A History of the Where and When of Worship.
Posted by Brian | Labels: Worship | Posted On Tuesday, April 6, 2010 at 1:59 PM
My understanding of worship has recently been challenged and deepened. For many years, I was exposed to a double standard when it came to “worship.” Church leadership would say, “That was a great time of worship. Now, let’s turn in our bibles to...” This communicated that worship had ended and we were moving on to something else. “Worship” became synonymous with the music portion of a service. On other Sundays, they would say, “Christians can do all things with a worshipful heart and for benefit of the Kingdom.” This seemed to indicate that we could worship any time, any place, with multiple methods. Not until later did I develop a stronger understanding Worship. I came to realize that all aspects of a weekend service need to be worship, singing, ministry, and teaching. I walked away intellectually knowing this, but it has only been in the past months that I have processed and internalized this.
There is a duality in the Bible between a strong emphasis on assigned locations and times of worship and the freedom to worship wherever and whenever a person felt inclined. This tension continues in what churches teach concerning practices Christ fulfilled and made irrelevant and the practices we are still obligated to follow.
Where to Worship?
An aspect of worship that has intrigued me over the years is where one should worship. There is a rich history of locations the ancient Israelites used in worship. The patriarchs were a nomadic culture. They would come to places where they encountered a significant revelation of God’s presence so they would build an altar and it would become a place of worship. This happened at holy sites where the Canaanites established places of worship to their deities. This practice places a strong emphasis on a place’s sense of presence, and reminds me of healing wells and places where the Roman Catholic Church has established a holy significance throughout Europe .
Following the patriarchs and the exodus from Egypt , the people of Israel Israel Jerusalem temple which acted as a central “cathedral” for all the other temples in Israel
During Jesus’ life and ministry, we continue to see the aforementioned understanding of geographic worship at the Temple in Jerusalem Temple in Jerusalem Temple Temple temple of God
The emphasis on the spirit dwelling within the body, body meaning the Church, makes it essential that Christians still come together in a corporate manner. While the Spirit does reside within us as individuals, a corporate aspect to our worship is not negotiable and is expected of us. This is a critical message to those who put a strong emphasis on their one-on-one relationship with the Lord and feel they don’t need to come together with other believers. This does not mean they need to go to a traditionally defined church, but it does mean they must come together with a body of believers for regular times of worship.
When to Worship?
Are there specific times for worship? Are there time where we are called to lay ourselves before God? Are we to do this all the time? Or, are we free to do it anytime? In the Old Testament God called Israel Egypt
The Sabbath was a day of rest committed to worshiping God. Regardless of the intent behind the worship, though, there is a danger of just going through the motions. Amos warns of merchants who may technically take the Sabbath off, but punish customers the next day with raised prices. He also warns of an eagerness to get the Sabbath over with so they could get back to work. There is a valuable lesson here for those who disregard the Sabbath, or who carry it out as a formality.
In the Old Testament, there is also the use of festivals which mark specific times of the year. These festivals derive from creation, from Passover and the Exodus, and from the harvest, and are celebrated during symbolic seasons of the calendar. In addition to these harvest-dated celebrations are Yom Hakippurim, Rosh Hashanah, and Hanukkah.
The New Testament redefines worship and timing from the traditional practices of Israel
We are still called to set aside specific times where 100% of our focus is on God, but it goes beyond that. Beyond the Lord’s Day and festivals, Christian should look at their day-to-day lives as acts of worship. Romans 12:1 directs us to living our lives as living sacrifices to God. It is here that we see an emerging and re-invention of worship that differs from the Old Testament (or perhaps, the restoration to what God originally intended). It is here we see our bodies as part of the temple of the Almighty wherein God is worshiped in all we do. This is arguably the highest calling of the Christian; for it is through the daily act of worship and submission to God that a lifestyle of holiness and submission to God’s perfect plan for us emerges.
It is important to see the biblical progression and evolution of place and time with worship. Understanding the Old Testament practice reveals the significance of what happened in the New Testament and it reminds us of our spiritual heritage. Christ did not void place and time in worship, rather he redefined how we understand place and time in worship.To learn more about this topic, as well as a variety of other theological topics, check out The Ways of Our God. This comprehensive Biblical Theology will enlighten and challenge you.
Thanks for the insight, Brian! reading about the Sabbath & Israel right now in a book called
"The Torah Blessing". Pretty cool how God does that! When something shows up in more that one place, I figure He's wanting me to sit up, pay attention and learn!