Playdough Scripture Rom 12:1

"Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to sing worship songs during a worship service on Sunday morning offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship."(Rom 12:1 Playdough Version)

Related Posts:

•  My 95 Thesis - Point 13 - Temple Worship
• Come Now Is The Time To Worship 
• Two Types of Worship Service
• New House of Worship

Come Now Is The Time To Worship

I love this song by Brian Doerksen, but I have a concern with how it is often used.

Come, now is the time to worship
Come, now is the time to give your heart
Come, just as you are to worship
Come, just as you are before your God
Come

One day ev'ry tongue will confess You are God
One day ev'ry knee will bow
Still the greatest treasure remains for those
Who gladly choose You now

The words of this song are just as true Monday through Friday as they are on Sunday morning. But I suspect this song gets sung most often as people come into their "time of worship" on Sunday mornings.

What is worship?

I'm going with the definition that worship is a feeling or action showing reverence and love.

Rom 12:1 gives a New Testament description of worship:

"Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship."  (NIV)

In the Old Testament we see people offering animals as sacrifices to God as their expression of worship. In the New Testament we see people making a different type of sacrifice. Our lives are to be living sacrifices. In a sense we are called to die to our selfish desires, and live under God's rule instead. We are to live our lives pleasing to God.  This is the type of worship God has always desired.  This type of worship is best lived out in real everyday life.  This type of worship service is when we serve our Lord Monday through Sunday.

Jesus describes this change of worship service in John 4:19-24

“Sir,” the woman said, “I can see that you are a prophet. Our fathers worshiped on this mountain, but you Jews claim that the place where we must worship is in Jerusalem.”
Jesus declared, “Believe me, woman, a time is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem.  You Samaritans worship what you do not know; we worship what we do know, for salvation is from the Jews.  Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks.  God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth.” (NIV)

Jesus is saying the days when you need to go to a specific location to worship God are over.  He does not want us to go to some mountain top location at certain times to worship Him. He wants us to truly love and respect Him every moment of our lives.

Here are some harsh words from Isaiah that may apply when our worship service is only lip service.

Isaiah 29:13 (NIV)

The Lord says:
“These people come near to me with their mouth
and honor me with their lips,
but their hearts are far from me.
Their worship of me
is made up only of rules taught by men.

Isaiah 1:13 - 17 (NIV)

Stop bringing meaningless offerings!
Your incense is detestable to me.
New Moons, Sabbaths and convocations—
I cannot bear your evil assemblies.
Your New Moon festivals and your appointed feasts
my soul hates.
They have become a burden to me;
I am weary of bearing them.
When you spread out your hands in prayer,
I will hide my eyes from you;
even if you offer many prayers,
I will not listen.
Your hands are full of blood;
wash and make yourselves clean.
Take your evil deeds
out of my sight!
Stop doing wrong,
learn to do right!
Seek justice,
encourage the oppressed.
Defend the cause of the fatherless,
plead the case of the widow.

Isaiah 58: 3 - 9 (NIV) speaks about fasting, but I think it would apply to other acts of worship that didn't line up with how we live.

‘Why have we fasted,’ they say,
‘and you have not seen it?
Why have we humbled ourselves,
and you have not noticed?’
“Yet on the day of your fasting, you do as you please
and exploit all your workers.
Your fasting ends in quarreling and strife,
and in striking each other with wicked fists.
You cannot fast as you do today
and expect your voice to be heard on high.
Is this the kind of fast I have chosen,
only a day for a man to humble himself?
Is it only for bowing one’s head like a reed
and for lying on sackcloth and ashes?
Is that what you call a fast,
a day acceptable to the Lord?
“Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen:
to loose the chains of injustice
and untie the cords of the yoke,
to set the oppressed free
and break every yoke?
Is it not to share your food with the hungry
and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter—
when you see the naked, to clothe him,
and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood?
Then your light will break forth like the dawn,
and your healing will quickly appear;
then your righteousness will go before you,
and the glory of the Lord will be your rear guard.
Then you will call, and the Lord will answer;
you will cry for help, and he will say: Here am I.

So yes, come. Now, everyday, is the time to worship. Now is the time to give your heart and live your lives in a way pleasing to God.  Now, just as you are, God wants to be Lord of your life and guide you to become what He has in mind for you.

Also Hebrews 13:15-16 (NIV)

"Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise—the fruit of lips that openly profess his name. And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased.

