Great input yesterday… I really appreciate it. I wanted to ask a related question to help me in my thinking on this matter.
A while back, one of the commenters here was sharing his view of the difference between worship and Worship. Lower case worship is the everyday stuff, like Romans 12:1-2 talks about. Upper case Worship is what we do during the Sunday assembly, essentially “the five acts”: singing, praying, preaching, Lord’s Supper and offering.
Can we make a biblical case for such a separation? Those of you familiar with the early Christian writings, did they see such a separation?
Some things that are appropriate outside of the assembly are inappropriate within the assembly. I fully recognize that. What I’m not sure of is the difference between acts of worship performed Monday through Saturday and acts of worship performed on Sunday.
Any insights?
I think we need to be careful making distinctions that we don’t see clearly made in scripture. Our Western minds may be able to see a clear distinction between worship (proskuneo) and worship/service (latreuo) but scripture, especially in the Old Testament, keeps a strong tie between what we do with our hands and feet and our devotion to God. That is why both the prophets rebuke Israel for offering sacrifices while neglecting justice and mercy (cf. Amos 5.21-24; Micah 6.6-8).
Besides that, such distinctions remind me of the days when an singing group would visit the church. Since there could be no entertainment, we would have a closing prayer before the group preformed so that we were no longer in the “official assembly” as if the New Testament actually makes such a distinction.
Grace and Peace,
Rex
Don’t the type of distinctions you are talking about lead people to view church as a place or a time period instead of who we are in Christ? I think that is what is missed since the Christ established his Kingdom. We are now the temple of the Holy Spirit not a place. We don’t go here or there to worship we worship in Spirit and in truth.
But to get back to Tim’s question, does that mean that we can bring anything we do during the week into the assembly of the saints and incorporate that into the worship there? Can a gifted dentist set up a chair and “install” some braces that will transform an ugly overbite into a beautiful smile during the assembly? Can I bring in a bunch of cars and let the youth group wash them down front during the assembly? Of course the answer is, “No, that would ruin the carpet!” ;-)
Truly, I think Paul’s admonition in 1 Corinthians 14:30 would give a little insight to that. If something would create disorder during the assembly (such as, washing cars down front) we’d need to exclude that. Now we can discuss just what causes disorder in our digital age!
Not sure if this matters, but since you asked about the early church, John of Damascus (7thC) argued for the worship of icons and he did so by differentiating that kind of worship from the worship of God. Worship of icons: dulia. Worship of God: latria. Of course, this distinction was not good enough for his opponents, and rightly so, I think. It’s still idolatry.
I would think “Worship” would be more likely referred to as “fellowship”/”Fellowship” and as a capitalized “worship”. Perhaps that’s just my thought process and maybe what I’ve picked up growing up. Would calling it “fellowshipping” be more Biblical than “Worship”?
I do think that Fellowship or Assembly would be much more Biblical. Possibly what we do during Fellowship does not have to change a whole lot; just the focus that where putting on it. Our fellowship on Sunday should maybe be to encourage us to remain faithful the rest of the week and with that attitude we would be glorifying and praising God.
Mat 22:36 Master, which [is] the great commandment in the law?
Mat 22:37 Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.
Mat 22:38 This is the first and great commandment.
This is truly WORSHIP and it is not intended for Sunday only.
There are differences between private and gathered worship. Both have their places in our lives. No one lives or dies to himself alone, yet a closet is a fine place to pray.
However, when we limit acts of worship to only five – perhaps because we have trouble remembering what they are unless they correspond to the fingers of a single hand — are we not already defeated?
Aren’t those who plan worship, in fact, worshiping as they prayerfully plan? Those who usher, prepare communion elements, staff nurseries, operate sound boards or powerpoint equipment or recording instruments so others can hear later? How about those who provide rides for the disabled, translate for the deaf, visit the confined, write Bible School curriculum, sort attendance cards, send cards to cheer the lonely, tidy up the building, cook for the bereaved, encourage little ones?
Did Jesus not say “Inasmuch as you have done it unto the least of these my brethren, you have done it unto Me”?
Doesn’t that make it all worship — the recognition of His worthiness and the worth of those He loves and died to save?
Sometimes we’re just too eager to categorize.
Maybe that makes it easier to check items off of a list at the end of a Sunday, but it doesn’t capture the whole picture of worship.
Thank you, Keith and Laymond – for bringing some sanity back into this discussion.
If we are not worshiping (latrio – i.e., offering works of service as in Rom 12:1f.) most all the time, it is doubtful that there is genuine worship (proskuneo – i.e., bowing the knee toward God) in the assembly.
Pingback: this went thru my mind |