Worship Services and Worship Experiences
Aug/104
I've come to the point where I use the phrases "worship service" and "worship experience" interchangeably. I use either phrase to describe the corporate worship gathering of the church. This raises the ire of some people, but I will stick by my guns.
In a worship service, we come to do just that…serve. We serve God by worshipping Him. We serve others by encouraging them. The phrase "worship service" is spot on.
In a worship experience, we also do just that…we experience the presence of God. We experience His love, His grace, and His Spirit moving among us. So, for my money, the phrase "worship experience" is also spot on.
When we experience God, it compels us to serve Him more passionately.
When we serve God, we experience Him more deeply.
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11:26 pm on August 11th, 2010
I am still trying to figure out how to hold onto the spirtual experience everyday. Sunday is so amazing and I am so tuned in. Feel the love and the power. Then when the day is done I don't have it like I do on Sunday. Why????? I pray but it doesn't seem enough. Like I can't get through. I know he loves me and I know I have come along way. But I want that passion that you all have. Whats wrong with me? What do I need to do.
6:58 am on August 12th, 2010
Carol,
If I may, let me point out one misconception that I saw in your comment. You are assuming that we (church staff) are always as pumped up as we are on Sunday.
Here's the dirty little secret…we're not. We don't usually "feel it" through the week like we do on Sundays.
This is one reason why corporate worship gatherings are essential. Not only do we glorify God together, but we also receive encouragement and energy from God and each other.
The other thing I would say is this: the emotional side of our faith is a good thing. A great thing, actually. But it will always come and go. Our faith is more than emotions, as you know. So on the days where we don't feel it…we can keep going because we have something deeper than a feeling. The emotional mountaintop experiences are wonderful and necessary. I wish we felt them everyday, but nobody does.
Hope that helps!
11:28 am on August 12th, 2010
I completely agree. Sustaining Sunday's high is near impossible. I've heard Mike (I think) describe it as a wave. We crest on Sundays, and we spend the rest of the week building back toward Sunday. Carol, one thing I've found is that forcing myself to read the Bible through the week helps, even if it is only in small bites. But that's tough too. We let our busy lives get in the way. It is part of why we feel beat down by Sunday. Also, find a lady in our church to serve as your accountability partner. You aren't alone in this struggle, and often just bouncing that frustration off another person helps a ton.
10:07 pm on August 15th, 2010
Thanks much to both of you. It helped a lot.