I don't want to limit worship to be an activity I primarily do on Sunday morning.  When it comes to worship, how we live sings louder than words.

Related Posts:

• Kingdom of Doers
• Two Types of Worship Service
• My 95 Thesis - Point 13 - Temple Worship
• Concept Pictures of Places of Worship

photo credit: dtcchc via photo pin cc

Eric's Dirty Worship Service

I just read about a dirty Worship Service at Eric's house.  Well actually most of the service took place outside with an old car. The service was done as an act of worship.  If this doesn't sound like a typical 'worship service' you can read Eric's post here: Worship Services at Our House

I wrote a similar post called Two Types of Worship Service after considering what service and worship means to me, and reflecting on two worship services I enjoyed in Paris.

Romans 12:1 talks about this true and proper worship:

"Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. " (NIV)

Two Types of Worship Service

A few years ago I got to be part of two different types of worship services in Paris.

First I was fortunate enough to be at the Notre Dame de Paris for a Sunday morning service. I was encouraged to be part of a worship service that gave me a connection with believers from past centuries.

After leaving Notre Dame, I walked alone along the banks of the river. I found a little park nearby to eat some food I had bought. As I was eating I noticed an old man nearby who looked like he was in need of some food. I felt God wanted me to share some of my food with him, so I did. A few moments later I noticed someone else walk up to the same man and share some more food with him.

Was this a different type of worship service?

Romans 12 starts out talking about true and proper worship.

"Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. " (NIV)

Romans 12 then goes on talking about how as a body we each have different parts to play (making clear divine truths, serving, encouraging, giving, teaching, leading, showing mercy...) . Above all we are called to love others. I suspect the whole of Romans 12 helps define what true and proper worship looks like.

So in my mind, what happened in the park by the river behind Notre Dame was just as much 'worship service' as what took place inside.

Serving others should be done as an act of worship.

What do you think?

What does the word 'worship' mean to you?

What does the word 'service' mean to you?

Related Posts:

• New House of Worship
• My 95 Thesis - Point 13 - Temple Worship

My 95 Thesis - Point 13 - Temple Worship

Here's my 13th Point in My 95 Theses. Another topic I'd love to see the church dialog around is our view of special places of worship, special people who lead the worship, and special actions done as worship.

When you look at the Old Testament model it is easy to identify the temple, priests and sacrifices of worship. There are specific holy places, holy people, and holy actions.

When you look at the modern church practices and beliefs it is a bit confusing.

Some may see similarities between the Old Testament Temple and our current Church buildings.

Some may see similarities between the Old Testament Priests and our current clergy who go by a variety of titles (Bishops, Priests, Pastors, Ministers...).

Some may see similarities between the Old Testament sacrifices made for worship and our current practices of worship music (or for others the Eucharist or sacraments).

But lets be clear.

According to the New Testament...

What/who is the temple?

“The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by human hands. " (Acts 17:24 NIV)

"Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in your midst?" (1 Corinthians 3:16 NIV)

"you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ." (1 Pet 2:5 NIV)

"Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own;" (1 Corinthians 6:19 NIV)

"What agreement is there between the temple of God and idols? For we are the temple of the living God. As God has said: “I will live with them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they will be my people.” (2 Corinthians 6:16 NIV)

"Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God’s people and also members of his household, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone. In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit. " (Ephesians 2:19-22 NIV)

Who are the priests?

"you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.
...
But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light."
(1 Pet 2:5,9 NIV)

What are the sacrifices of worship?

"Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will." (Rom 12:1-2 NIV)

"Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise—the fruit of lips that openly profess his name. And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased. (Hebrews 13:15-16 NIV)

These ideas are not new. The protestant reformation included the belief in the priesthood of all believers. Yet I know many people practice a form of Christianity that elevates special buildings, special people, and special worship activities.

I fear there are many who get confused.

Related Posts:

• Temple Blueprint
• My 95 Thesis
• New House of Worship
• I don't go to church
• Community I desire

Temple Blueprint

The Temple in Jerusalem was the dwelling place of God. It was a sacred place of worship.

The Old Testament was quite specific when it came to how God's temple was organized and built. King David claims in 1 Chronicles 28:11–19 that God gave him plans for the temple but his son would be the one to build it. 1 Kings 7:27-37 gives specific details about the temple that his son king Solomon built. Every detail is covered.

