Week 3: Worship & Idolatry - Day 15

Like sabbath, worship and idolatry are two words that we may think we know, but probably haven't spent much actual time defining in our lives. Instead, we probably have some generalized assumptions that make up our working definitions. The more generalized our working definitions, the easier it is for us to keep thoughts of worship and idolatry at an arm's distance, never fully immersing ourselves in what those definitions mean for our lives.


So let's begin our focus today with definitions from Collins English Dictionary:

worship
— vb , ( US ) -ships , -shipping , -shipped , -ships , -shiping , -shiped
1. ( tr ) to show profound religious devotion and respect to; adore or venerate (God or any person or thingconsidered divine)
2. ( tr ) to be devoted to and full of admiration for
3. ( intr ) to have or express feelings of profound adoration
4. ( intr ) to attend services for worship
5. obsolete ( tr ) to honour
— n
6. religious adoration or devotion
7. the formal expression of religious adoration; rites, prayers, etc
8. admiring love or devotion
9. archaic dignity or standing

idolatry
— n
1. the worship of idols
2. great devotion or reverence

With definitions like these, it's easy to see how easy it is for us to move from worship into idolatry, or vice versa. It's also easy to see how by keeping these words generalized, they can also become a superficial checklist for us to follow, leaving us an easy way out without digging around to see the deeper ways our lives are affected and connected to worship and idolatry. ("I don't have any idols sitting around in my house...don't Hindus?")

So this week, we will have some chewing to do, here at the heart of sabbath living. We've already been building up to it. The past two weeks have been laying the groundwork... gratitude, letting go, care for creation, and confession... Each of those elements are involved in worship. Each of those elements require individual and communal attention. I have a feeling this week might be the hardest for us to dig into yet...

What does worship mean to you? How do you know what you worship and when you have worshiped?

What does idolatry mean to you? What things in your life have become, or run the risk of becoming idolatrous?

As you process your own answers to these questions, use this sabbath opportunity to reorient yourself. Use the practices we have worked through in previous weeks to face idolatry and mark moments of worship in your daily life.

WANT MORE?

Sing along! Pop in an album like Gungor's A Creation Liturgy. As you listen, pay attention to the crowd. The album is a beautiful example of not just a live concert, but worshiping community. The crowd is no mere audience. In this album, you can hear the community join together, singing and proclaiming truth. What I like about the following song is its combination of the individual and communal. Gungor, his band, and the crowd sing of personal and communal renewal. Visit: http://youtu.be/H3Q1IQnKZTU or watch the embedded video on the blog.

The Work of the People: A library of visual liturgies, epistles, verses, benedictions, and more.

Steak on a Paper Plate: It's no surprise to me that this author connects worship life to eating. What's a gathering without food? This article discusses the form and substance of worship.