Worship is my appropriate response to the self disclosure of God. While worship may have private and personal expressions, it is also a corporate experience. There are a myriad of ways people feel most connected to God in personal worship. Some connect through a daily devotional exercise. Others through music or nature. There are those who feel most connected through in-depth Bible study. The list goes on and on. These personal and private expressions create avenues for God to reveal himself and for us to respond in worship.
But worship is not limited to our private experience. There is also an important corporate dimension to worship. In this week’s text, Romans 12:1-2, Paul references “brothers and sisters.” He’s writing to them as individuals and as a congregation, if you will.
Corporate worship is vital to the health and function of the church. When I served in Texas, I worked with a worship pastor who was completely convinced that corporate worship is the life blood of the church. It is where we draw strength for service and guidance for her unified mission. When the body worships together, a synergy is created that helps the body discern God’s will for the body, and, be strengthened to perform God’s will.
