PERSONAL PHILOSOPHY OF WORSHIP ___________________

A Paper Presented to Dr. Timothy Ralston Dallas Theological Seminary

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In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Course PM302: Pastoral Theology & Leadership II

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By Samer Suhail Massad December 2012 Box #902

Defining Worship In the evangelical community at large, if you threw out the word worship to the average churchgoer, more than likely, they would probably assume you were talking about singing during the church service. This is a far cry from what the Apostle Paul writes about worship in Romans 12:1-2, where he urges us, in view of Gods mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God- this is your true and proper worship. Here, true and proper worship is described as a sacrifice of our lives, in view of Gods mercy and the cross of Christ. Why then have we diminished the idea of worship to the singing of songs? Giving is just as much worshiping as singing. Serving is just as much worship as singing. Loving your neighbor as yourself is just as much worship as singing. Partaking in communion is as much worship as singing. The reality is, for a believer, worship is a lifestyle with an aspect of community tied to it. As a future church leader, Lord willing, I want to educate and lead from a specific, full, and theologically correct definition of worship. As I am sure this definition is subject to change as my theology continues to be shaped, and with hints of inspiration from Dr. Allen Rosss definition of worship, I have come to the following definition of worship: A celebration of a believers right standing and communion with the Triune God by the will of God the Father, through the sacrifice of God the Son, and by the indwelling of God the Spirit by means of reverent adoration and spontaneous praise of Gods greatness, both in and out of community, an expressed commitment to live, serve, and love in ways worthy of the Gospel of Christ, and in partaking in ritual acts, such as baptism and the Eucharist, commemorating the right standing and communion enjoyed, all in the hope, confidence, and eager anticipation of Christs second coming.

My desire to stress the Triune God is intentional. The church seems to have lost sight of the fact that there actually exists a Trinity! In todays world, Jesus is the emphasis in church. This is not a bad thing. However, there are times when things are attributed to Jesus that would theologically be more appropriate to attribute to the Father or the Spirit. Jesus is God, just as much as the Father is God, and just as much as the Spirit is God. When we worship God, we actually worship the Triune God and this is an area in which the average churchgoer must be more educated and it is our responsibility to do so! As I mentioned earlier, worship should be a lifestyle. The way we choose to treat people is a form of worship. The way we serve the body of Christ and those outside the body of Christ is a form of worship. Imagine if people understood that everyday, they have the opportunity to worship God with their actions, words, and attitudes? What if they truly and deeply understood this was just as much worship as singing on Sunday. What if the eagerness to live a life of worship outside of church equaled the eagerness so many exhibit to worship Sunday morning inside of church? I want to stress and highlight the aspect of community in my definition. Perhaps there is a better way to use the idea of community in my definition, but nevertheless, my point is that celebration within the body of Christ is crucial. God created me for a relationship with Him that is lived out, enjoyed, endured, and experienced in relationship with the body of Christ. With that said, my worship of Him should not be a private matter. This is not meant to diminish the importance of private disciplines that are done alone but rather, meant to emphasize the importance of worshiping regularly with the body of Christ for which there is no substitute. Sunday morning, bed-side Baptist on channel 14 is not worshiping in community, with the body of Christ.

The Eucharist is more than just memorial, but to be completely honest, I do not know what else to say. I am not going to add fluff. The greatest moment of Gods grace is His entrance into human history and becoming mundane and human. Jesus Christ became a human beingflesh and blood. The Eucharist is a celebration, a worship of thanksgiving of that grace. Do I believe it is commemorative? Yes. However, I think there is something more that I just cannot quite put my finger on yet. Baptism is worship by way of obedience. It is a public profession of faith in the community. It should also be celebrated within the community as the work of God. And at the end of it all, there is celebration in the fact that we have hope in Jesus. This place is not our home. The evil, suffering, and afflictions of this world will one day end in the glorious return of our Savior. This is why true worship can happen when a believer dies. To a non-believer, worshiping during death is an oxymoron but as believers, we mourn the loss of family and friends but we can worship and celebrate the fact that death will not have the last word- for Jesus has already spoken it and we eagerly wait His coming. Thus, it is the responsibility of the church to lead people into true and proper worship. What does that look like, outside of teaching? If worship is a lifestyle, how do you emulate that in the church on a Sunday morning? Give opportunities to serve. Give opportunities for your congregation to give financially. Have the Eucharist as often as possible and be creative in the way it is administered! Baptize in a way that compels the congregation to worship and celebrate what God is doing in their midst. Make sure your church never becomes so inwardly focused that they and the leadership of the church loses sight of the lost. This list could go on but the point I want to make is that I want to make an effort in actually helping people not only learn what true worship is but help lead them in a way that is going to practically aid them in living a life of worship.