However, it is a common belief that the New Testament does not give us specific details about how the New Testament church should be organized and structured. So we get different opinions on:

• Steeple, Cross, icons
• Sunday or Saturday
• Children included or separate
  
• Priest, Pastor, Minister, Reverend, Brother, Father, Elder, Deacon
• Pews, chairs, semi-circle
  
• Sacraments, sermons, singing
• Big building, small building

I've previously accepted this belief. There are not any New Testament passages that speak about the Sunday Morning church services like are common today. So we seem free to decide what they should look like, who should lead it, etc.

However when I stop and think about it. That would be pretty strange. Why would Jesus come and make a new covenant and build a new church, but not give us a blueprint for what it should look like.

However the New Testament is very clear on what the new Temple should look like.

“The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by human hands. " (Acts 17:24 NIV)

"Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in your midst?" (1 Corinthians 3:16 NIV)

"you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ." (1 Pet 2:5 NIV)

"Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own;" (1 Corinthians 6:19 NIV)

"What agreement is there between the temple of God and idols? For we are the temple of the living God. As God has said: “I will live with them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they will be my people.” (2 Corinthians 6:16 NIV)

"Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God’s people and also members of his household, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone. In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit. " (Ephesians 2:19-22 NIV)

I think this is very awesome and challenging at the same time. God dwells in me and in His church (people). If someone wants to meet God, they should go find God in His temple. That temple is me/us. When someone meets with us, they should see God at work.

Jesus also spoke about this to the Samaritan woman. We don't need a special building or rituals to worship God anymore.

“Sir,” the woman said, “I can see that you are a prophet. Our ancestors worshiped on this mountain, but you Jews claim that the place where we must worship is in Jerusalem.” “Woman,” Jesus replied, “believe me, a time is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. You Samaritans worship what you do not know; we worship what we do know, for salvation is from the Jews. Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth.” John 4:19-24 (NIV)

Related Posts:

• Ideal Church Size
• New House of Worship
• I don't go to church
• Rob Bell - Sunday

Thanks Keith Giles for a free ebook, This Is My Body. I haven't finished reading it yet, but it got me thinking on this topic.

New House of Worship

We have purchased a new house. Since I believe worship should be my life 24/7 (Romans 12:1-2), I plan to worship God in this new house. I want this to be a house of worship.

Should I build a steeple to let everyone know it is a house of worship? Then if they want to worship God they will know they are welcome to come to my house and worship too?

Or should I go with the symbol of the cross? So they know Jesus is the focus of our worship.

I wonder how the early church let their neighborhood know they worshiped God.

I don't like talking to people.

Maybe I could put fliers in everyone's mailboxes, or advertise in newspapers and on the internet. :)

Related Posts:

• Ideal Church Size
• I don't go to church

Concept Pictures of Places of Worship

I'm thinking of marketing some new products that will help people Worship God in different places. Here are some simple concept graphics of the plans I have under development.

My 'house of worship'

A special umbrella so you can worship God at the beach

Or you may want to worship God in your vehicle.

And a must have for everyone... you could worship God anywhere with this one.

Everyone would know what you were doing when you are under one of these structures.

Let me know if you think there is a market for these items? Would they help you worship God?

Playdough Scripture John 4:19-24

"Sir," the woman said, "I can see that you are a prophet. Our fathers worshiped on this mountain, but you Jews claim that the place where we must worship is in Jerusalem."

Jesus declared, "Believe me, woman, a time is coming when you can choose one of many worship centers to go to and worship each week (just make sure you pick a good brand) you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. You Samaritans worship what you do not know; we worship what we do know, for salvation is from the Jews. Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth."

John 4:19-24 (Playdough Version)


A few thoughts...

Jesus says the Samaritans were worshiping a God they did not know. I find that interesting. How/why would they worship a God they did not know? If they didn't know Him, why would they worship Him. Just out of religious duty? Is it possible I've done the same? Is it possible to go to a place of worship, and do whatever worship stuff everyone else is doing, yet not personally know the one we worship?

My other thought is around the location of worship. Throughout history people seem to gravitate to certain places to worship. In ancient Canaan the place of worship was often on top of a hill. On top of the hill it was common to build a tall pole or column, and sometimes buildings. I guess the idea was the taller the structure, the closer to God. Now I know many churches are not built on hill-tops, but I wonder if the common church steeple is linked to this history. Instead of going to a hill-top where there is a tall pole, we go to a building with a tall pointed top.

Does Jesus' words to this Samaritan woman say anything to our perception that worshiping God is most frequently done at certain locations?