1115 Worship
11-15-15: Jaime George & Leslie Jordan:
Worship APPETIZER: What is Worship? Worship encompasses many different forms, but starts with sacrifice.
DINE-IN: Why Worship Together? Just showing up is the beginning of worship: a sacrifice of time. Something that is innately good can become exceedingly great when we experience it together Good food = Great food when shared with others! Our collective worship (in the gathering) becomes more meaningful when we know (& are known by) those around us. Liturgy = “way of doing things” Leslie’s family liturgy = UT tailgate party, singing Rocky Top • The tailgate party & song are not the “thing” – they are the celebration of the “thing.” • Our songs are not our relationship with God – they are a medium in which we celebrate our relationship with God.
We all worship something. What holds your attention? We tend to worship one (or more) of the three: Power, Comfort, or Approval. Journey’s Liturgy: Welcome/Songs ! Message ! Songs (& communion, giving, etc) YOU & YOUR SPIRIT matter to the gathering. Our worship looks the way it does because of who shows up. The basic bones will remain the same, but the worship experience is altered by the presence of the people.
TAKE-OUT:
1. What are some of your family’s liturgies? If you don’t have one that incorporates God, try something new! Maybe bundle up & go to a park to watch a sunset together – then reflect on the day, sharing with each other. Maybe read a Bible story together – or each share a different passage that is meaningful. Or even just answer a few questions together after dinner like, “Where did you see Jesus today? What was good today? For what are you thankful?” 2. Make a few conscious sacrifices this week. Wake up early to spend time with God. Give extra in your offering. Do something that sacrifices your usual preferences as an act of worship. Make it even more fun by inviting someone to do it with you!
Village Conversation HANGOUT (Warm-up) 1. What is worship to you? In what ways has worship affected you, both individually & with other people?
HEAR (Listen to God through scripture)
2. Read the following scripture aloud: John 4:1-42 3. Take 1-‐2 minutes of silence to meditate on the words. 4. Now re-read the same scripture all together. a. What stands out to you? What do you notice? b. If you were the woman at the well, how would you respond to Jesus when he calls out her sin? c. What does the water (in the story) represent to you in your life? d. After her conversation with Jesus, the woman could have reveled in that single encounter, but instead runs back to the town, leaving her water bucket. What do you think makes this significant? e. Did the whole town eventually believe in Jesus? What can we learn from this?
HUDDLE (Making it Personal & Praying together)
Feel free to continue the discussion as a whole group, or split up into smaller ones: 5. Have you ever had an encounter with Jesus, similar to the woman at the well? What was it like? 6. How can you access living water on a daily basis? 7. Pray for each other. Pray for your neighborhood. Pray for our Journey family – & for a permanent space to meet!
QUOTES/SCRIPTURE…
They brought the Chest of God and placed it right in the center of the tent that David had pitched for it; then they worshiped by presenting burnt offerings and peace offerings to God. When David had completed the offerings of worship, he blessed the people in the name of God. Then he passed around to every one there, men and women alike, a loaf of bread, a slice of barbecue, and a raisin cake. Then David assigned some of the Levites to the Chest of God to lead worship—to intercede, give thanks, and praise the God of Israel. - 1 Chronicles 16:1-4 (MSG)
Worship was an act of a people – a congregation – gathering before God offering sacrifices, various sacrifices providing a kind of sign language for all the ways in which they brought their failed or needy or grateful lives to God. - Eugene Peterson, Practice Resurrection You are already a sacrifice to something. You are already worshipping something. You are already in service to something. You are not free… You are gonna have to serve something and only God is infinitely wise and infinitely kind… and infinitely loving. - Timothy Keller, Everyone With A Gift, Podcast on Romans 12 Worship means, literally, acknowledging the worth of something or someone. It means recognizing and saying that something or someone is worthy of praise. It means celebrating the worth of someone or something far superior to oneself. - N.T. Wright, Simply Christian But the time is coming – it has in fact, come-‐ when what you’re called will not matter and where you go to worship will not matter. It’s who you are and the way you live that count before God. Your worship must engage your spirit in the pursuit of truth. That’s the kind of people the Father is out looking for; those who are simply and honestly themselves before him in their worship. God is sheer being itself – Spirit. Those who worship him must do it out of their very being, their spirits, their true selves, in adoration. - John 4:23-24 (MSG) From the beginning it was clear that Christianity is something people do together…all members of the Body of Christ should be awake and active in personal faith; should know their own responsibilities and make real for themselves the privilege of worship. That way when the whole assembly gathers together, each will have his or her own joy and sorrow, insight and question, to bring. - N.T. Wright, Simply Christian Good Christian liturgy is friendship in action, love taking thought, the covenant relationship between God and his people not simply discovered and celebrated like the sudden meeting of friends, exciting and worthwhile though that is, but thought through and relished, planned and prepared -‐-‐ an ultimately better way for the relationship to grow and at the same time a way of demonstrating what the relationship is all about. - N.T. Wright, After You Believe That was the day that David inaugurated regular worship of praise to God, led by Asaph and his company. - 1 Chronicles 16:7 (MSG)
Worship APPETIZER: What is Worship? Worship encompasses many different forms, but starts with sacrifice.
