Sunday worship involves activities seldom performed the rest of the week. Unless you are in a classical ensemble or choir you may rarely read music, for example. And the overall posture of facing God in community is rare outside of Sunday morning.
Our congregation is hosting a practice for worship this Sunday (9 am before 10 am worship) banking on the hope many of us wish to worship better. If worship is a sport or a skill, then it deserves at least periodic rehearsal in addition to the regular performance.
Recently I listened to Timothy Snyder’s lecture on Havel, Zelensky and freedom. He makes a fascinating secular proposal for something that is also a baseline Lutheran insight, that true freedom will often find itself doing the one thing.
This may sound ironic, since the lack of choice in a consumer culture is perceived as the opposite of freedom.
but Snyder points out based on his interview of Zelensky that the freedom the president is Ukraine exercised was to stay. He had one option that was the free option: he didn’t flee.
I think of worship like this. Christian worship is not required, it is free. But a Christian as part of their identity will not neglect worship. They will worship, because it is their freedom.
We practice and gird ourselves for such exercises in freedom. It is how we are formed that then tests who we will freely be.
Worship itself in song and prayer is like this. A song has a shape, it goes in a direction. Freedom in singing is to follow and sing along.
As we go into this weekend, consider what you might do that will facilitate and strengthen your free participation in worship.
I enjoy singing during worship and especially the familiar red book literary.
Daisy M
Thank you for sharing your thoughts on this, Clint! I absolutely agree. What are your thoughts on practice prior to worship during youth group gatherings? It's a much more informal setting. At this time, our musicians don't get together prior to youth group, but our worship band for the church service does weekly. Perhaps we could get the musicians together monthly for youth group worship?
Thanks!