen various worship services during the last few weeks while my wife is recovering from her ankle surgery.
Several people prepared dinner for us, and many of them did not drop the food off, but stayed with us and spent time with us.
Some friends came over to our house and cleaned while I was at work.
Other friends picked up our children and took them where they needed to go, because Margaret could not drive.
There are many, many, many other acts of service that people did on our behalf. I believe that God sees this type of service as an offering of worship to him. Consider these verses:
Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins. Show hospitality to one another without grumbling. As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace: whoever speaks, as one who speaks oracles of God; whoever serves, as one who serves by the strength that God supplies–in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ. (1 Peter 4:8-11 ESV)
Have you participated in a worship service lately?
This is such a great out-of-the-religious-box expression about worship! I believe true worship is more about our response to Father’s incredible love poured out in our lives and the service you are speaking of should be our natural response. We love because He first loved us. Thanks for sharing this!
Toby,
Thanks for the comment and the encouragement. I’m not much for the relgious experience. Instead, I prefer people to respond to others out of their relationships with God.
-Alan
The key to this is “service” and by showing you love others as you love self, you are seeing the “worship”, loving God before all else.
Great thoughts!
Romans 12:1 talks about our “spiritual act (or service) of worship”, which appears to be an adequate translation of the original. Chapters 12-14 seem to further define what some of these acts are. 12:7 talks about serving.
Just as my car consists of more than a tire, so worship includes much, much more than sitting in a building on Sunday morning and observing what goes on there.
From reading my Bible, I kinda get the idea that worshipping God involves doing what He tells us to do in those pages, which includes not only our relationship with Him, but also with the people around us.
Sam,
Yes, exactly. When we serve others through the gifts and opportunities that God provides and out of love and devotion for him, we are worshiping him.
-Alan