DINE-IN: Why Worship Together? Just showing up is the beginning of worship: a sacrifice of time. Something that is innately good can become exceedingly great when we experience it together Good food = Great food when shared with others! Our collective worship (in the gathering) becomes more meaningful when we know (& are known by) those around us. Liturgy = “way of doing things” Leslie’s family liturgy = UT tailgate party, singing Rocky Top • The tailgate party & song are not the “thing” – they are the celebration of the “thing.” • Our songs are not our relationship with God – they are a medium in which we celebrate our relationship with God.
We all worship something. What holds your attention? We tend to worship one (or more) of the three: Power, Comfort, or Approval. Journey’s Liturgy: Welcome/Songs ! Message ! Songs (& communion, giving, etc) YOU & YOUR SPIRIT matter to the gathering. Our worship looks the way it does because of who shows up. The basic bones will remain the same, but the worship experience is altered by the presence of the people.
TAKE-OUT:
1. What are some of your family’s liturgies? If you don’t have one that incorporates God, try something new! Maybe bundle up & go to a park to watch a sunset together – then reflect on the day, sharing with each other. Maybe read a Bible story together – or each share a different passage that is meaningful. Or even just answer a few questions together after dinner like, “Where did you see Jesus today? What was good today? For what are you thankful?” 2. Make a few conscious sacrifices this week. Wake up early to spend time with God. Give extra in your offering. Do something that sacrifices your usual preferences as an act of worship. Make it even more fun by inviting someone to do it with you!
Village Conversation HANGOUT (Warm-up) 1. What is worship to you? In what ways has worship affected you, both individually & with other people?
HEAR (Listen to God through scripture)
2. Read the following scripture aloud: John 4:1-42 3. Take 1-‐2 minutes of silence to meditate on the words. 4. Now re-read the same scripture all together. a. What stands out to you? What do you notice? b. If you were the woman at the well, how would you respond to Jesus when he calls out her sin? c. What does the water (in the story) represent to you in your life? d. After her conversation with Jesus, the woman could have reveled in that single encounter, but instead runs back to the town, leaving her water bucket. What do you think makes this significant? e. Did the whole town eventually believe in Jesus? What can we learn from this?
HUDDLE (Making it Personal & Praying together)
Feel free to continue the discussion as a whole group, or split up into smaller ones: 5. Have you ever had an encounter with Jesus, similar to the woman at the well? What was it like? 6. How can you access living water on a daily basis? 7. Pray for each other. Pray for your neighborhood. Pray for our Journey family – & for a permanent space to meet!
QUOTES/SCRIPTURE…
They brought the Chest of God and placed it right in the center of the tent that David had pitched for it; then they worshiped by presenting burnt offerings and peace offerings to God. When David had completed the offerings of worship, he blessed the people in the name of God. Then he passed around to every one there, men and women alike, a loaf of bread, a slice of barbecue, and a raisin cake. Then David assigned some of the Levites to the Chest of God to lead worship—to intercede, give thanks, and praise the God of Israel. - 1 Chronicles 16:1-4 (MSG)
Worship was an act of a people – a congregation – gathering before God offering sacrifices, various sacrifices providing a kind of sign language for all the ways in which they brought their failed or needy or grateful lives to God. - Eugene Peterson, Practice Resurrection You are already a sacrifice to something. You are already worshipping something. You are already in service to something. You are not free… You are gonna have to serve something and only God is infinitely wise and infinitely kind… and infinitely loving. - Timothy Keller, Everyone With A Gift, Podcast on Romans 12 Worship means, literally, acknowledging the worth of something or someone. It means recognizing and saying that something or someone is worthy of praise. It means celebrating the worth of someone or something far superior to oneself. - N.T. Wright, Simply Christian But the time is coming – it has in fact, come-‐ when what you’re called will not matter and where you go to worship will not matter. It’s who you are and the way you live that count before God. Your worship must engage your spirit in the pursuit of truth. That’s the kind of people the Father is out looking for; those who are simply and honestly themselves before him in their worship. God is sheer being itself – Spirit. Those who worship him must do it out of their very being, their spirits, their true selves, in adoration. - John 4:23-24 (MSG) From the beginning it was clear that Christianity is something people do together…all members of the Body of Christ should be awake and active in personal faith; should know their own responsibilities and make real for themselves the privilege of worship. That way when the whole assembly gathers together, each will have his or her own joy and sorrow, insight and question, to bring. - N.T. Wright, Simply Christian Good Christian liturgy is friendship in action, love taking thought, the covenant relationship between God and his people not simply discovered and celebrated like the sudden meeting of friends, exciting and worthwhile though that is, but thought through and relished, planned and prepared -‐-‐ an ultimately better way for the relationship to grow and at the same time a way of demonstrating what the relationship is all about. - N.T. Wright, After You Believe That was the day that David inaugurated regular worship of praise to God, led by Asaph and his company. - 1 Chronicles 16:7 (MSG)
