A Week of Worship

My Spiritual Formation Class has been moving along, as has been my life.  Our theme for this past week has been worship.  I have been practicing it, and here goes my report.

When I was a boy, my parents would bring me to church.  I would witness the gathering of the church, and when I wasn't daydreaming, would sing along in the hymns and listen to the sermons.  Nevertheless, the experience did not feel fulfilling or transformative.

As I grew, I began to understand the Gospel that Christ died to save sinners like me and wanted to live my life for him, and when I was 13, I made that confession with my whole heart.  After that I came to understand that worship was a response to God's love.  It is my duty to thank God with my outpowering of praise seen in worship.

Throughout my biblical education in bible studies and college, I have come to understand that worship is more than just an hour and a half service where you "do the right things" and "say the right words."  After all, Jesus called the Pharisees "Whitewashed tombs" because they tried to look perfect on the outside by following all of the laws while really on the inside they were self-righteous, judgemental, and greedy. 

I will be straitforward and list my observations and things that I learned from worship this week.
1. It was a challenge to be well-rested for the worship service and to stay attentive through the sermon.
2. It was a challenge to want to socialize with brothers and sisters in Christ after the service when I would rather go home to my room and do--nothing?  Why?
3. It was a challenge to put my heart into a Psalter whose tune and words I have never heard before.
4. It was difficult for me not to judge people based on a multitute of reasons, while the reason I am at church is because God has judged me righteous because of His son, and therefore I have no need to judge others who are just as guilty as me.
Some of these pitfalls can be corrected by a change in scheduling, others go deep into my attitude and heart intentions. 
      Worship is such an important of not only Sunday, but every day of the week, and everything I do.  It is so important, that if I do not conscientiously commit my activities to God, I find myself thinking and acting selfishly or falling into sin.  I find myself challenged to sacrifice my time, my words, and my thoughts to God, and give them as worship.