Individual & Corporate Worship

Does the way we worship individually affect the way we worship corporately?

Be prepared to back up your answer with Scripture and/or SOP.

Good question Daryl.
I will respond from my personal thought, and it is in harmony with scripture.
Personal worship is reflected in my and our everyday life. Meaning, the way I act/behave shows who I/we are, and who or what we worship. I have not taken scientific statistics but as I associate with fellow church members it is CLEAR that from the Youth up to and including the Seniors, that we as a corporate body are stifeling (sp?) and smothering the church as a body. This is clear when we enter our Maritime churches and the atmosphere is not one of Worship and Joy but one of repetitious service (order of service, time, participants, etc...) Fellowship and Praise takes a back seat to sermon and tradition...I do not have a clear answer...we as a corporate body have the Truth as is presented in scripture, but We MUST pray for the Spirit to be with us.

- Last Day Events---- Satan's Last Day Deceptions
-PG- 160
"The most profitable meetings for spiritual advancement are those which are characterized with solemnity and deep searching of heart, each seeking to know himself and, earnestly and in deep humility, seeking to learn of Christ."--1T 412 (1864).
-END-

A very intereting question to gauge the reason for or the motive behind our worship:

Do we sing about God, or do we sing to God?

Think carefully before answering.

Continue to Grow... always in Christ
Dedreic

It is my observation that those persons who combine the lessons of the book of James & 1st & 2nd Peter - are the ones who outside of Church & inside of Church, not on Sabbath and during Sabbath pray, sing, worship with the spirit & understanding - about God but especially to God.

They are there in His House, in His presence, during His sacred appointed time when He has said He would come and receive them and minister to them during their season of worshiping Him on His terms.

Terms that prepare the worshiper to obtain & receive & put to use what is received - to the intent of helping and blessing others via the stated mission of Scripture. The popular idea that "God is the audience' to my way of looking at it, puts God subordinate to the people coming there to assemble.

If the teachings of Scripture are not followed - Sat night through Friday evening; how can it be called acceptable worship Sabbath throught out the day ? The person's so unprepared during the week, are not made ready to worship by Sabbath morning. Can they sing with the Spirit and the understanding ? What communion during the week is there with God to rise to crescendo during sabbath worship? Thus the hue & cry to hear & sing what reflects the prefered spiritual condition.

Is that all the Everlasting Gospel has to offer in urban society ?

As the teachings of Scripture are followed - Sat night through Friday evening; that is how can it be called acceptable worship Sabbath throught out the day. The person's are prepared during the week, and are made ready to worship by Sabbath morning. Can they sing with the Spirit and the understanding just listen to what they talk about before Church and after? Watch the expressions during singing & listen to the evidences of the works of God during singing. What communion during the week is there with God to rise to crescendo during sabbath worship? - lots of it! Thus the hue & cry to hear & sing what reflects the prefered spiritual condition - Heaven is progressivly more real to them during the week, and thus closer and closer each Sabbath.

What makes the difference ? The teachings & amplifications of Scripture (for non SDA's) and Scripture & SOP for SDA's & non SDA's who by living faith grasp it and engraft it.

engraft = identify, learn, understand & practice, and work to commit to memory, share with others.

The presence Of God comes to individuals and their children covered by their sealing process, if a local Church has members engrafting Scripture & SOP - God fulfills His promise.

"In MY Name" broader & deeper than we think.

Deuteronomy 18:18,19; Psalms 89:18 - 37; Matthew 18:2 - 35; Mark 9:35 - 50; Luke 9:46 - 50; John 14:8 - 29; John 15:1 - 27; John 16:12 - 28.

In these passages look for the references to "in my name & name" What are the conditions, expectations, ramifications, goals of what is involved in the concept brought forth in the phrase and context use of "in my name" ?

The people who during the week are involved with this experience will sing in a manner prompted by this & those who refuse to enter into this will not understand it.

Those who refuse to enter into this weekly communion with God and just come to Church unprepared depending upon basic musical preferences their call will be for varied musical worship that is not the result of weekday communion with God. The contrast & dicotomy will build till one side in the church dominates and often one side leaves.

Song is a part of worship, but it is far inferior to prayer. So according to the spiritual climate of a local Church & the varied understanding or it's lack by it's officers - the nature of worship changes according to what is emphacised and focused upon. Sripture and SOP affords variety but not exclusiveness nor lopsidedness. Not all prayer, not all song, not all testimony, not all preaching, not all superintendent and Sabbath School program, but a harmonious orchestrated unified synergistic blending. Each in it's place edifying and helping the other.

[ September 07, 2002, 06:22 AM: Message edited by: Edward F Sutton ]

Ed, I must beg to differ with you on one of your statements. You said

quote:

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Song is a part of worship, but it is far inferior to prayer.

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Song is prayer to many people. I frequent sing my prayers and find the words of song so full of how I feel that they can only be my prayer. There are times in church that the songs that pray are far more meaningful than the person praying up front (this is not always and sometimes depends on the pray-er). Words of song have uplifted people for many generations, I think to say that song is inferior to prayer tells me that you are not a singer! When one makes the words of a song theirs, knowing from the heart that the song expresses how you feel, then you can understand how song can be prayer.

I find often, in my daily life, that if I am beginning to be bogged down by stress, discouragement, frustration, illness, etc., that when I sing the world is brighter and all the thigns bothering me diminish in importance. Song, for me, truly is the language of the soul and I have no doubt that the Lord hears my songs as the prayers of praise, thanks and plea that they are intended to be.

Worship without song would be as incomplete as worship without prayer or scripture.

[ September 10, 2002, 12:18 PM: Message edited by: Mrs Sarah Moss ]