Here is the article I wrote for the latest edition of the Courant, our church’s newsletter:

What do You Worship?

I have a book entitled Worship and Christian Identity: Practicing Ourselves by E. Byron Anderson. It isn’t my favorite book, but it is one of my favorite titles. There is something profoundly true about worship being the context within which we “practice ourselves” – the environment in which our Christian identities are formed and (re)formed. At its most basic level, the object of our worship and the way we worship both reflects what we are and forms what we are becoming.

All of this is pretty standard; if you have been around me very much you have heard me say similar things on a regular basis. Lately, however, I’ve been struck by the realization that, even though we do not all regularly participate in Church, we do all worship. We all “practice ourselves” in ways that reveal both what we are and what we are becoming. The question is simply whether our worship is Christian.

By “worship” I mean: what do we value with our bodies, hearts, and minds? In other words, when push comes to shove, what is really important to us? What is it, in your life, that trumps everything else – that you’re willing to sacrifice almost anything for? Is it your pension (or bank account)? Is it you job (or lack of one)? Is it your family (or desire for one)? Is it your hobby (or hobbies)? Is it God?

On the surface, it might not seem like our commitment to these things is really “worship,” but a little bit of meditation on the topic is likely to reveal that the “really important” things we put time and energy into does actually reflect something about what we are and reveal something about what we are becoming.

As we embark on a new calendar year, many of us are making resolutions. Whether you’re a resolution person or not, let me encourage you to ensure that whatever you worship in the coming year is worthy of your efforts and that it practices what you really want to be.

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Grace and Peace,
`tim