The Seattle Mandarin Congregation’s Barnabas Group is using Richard Foster's "Celebration of Discipline" as training material, and this month's study is on worship.  As usual, the leading brother and I are preparing together in advance.  It is natural in this process to think about and reflect on worship in our church.  The worship mentioned in this book obviously refers to corporate worship on Sundays, which is the most important ministry of the church.

William Temple said, "Worship is the submission of all our nature to God.  It is the quickening of conscience by His holiness; the nourishment of mind with His truth; the purifying of imagination by His beauty; the opening of the heart to His love; the surrender of will to His purpose."

We all hope to enter into God's presence in worship, or to let His glory break into our hearts, but in my personal experience, this is often not the case.  Jesus tells us, "But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship him" (John 4:23 ESV).  Obviously, forms and rituals are not worship, but appropriate forms and rituals can lead us into true worship more effectively.

The book mentions that we should enter God's house with "holy expectancy" because we know we will hear God's voice.  Jesus will be with us, and the Holy Spirit will be at work among us.  Even if only one or two people have "holy expectancy" in their hearts, the atmosphere of the whole worship service may change because of it.  You and I can be one of those people.

Another aspect is to "still all humanly initiated activity."  When we come before the eternal and holy Lord, we should at least come with reverent silence, not rushing into His presence, speaking incessantly, with our minds and thoughts elsewhere.  Nothing is more important than worship!

Of course, there are many other practices related to worship.  Let's ask God to help us continually practice worship, so that our worship can begin with "holy expectancy" and end with "holy obedience."