3 Simple Ways to Make Worship More Meaningful

I know we can worship God by ourselves, but as a Christian I need to do it with other believers too. It's in the DNA of what it means to be a Christian. We do NOT relate to God ONLY as individuals. Of course we do, but we also relate to Him in communities. The primary relationship God had in the Hebrew Bible was with the PEOPLE of Israel. God is the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, but more centrally the God of Israel.

Jesus worshiped in groups too. He went to synagogue. He ran around with his disciples. He almost never did anything alone. So I'm saddened by how often Christians complain about community worship. It's boring. Or occasionally is enough. Worship should never be boring. It should be inspiring. It should move you. It should be transformative. Sometimes the of lack of these happening is the churches' fault. If that happens too often, I'd suggest finding another church. But sometimes the lack of enthusiasm and lack of transformation that occurs is the worshipper's fault. Here are 3 tips for making the most of worship.

(1) ARRIVE EARLY. When you arrive late, you mind is racing about being late. You miss half the stuff. Sometimes a theme runs through the service and if you miss the beginning, it's like hitting CSI halfway through. You are never really sure what's going on. Don't fall into that trap. Arrive early. Sit down. Pray. Read the Bible for a few minutes. Listen to the choir or band rehearse. Chat with another worshipper. You'll reap the benefits when your heart is more open, your mind is more focused and your worship is more transformational.

(2) CLOSE YOUR EYES WHEN YOU SING. This is especially important for those who are like me and don't sing well. Sometimes we are so self conscious that we have trouble focusing on God. We are too busy wondering what our neighbors are doing. Or wondering what they are thinking. If I know the song - I close my eyes while singing to block that stuff out. At some point - we have to loose ourselves it the community and become one with it as we worship together. And as long as we are observing the community rather than lost in it, we miss out. I do it by closing my eyes. You might do it in another way. Perhaps you need to sit in the front. Or the back. Or on the side. Maybe you need to dress up. Or dress down to be comfortable and relax into the crowd. But find some way to do that.

(3) Ask yourself: WHAT IS GOD SAYING TO ME? Or for the more timid, What might God be saying to me? I am firmly convinced that God speaks a lot more often than we hear. It's a spiritual practice to listen to God. Come to worship expecting God to speak in some way. And then after the worship - ask yourself, What did God say to me? Where did the music, the prayer, the lesson intersect my life?

Worship is one of the most important things we do as Christians. Might as well get as much out of it as possible. Hope this helps.