Acts of Worship??

by Brian Casey

September 1996

There are things that are done, both privately and corporately, that tend to foster true worship (proskuneo) in our hearts. Not that there's a one-to-one correlation between the so-called "acts of worship" and activities that are truly worship activities. But consider these actions/media and the potential attitudes of worship involved:

• Singing . . . sometimes worshipful, sometimes exhortatory or instructional

  Praying . . . sometimes worshipful, sometimes petitionary or confessional

  Pouring expensive perfume on Jesus' feet and wiping them with hair . . . adoringly worshipful, sacrificial, vulnerable

  Preaching sermons . . . mostly exhortatory/didactic, sometimes worshipful

  Listening to sermons . . . sometimes meditative & worshipful, introspective

  Lord's Supper . . . sometimes edificational, sometimes introspective,sometimes worshipful, etc.

  Speaking praise-filled thoughts . . . worshipful w/an exhortation element present

  Meditating on His grace . . . worshipful w/elements of introspection & self-examination

  Serving others . . . edificational, perhaps evangelistic, redemptive, and, indirectly, perhaps worshipful

  Sharing information about illnesses of church members . . . caring, merciful, probably not worshipful per se

  Contributing money . . . depending on the person, perhaps worshipful, sacrificial

  Calling a sister to discuss what God's been doing in our lives this week . . . edificational and worshipful, if the focus is on GOD, calling attention to His goodness

Maybe this list will show how the traditional "acts of worship" fit in with a more adequate concept of worship. The list is certainly not exhaustive, and I could not even begin to provide a full description of the realities present in each "act" I named. Worship is no simple thing. It defies analysis in terms of checklists of things to do. Much better to worship than to discuss worship, anyway, right?