I should probably review some other posts and check if I wrote on this topic before, but my computer monitor is broken and any kind of extra activity takes much longer that it should. So I shall trust my memory.
Worship is one of the main values of our church, but when we here “worship” or in Japanese 礼拝 , 99% of people will think to a 1 hour block of time on Sunday mornings where we sing songs, sit and listen to someone pray, and listen to a message…and perhaps here some announcements. None of these things are necessarily incorrect, but this should never be a comprehensive understanding of worship for anyone. If it becomes that, then both our daily life and life together as the church become terribly dull, predictable and lifeless. So, we need to have a much broader understanding of worship in our lives, and a deeper understanding of worship “as the church” (which might typically occur on a Sunday morning).
When we understand worship only as a program and block of time, then that also carries with it the assumption that all other times and activities are “not worship”. But worship should be simply understood as “treating God as God” or “revealing the glory of God”. We are created in God’s image and are supposed to reflect Him in a way that glorifies Him (which would mean to live according to His heart). Of course, part of that is love for Him and expressions of love for Him. But, when this becomes our understanding of worship, we begin to see that only one section is for God, but rather the whole of life is to God. And this is true throughout the Bible.
In the Old Testament, we can see that worship involves ritual and sacrifices and festivals. These are all found in the law. But the law also covers much of everyday life. How we treat the poor, the foreigner, our animals and our neighbors…these are part of the same law. So, whether it be through the ordained rituals in the assembly, or the words and deeds in our homes and places of work, these are all to be done “towards God” and so are “worship”. That means our worship of God will be multifaceted and done throughout our entire lives on everyday of the week. So, whatever you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God (1 Corinthians 10:31).
This understanding should not take away from Sunday worship (or whatever day…which is another issue), but should make it more meaningful. Often times, we might find it hard to worship on Sunday simply because we have not been worshipping at all any other time or place. But when the whole of life is done in a “Godward” manner, then those gatherings also begin to have much more importance. But a deeper understanding of the worship as a gathering is in need as well…
Quinby 