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Worshippers Plan to Worship

Throughout the history of God’s people and according to revelation, worshipping communities have made plans to worship God. Whether we study the Day of Atonement in Leviticus 16, the Lord’s Supper in 1 Corinthians 11:17–34, or observe the early church in Acts 2:41–42, the Scriptures describe a community of people busy in the worship of God. Planning for worship involves calendars and activities. How do you plan for worship in your home or along with the church?

  • Calendars: The Christian liturgical calendar is arranged so that the believer will think about and experience the life of Christ throughout the calendar year. Advent begins the year, then onto Epiphany at Jesus’ Baptism, followed by Lent and Holy Week with Palm Sunday and Easter, and Pentecost follows seven Sundays after Easter. Ordinary time is spread between these major calendar moments. The Christian calendar isn’t commanded in the Bible; rather, it is a way that many churches have ordered their year in order to consider the life of Christ all year long. The preaching calendar also aids in the planning of worship. Whether preaching through an exposition of a book of the Bible or preaching through details of a biblical topic, each Sunday’s passage aids those who plan and attend the worship of the church. Creation’s calendar is something that we sometimes forget about when we think of worship. God has ordained seasons: Fall, Winter, Spring, and Summer. They teach us about God as Creator, and on them—we might say—he has even imprinted the themes of death and resurrection to glorify his Son. While we’ve considered the worship calendar from the church’s perspective, we should also consider it from the single person and family’s perspective.  Worship should be planned into our routine. “Worship” should have a reserved space in your personal or family calendar.
  • Activities: Acts 2:42 lists activities to which the early followers of Jesus devoted themselves: the apostles’ teaching, fellowship, the Lord’s supper, and prayer. Music is a historic activity of the believing assembly (Ex. 15; Ps. 149–150; Acts 16:25; Eph. 5:18–19; Col. 3:16). Art, architecture, and craftsmanship were essential in the design, place and experience of worship in Israel (Ex. 35:30–35), and considering the decentralization of worship in the New Testament, the artistic aspect of worship should be flourishing in an even greater way through the church community’s diversity and various contexts. The public reading of Scripture is another activity of worship (1 Tim. 4:13). Readings can come from a single individual or engage the congregation in various ways. An often overlooked activity of worship is what we might call “live reflection.” The saints in Berea received the preaching eagerly and examined the Scriptures to see if it was true; therefore, we might say that note-taking or other activities that invite reflection on the worship service are in themselves worshipful. Cheerful generosity is a worship activity that imitates the generosity of Jesus, who became poor that we might become rich in him (2 Cor. 8:1–15; 9:7).
Posted by Rex Howe

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