I am convinced that one of the root causes of the numerical decline and spiritual decay of American Christianity is its perversion of what it means to worship.
From what I can see, pastor/parish priests are scurrying about these days to find effective ways that they can get, at the very least, Sunday's sermon out to their flock, since the flock won't be able to come together as a flock for the Sunday morning show for a while.
You know that nothing even remotely similar to the sermon existed in the New Testament, don't you?
The word itself wasn't even invented until about a thousand years ago.
Worship, in the biblical sense, has nothing to do with the preaching of, nor the listening to, a sermon.
The New Testament speaks of gatherings rarely and of worship almost not at all.
And, the New Testament never confuses the gathering with worship.
Here's what worship is, according to Paul:
"...offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God--this is true and proper worship." (Rom. 12:1)
These troubled times are times when worship will be unbelievably easy.
Gathering may be difficult, so long as you think of gathering in the way institutionalized religion defines it. And, gathering is important among followers of Jesus.
We should not be "giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing..." (Heb. 10:25)
But, gathering isn't worship.
These days, gathering will be a challenge.
Opportunities to engage in "true and proper worship" will be a piece of cake.
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