My heart is being drawn to worship. I believe that worship is not confined to a specific time and place like a worship service. Worship is offering up our bodies as living sacrifices to a God who is described as a consuming and refining fire. Yet, I also believe that the gathered people of God demonstrate through both praises and lamentations their love for God and their need for God. The gathered church comes together to meet with God and be changed. I call this being Worship Full.
Continue reading “Worship Full: A Vision for Gathered Worship”Five Reasons a Christmas Eve Service Reaches the Unchurched
Post copied from ThomRainer.com
It is likely the single day of the year more unchurched decide to visit a church.
It is an incredible opportunity for most congregations.
While Easter is the day most churchgoers decide to show up at the same time, Christmas Eve is indeed prime time for the unchurched. Why is that? Here are five key reasons: Continue reading “Five Reasons a Christmas Eve Service Reaches the Unchurched”
4 Ways to Have Moving Worship
Worshipping God requires movement. I don’t mean swaying and snapping your fingers (acceptable church of Christ dancing). Moving worship is not just about expressiveness it is about God and the formation of our lives into the likeness of Jesus. I believe worship should be spirited and emotive but more than that it must be spiritual. This involves moving with the Spirit. Here are four movements required for spiritual, Christ-centered, life-changing worship. Continue reading “4 Ways to Have Moving Worship”
More Than a Song
“I’ll give you more than a song. For a song in itself is not what you have required.” When we think of worship we may only think of it terms of singing but what made these lyrics from Michael W. Smith’s song “The Heart of Worship” so powerful is that worship is so much more.
God is Doing Something: Worship, Communion, & Baptism
Do we receive grace from God through sacraments? In this blog, I comment on three quotes from John Mark Hicks regarding the gathered church, communion, and baptism. Continue reading “God is Doing Something: Worship, Communion, & Baptism”
Trumpets, Pyrotechnics and Terror; The First Megachurch Worship Service: Reflections on Exodus 19-20:21
At First Glance – Read Exodus 19-20:21
Moses and the Israelites set up base camp at Mt. Sinai. God’s intentions are to have the Israelites close enough that they can hear Him speak to Moses. The priests are all ready for something to go down. They have been consecrated. God wants them to look but not touch. He names some very specific violent actions that are to be taken against anyone who even touches the mountain. Oh, and you better keep your lamb on a leash. For a time, I thought that God only talked to Moses but here the people can hear God or overhear Him. God’s preparing them to be a kingdom of priests, a Holy nation.