The Spiritual Discipline of Worship:
      
              A little different than you would think


"They gathered with anticipation, knowing that God was present among them and would teach them and touch them with His living power." 

              Celebrating the Disciplines, Richard Foster, page 161

Upon being asked what true worship felt like, our class was surprised to hear several different scenarios that allowed for "true" worship. Some mentioned singing, some mentioned prayer, and even a wedding was mentioned. Everyone had different physical elements and different rituals that were being performed when they truly encountered the Holy Spirit of God. What did remain the same, was what it felt like. Being in the presence of God is a feeling of renewal. Whether it be physically, mentally, emotionally or spirituality, the Holy Spirit of God is one that refreshes us. 

We all agreed that Sunday was a day set aside for worship. No matter what our worship looks or feels like, Sunday is a day that God has ordained to be His holy day. However, the question in my own head was, "do I really end every Sunday feeling refreshed as if I have just encountered the Holy Spirit?" Do I really come to Sunday with a heart prepared for worship? In reading Richard Foster's book, discussing in class, and meditating on my own, I realized that I rarely treat Sunday and it's worship service as a chance to let the Holy Spirit energize me for my service in the week ahead. Except for a few unique phases in my life, I usually come to Church socially in order to sing some songs and hope that the sermon speaks to me. But do I really hope that the Holy Spirit speaks to me?

So for my assignment this week, I decided to interpret "worship" differently. I decided to come to Sunday's worship service with a "holy expectancy." Because I believe that God is omnipresent, I do not need to doubt that He will reveal himself to me during church, or throughout the day. In fact, this Sunday I started my weekend expecting that I could have a "true" worship experience and feel the presence of the Holy Spirit. I expected that I would be refreshed for Monday to continue worship throughout the week. And as it turned out, I did. And I will now come to every Sunday with this holy expectancy and trust that God will meet me there. 

Practically speaking, there are a lot of things I did in order to treat this Sunday differently. I went to bed early Saturday night. I spent the evening watching the ever so wholesome Hercules movie with some girls from the dorms, and went to bed immediately after. That activity got me prepared to spend Sunday restfully and reverently. That way, I could wake up early Sunday morning. Sunday service starts at 11:15, which is perfect for those that need the weekend to sleep in and be refreshed. However, what I have been convicted of lately is how lazy it is to sleep in when the morning provides a perfectly good amount of time to get stuff done. Waking up and doing devotions or praying is in fact a far better way to feel refreshed than sleeping in. God honors time that is dedicated to Him, and I can give testament to the fact that He will more than pay you back for that time. So that is what I decided to do. I woke up at 8:00 am and immediately gave the morning to God. I read through scripture, prayed, and glorified God by doing homework and the dishes. I feel so strongly that by waking up and spending those three hours productively, God blessed me with refreshment. I was walking with the Spirit right up until I arrived at church, even though they weren't your typical "spiritual" activities. And that is exactly what I meant by defining worship differently. I worshiped God in the kitchen and in my studies. 

Church was fantastic. I don't like to Church shop or complain about what Churches do or don't do for me, but I will say I have not yet found a home church in this area. This has put strain on my relationship to Sunday morning worship, but this week I set that aside. Turns out, God appreciated that. I learned that it is not going to matter where I go because God is omnipresent, and He is speaking through several different pastors and worship leaders. I firmly believe that my holy expectancy for the day changed my entire outlook on Who was doing the speaking to the church. I heard the Holy Spirit speaking directly to me. 

After that experience, the entire rest of my day felt like worship. I have expanded my understanding of the word "worship" even more. I now see how basic activities such as early rising, dishes, and prayer can change my entire outlook on a day. Holy expectancy works. As was said in the sermon, God will speak when we are ready to listen and obey. This Sunday I was ready to obey, and I ended the day so refreshed. The Holy Spirit truly met me, cleansed me, and energized me. If I, and we, treat every Sunday this way, we will be more than prepared to be lights in this broken land. We can then treat every day as worship. But we have got to remember that worship isn't tied to rituals, practices, or an hour every week. It is tied to encountering God's Gospel. And what a blessing that we get to do it in community every Sunday morning! I vow now not to squander that blessing. It is something I plan to enjoy and allow to be the driving force for my ministry for the rest of my life. This spiritual discipline works. 

Thanks be to God!