A youth worker in Minnesota asked me to share my definition of worship with her as part of a lesson she’s preparing for her youth group. I thought it’d be fun to post my response to her (with her permission) for a couple of reasons.
- I hadn’t thought about it like this before.
- I like it when people call me a heretic.
What is worship?
I think the English word for worship is limiting versus what God asks of us. So I break up the act of worship into a bunch different categories. (Not limited to this list)
- We come together to worship God in community.
- We spend time in prayer, fasting, song, reading of Scripture individually.
- Our work is worship.
- Our attitude is worship.
- When I give my talents and treasure to God, that is an act of worship.
- When I journal, that is worship.
- When I am alone with my wife, that is worship.
- Everything I do… I can do as worship of God.
Now, how do I define worship? Worship is any intentional human actions which bring glory and honor to God.
What do you think? Is the intention what makes an act worship? Or have I overstated what worship can be?