A Theology of Small-Group Worship
Spiritual formation for individuals, small groups, and the church.
| posted 10/10/2008
| Topics: | Creativity, Experiencing God, Meditation, Music, Praise, Worship, Worship groups |
| Filters: | Facilitator, Group Leader, Host, Lead, Worship groups |
| Purpose: | Worship |
| References: |  |
| Date Added: | October 10, 2008 |
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For many churches, the majority of worship happens on Sunday morning. This is a significant way the body of Christ—as a community—focuses on God and his grace. However, worship that takes place during the week is vital to the life of the church, as well.
Small groups have the unique opportunity to worship in an intimate setting, using a range of formats, prayers, and musical styles to express their praise. This worship contributes to the spiritual formation not only individuals, but also the group as a whole. And by strengthening small groups, worship actually builds the church in its understanding of God's character and its evangelistic effectiveness.
Why Is Worship Vital to a Small Group?
When a small group worships together, they—as individuals and as a body—focus their attention first on God and his divine character made manifest in the person of Jesus Christ. Everything else the group does stems from this place of Christ-centeredness. In other words, worship is the fundamental center of a wheel that branches out into spokes. These spokes include evident Christian fruit, like service, compassion, and community.
This upward focus on Jesus also brings a sense of transparency to the group. Coming face-to-face with the holiness of Christ means we see ourselves as we truly are: broken, sinful, and in need of grace. This need is an individual burden and a corporate one. We share this brokenness not just with humanity, but also with all of creation (Romans 8:21–22). In the small-group context, therefore, our worship allows us to share our needs and become vulnerable with God and vulnerable with one another.
Vulnerability is essential for building community in a small group. Our pretenses are stripped down and we come as we are—with our flaws, the messy week we've had, and the angry words we said to our spouse earlier that day. Although these evidences of our brokenness can be easily concealed before our group, worship provides the space to open ourselves to God and to others. Group leaders should encourage the members in their group to see worship as an opportunity for personal spiritual growth and the development of group relationships and communion.
Be warned: when we are honest before God and one another, it is uncomfortable and humbling. We see not only our own brokenness, but also the tangible "humanness" of those in our group. Worshipping together allows the divine and the physical to intersect in powerful, and sometimes awkward, ways. If this is true of the larger church body, it is even more pronounced in a small group consisting of a few people.
I was once in a small group in which an older woman sang boisterously—and off-key. Instead of asking her to tone down, however, the group leader allowed this woman's enthusiasm to be a sign of true worship for our entire group. It was uncomfortable at times, but eventually my group members and I cherished this woman's praises and were able to enter deeper worship because of her adoration. These opportunities for living out the gospel in real Christian community give us a richer understanding of Christ's love and willingness to become flesh and live with us in our messy, broken, and awkward world (Philippians 2:1–11).
Why Is Small-Group Worship Important to the Church?
The church is a dynamic, living body of people founded on Christ. Worship does not happen just once a week in the Sunday morning service. In a healthy church, worship should be active and vibrant in the lives of its members throughout the week. Small groups provide the space and time for corporate worship outside the larger body, and through this more intimate worship and the building of community, the church as a whole is strengthened.
Holy, Holy, Holy: Audio
Download this hymn for free to enhance your group worship time.
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