George Barna, in his book "Revolution," discusses the change of thinking concerning worship in America. His thesis is that Sunday morning worship will go by the wayside as people see "all of life is worship." First, we have Hebrews 10:25 placing an emphasis on meeting together. This verse is in context of what Jesus is doing for us in heaven, being our liturgical leader. Then there is this special sense that on resurrection day that we too are carried into heaven by the Spirit. (Heb 12) And this is done in the context of communal gathering. While I agree that "all life is worship" there is something special and unique about Sunday morning that is separate. Sunday morning is the center-point for which all life-worship revolves around. We have lost the "official" character of the Lord's Day service. What I mean is that it becomes for most people primarily at time for each individual to get some edifying teaching and sing some inspiring songs. What we need to remember is that when the local body of Christ gathers around the Word and the Table on the Lord's Day she does so as the Queen of Heaven, the Bride of King Jesus. She speaks to him in prayer and she learns how she is to be her Husband's helper in his plan for world transformation and glorification. This OUGHT to be reflected in the prayers, hymns, and liturgy of the church. Unfortunately, what we Americans have done is transform the content and form of the liturgy into something that helps promote individual devotions. So then, the thought is "All of life is worship; therefore what happens Sunday morning isn't especially important." Better, I think: "All of life is worship; therefore what happens Sunday morning is absolutely crucial." Hopefully we all can recover more of this perspective through the studying of Scriptures and the reading of church history. The big point being made by Jesus in the John 4 passage cannot be that now in the New Testament individuals can bow down, pray to, or mentally worship God wherever they want. This has always been the case. The controversy here is about where the people of Samaria should gather to bow down in special corporate worship. All special, corporate worship in the Bible is external and bodily, with all of the attendant Biblical rituals.
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