For the last nine months, online worship has become the norm. While some of us enjoyed a few weeks of worship in the church building during Fall, it appears that online worship is not going anywhere. How has that experience been for you? I’ll go first — online, at-home worship in the Carey house looks like piling on the sectional still likely in pajamas, wrestling with the dogs, cursing under our breaths when the internet connection fails, awkwardly glancing around during the praise music to see if anyone else is moving their mouths — in a nutshell it doesn’t really feel like worship at all. Am I the only one?
Thankfully scripture tells me that even though Sunday mornings don’t feel especially worshipful, God is still very present. Jesus’ words in Matthew 18:20 reassure me: “For where two or three gather together as my followers, I am there among them.” I am confident that God does not judge our bed-head, our pajamas, our unruly dogs…he rejoices that we’ve shown up. However, I recognize that our Sunday morning worship at home does not communicate to God just how much we love and respect him. If you feel that way, too, let me share a few thoughts on how we can better set the stage for at-home worship.
- Prepare the Place — When we gather in church, our attention is drawn to the altar. We light candles to indicate the presence of God; we dim the overhead lights to create a close, cozy atmosphere and lessen distractions; we select music to set the mood of worship. What can you do in your own home to create such an atmosphere? Can you light a candle? Can you set up a Spotify playlist to play prior to service? Can you dim the lights?
- Prepare Your Heart — Attitude is everything and one of the biggest challenges I face with at-home, online worship. What if we invited God into our hearts before the service? That Spotify playlist can be really helpful here; what if you only listened to worship music for 30 minutes before service? What if you prayed the words of Psalm 5:7-8 just before service: “But I, by your great mercy, will come into your house; in reverence will I bow down toward your holy temple. Lead me, O Lord, in your righteousness because of my enemies — make straight your way before me.” And then trust with hopeful expectation that God will in fact move in your heart during worship.
- Prepare Your Body — In my high school teaching days, I always knew when kids were disengaged by their body posture. A slumping teen is a good indication of a disengeged teen, and that’s true for adults as well. Comfort is certainly ok; that’s one of the advantages of worshipping at home. But what does your body posture say about the preparedness of your heart and mind to receive the word of God? Do you need to have your feet on the floor instead of foot-wrestling with your 10-year-old? Do you need to put on real clothes….not necessarily church clothes but at least something you wouldn’t mind having on if an unexpected guest showed up?
- Participate — I once read that when it comes to worship, God is the audience and the congregation are the actors. We are meant to sing, to pray out loud, to engage in the word. Psalm 40:3 reminds me, “He put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God. Many will see and fear, and put their trust in the LORD.” If I’m not willing to sing, how will others see and fear and put their trust in the Lord? And as a parent, I own that it’s my responsibility to show my kids what worship looks like. If I don’t participate, how do I expect them to learn how to worship? Another difficult challenge of this time is feeling disconnected from the church and its members. The beauty of online worship is the ability to comment during the service…you’re actually encouraged to talk with your friends! So take advantage of the comments section and engage with the message.
- Take Notes — I like to think that I can remember everything I hear in a Sunday sermon, but let’s be honest….most of what I hear is meaningful in the moment and then forgotten as soon as I leave the church or turn off the online stream. And the truth is that I am incredibly distracted during at-home worship, noticing every speck of dust and hearing every random creak in the house. One way to combat that is to take notes during the message. Not only will that help me stay focused but it will also allow me to revisit the message throughout the week and to continue reflecting and learning. And this is something the entire family can do from the youngest to the oldest. Your pre-schooler’s notes may be drawings of words that stand out to them while your elementary schooler copies the scripture to memorize. It’s not about what it looks like; it’s simply about the intention to be present and to hear from God. To help you out, I’ve included a couple of notes pages to guide you. Give it a try!
I miss gathering for worship, but I know that this season is simply that — a season. One day we will gather together for worship again. We’ll greet one another with handshakes and hugs, we’ll stand and sing together without worrying that we’re off-pitch (we all sound good in the universal choir), and we’ll linger in the lobby over coffee and donuts. But in the meantime, we can embrace this season of at-home worship knowing that God is present at all times in all places. We simply need to make the space in our homes and our hearts to welcome him.
I’d love to hear your feedback. What is working for you as you attempt to make at-home worship meaningful? What are you willing to try next Sunday?