Creekside Church, Sunday, November 19, 2023
The Practice of Meeting Together
Locations & Times
Creekside Church
660 Conservation Dr, Waterloo, ON N2J 3Z4, Canada
Sunday 9:00 AM
Sunday 10:30 AM
Why do we gather on a Sunday morning?
**Christian worship is formational.**
It is a counter formational liturgy.
We are not here because God needs anything from us. We are here to have our hearts shaped, to learn to love.
---
Shape us into what?
The people of God.
A holy nation. People set apart. Image Bearers.
Phil 1:1 - Paul and Timothy, servants of Christ Jesus, To all God’s holy people in Christ Jesus at Philippi,
When God forms Israel he doesn't just give rules he gives practices and festivals. He gives them a calendar with weekly and yearly rhythms so they will rehearse the story and be reminded of who God is and who they are.
The church does the same.
We need to gather to be re-oriented and reminded and refreshed/renewed.
"The goal of Christian worship is a renewal of the mandate in creation: to be (re)made in God’s image and then sent as his image bearers to and for the world." – James K.A. Smith
“I cannot answer the question, ‘What ought I to do?’ unless I first answer the question, ‘Of which story am I a part?’” Alasdair MacIntyre, After Virtue
"In worship we don’t just come to show God our devotion and give him our praise; we are called to worship because in this encounter God (re)makes and molds us top-down. Worship is the arena in which God recalibrates our hearts, reforms our desires, and rehabituates our loves. Worship isn’t just something we do; it is where God does something to us. Worship is the heart of discipleship because it is the gymnasium in which God retrains our hearts." - James K.A. Smith, You Are What You Love
---
Physical Gathering?
Hebrews 10:24-25
2 John
Acts 2
---
Sunday doesn't have to be formational.
---
Takes some intention.
Think through each element on your own.
- Before you leave your home. How do you prepare?
- Do you arrive early?
- Parking Lot Volunteers
- Greeters
- Kids Ministry
- Is there time for fellowship before service?
- Announcements
- Musical Worship - Posture? Confession? Pause? Look around at the body of Christ? Lament? Praise?
- Sermon
- Benediction – We are being sent out with a renewed hope/worldview
---
1 Cor 9:24-27
24 Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. 25 Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. 26 Therefore I do not run like someone running aimlessly; I do not fight like a boxer beating the air. 27 No, I strike a blow to my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.
---
Confession with the assurance of forgiveness is a formative experience.
"In Christian worship we face and own up to the fact that we don’t always love what we say or think we do." - James K.A. Smith
**Christian worship is formational.**
It is a counter formational liturgy.
We are not here because God needs anything from us. We are here to have our hearts shaped, to learn to love.
---
Shape us into what?
The people of God.
A holy nation. People set apart. Image Bearers.
Phil 1:1 - Paul and Timothy, servants of Christ Jesus, To all God’s holy people in Christ Jesus at Philippi,
When God forms Israel he doesn't just give rules he gives practices and festivals. He gives them a calendar with weekly and yearly rhythms so they will rehearse the story and be reminded of who God is and who they are.
The church does the same.
We need to gather to be re-oriented and reminded and refreshed/renewed.
"The goal of Christian worship is a renewal of the mandate in creation: to be (re)made in God’s image and then sent as his image bearers to and for the world." – James K.A. Smith
“I cannot answer the question, ‘What ought I to do?’ unless I first answer the question, ‘Of which story am I a part?’” Alasdair MacIntyre, After Virtue
"In worship we don’t just come to show God our devotion and give him our praise; we are called to worship because in this encounter God (re)makes and molds us top-down. Worship is the arena in which God recalibrates our hearts, reforms our desires, and rehabituates our loves. Worship isn’t just something we do; it is where God does something to us. Worship is the heart of discipleship because it is the gymnasium in which God retrains our hearts." - James K.A. Smith, You Are What You Love
---
Physical Gathering?
Hebrews 10:24-25
2 John
Acts 2
---
Sunday doesn't have to be formational.
---
Takes some intention.
Think through each element on your own.
- Before you leave your home. How do you prepare?
- Do you arrive early?
- Parking Lot Volunteers
- Greeters
- Kids Ministry
- Is there time for fellowship before service?
- Announcements
- Musical Worship - Posture? Confession? Pause? Look around at the body of Christ? Lament? Praise?
- Sermon
- Benediction – We are being sent out with a renewed hope/worldview
---
1 Cor 9:24-27
24 Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. 25 Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. 26 Therefore I do not run like someone running aimlessly; I do not fight like a boxer beating the air. 27 No, I strike a blow to my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.
---
Confession with the assurance of forgiveness is a formative experience.
"In Christian worship we face and own up to the fact that we don’t always love what we say or think we do." - James K.A. Smith