Worship Out of the Church

Worship. Say the word and the sound of singing plays through your mind. A vision of people with their faces toward heaven, and their eyes closed, and their arms lifted. People being all... worshippy.

But one thing I've learned is, if you worship only in church, you aren't. You're performing. Worship isn't something we do. It is an attitude we have.

The book of Psalms, we know, is a book of worship. Of praise to God. Psalm 23, for example, is well-known as a song of praise for God's care and protection. But what I want to look at is Psalm 19.

The Psalmist is praising God for His glorious works as the Psalm opens. "The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork."

But, as the worship continues, he goes on. Verse 9-14:

 The fear of the Lord is pure,
    enduring forever.
The decrees of the Lord are firm,
    and all of them are righteous.

¹⁰ They are more precious than gold,
    than much pure gold;
they are sweeter than honey,
    than honey from the honeycomb.
¹¹ By them your servant is warned;
    in keeping them there is great reward.
¹² But who can discern their own errors?
    Forgive my hidden faults.
¹³ Keep your servant also from willful sins;
    may they not rule over me.
Then I will be blameless,
    innocent of great transgression.

¹⁴ May these words of my mouth and this meditation of my heart
    be pleasing in your sight,
    Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer.

The Psalmist is still worshiping -- and wants to continue to do so. But not merely in a church service. He wants to worship God with his whole being. He wants to worship by serving his God; by keeping himself pure;  by making his words,  and his very thoughts, holy. 

We don't worship with our singing voices and our instruments. We worship as we love: with all our hearts, all our souls, all our minds, and all our strength.