when does worship begin?

Great post from our friend Jan's blog:


Sabbatical as Worship

I cringe a little when I hear the words "Contemporary Worship."

The cringe is about a couple things:

- Sometimes it's said by churchy people with great pride as in, "We also have a contemporary worship service" as if we are to congratulate them for being so . . . contemporary.

- Sometimes it's said as if that term has only one meaning. Do you mean hot metal music? Folk music? Jesus-is-my-boyfriend music? Taize? Do you mean people are sitting on sofas and drinking coffee? Do you mean it's exactly like the "Traditional Worship" but with drums? Guitars? Is everybody wearing Hawaiian shirts?

- Mostly the cringe is about the word "worship" in general - that it happens only in church buildings and with a set liturgy that includes all The Big Pieces: adoration, confession, supplication, thanksgiving. And sacraments.

We are all so busy that I'm a big believer in carving out a set time (every day?!) for worship. [Note: I believe in it but I don't do it because I am A Bad Christian.] We need that 11 am hour on Sundays - or whenever. We need liturgy.

But the liturgy of our lives is bigger than what happens between The Call to Worship and The Benediction. Or The Prelude and The Postlude - whether played by a pipe organ or a DVD...

Read the rest here.