‘5 a Day’

 

Studies

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2. Worship

Worship

 

  1. As you come together spend a few minutes on your own trying to remember and jot down all the TV programmes or films you have watched, the advertisements you have seen, the books or articles that you have read, the music you have listened to in the last 24 hours.

 

  1. Share together which one / two made the biggest impression

 

(See the end of the study for an alternative opening activity)

 

For the Jewish people until just after the time of Jesus (it was destroyed in AD 70) the Temple was central to worship. Here animal sacrifices were offered by the priests to atone for sins. Once a year on the Day of Atonement the High Priest would enter into the Holy of Holies; the divine throne room, the dwelling place of God on earth. There he would make atonement for the sins of all the people. The Jews believed that the temple was a copy of heaven and the place where God made his dwelling among men and women.

 

This sheds a little light on what happened to the prophet Isaiah when he was worshiping in the Temple.

 

Read Isaiah 6:1-8

3.    Describe what Isaiah experienced

 

4.    What effect did this have on him?

 

 

The writer to the Hebrews was also used to Temple-centred worship. However, he sees this worship transformed by Jesus.

 

Read Heb 10:19-25

5.    How did the writer to the Hebrews see that the death and resurrection of Jesus had changed worship?

 

6.    What effect did he understand that this should have on those who worshipped?

 

 

Paul also used images from the Temple

 

Read Rom 12:1-2

7.    What reference does Paul make to the temple? How does he change this image for his Christian readers?

 

8.    What does he suggest are the characteristics of ‘spiritual worship’ (you may want to look ahead through Ch 12 to identify some more.)

 

Read Mt 6:19-24

 

Jesus here tells his followers not to store up treasures on earth (v19).

 

9.    What are some of the treasures that we might store up?

 

10.  In v22 Jesus says that the eye is the lamp of the body. What do you think he means? What are the things that it is easiest for our eyes to dwell on in our modern world?

 

Worship, to which pagans were denied admission, was all important in the spread of the Church. It was important not because it was attractive, but because its rites and practices made differences in the lives and communities of the worshipers. It performed the function of reforming those pagans who joined the Church into Christians, into distinctive people who lived in a way that was recognisably in the tradition of Jesus Christ

Alan Kreider in Graham Cray Disciples and Citizens

 

11.  How do you respond to this description of worship?

 

12.  How can we make sure that our worship is transforming?

 

 

Alternative Opening Activity

Which of the following words best describe what you expect / hope for in corporate worship? Working on your own highlight 3 words each
  • Familiarity
  • Comfort
  • Inspirational
  • Joyful
  • Relevant
  • Contemplative
  • Reflective
  • Reverent
  • Beautiful
  • Challenging
  • Anything else?

 

 

Which words are most popular in your group?

 

Are there any words which were not chosen at all? Can you together think of reasons why this might be an important aspect of worship (even if it only for some people some of the time…)