Expressing Worship

Every Sunday, our church family has a lot to say about God.  We sing songs that praise God for who God is and what God has done.  We pray prayers that appreciate God’s qualities.  We read scriptures describing God’s incredible character.  We communicate a lot of big ideas about God and God's character in worship.

           

In the midst of all the big ideas, we also clap our hands.  Some tap their toes.  Others extend their arms in surrender or bow their heads in reverence.  We get expressive when communicating the big ideas about God.

Some might wonder why we do this.  Theology seems like serious business.  You wouldn’t think that people would get excited about Christian doctrine and belief.  But, we do.

We do these things because we see a connection between spiritual belief and physical expression.  Our spiritual posture is connected to our physical posture.  Psalm 95 begins by saying, “Come, let us sing for joy to the Lord; let us shout aloud to the Rock of our salvation…” Six verses later, the Psalmist continues: “come let us bow down in worship, let us kneel before the Lord our maker.”  The author of this Psalm encourages the faith community to praise the Lord in words as well as physical expression.  Words and actions are both expressions of praise.

As you worship this week, express words of praise to the Lord.  Clap your hands, raise your hands, and stomp your feet.  Kneel in prayer.  Bow your head in reverence.  As you do, you will find great ways to love the Lord your God with heart, soul, mind, and strength.