Concluding our series on worship we consider how we treat money as an act of worship. Paul encourages us all, rich or poor, to not put our faith in money. The love of money can lead to all sorts of problems. Rather contentment is what we’re after. And it can be found by all, wealthy or not, when the whole of our lives (including our wallets) are orientated around, and given in worship to, the only One worthy of devotion. When we worship him we experience the rich provision of everything for our enjoyment that God promises.

Though sung worship is central to our expression of church (culturally, and certainly for us at Bread) the words translated as worship in the new testament aren’t actually to do with singing specifically at all. They build to a much more general picture full and submission and devotion, and wherever these new worshipful communities spread, generosity was their hallmark. It’s not an aspect of christianity that many of us feel most comfortable with, is it? But as Paul reminded the church in Corinth (a community particularly known for its generous promises) giving should not be done under compulsion; rather as a mark of evidence that God’s grace has been understood. Let’s return to this picture of God as the ultimate cheerful giver - the one who shows us how much He loves to gives his children good gifts - as we try to comprehend how this was always meant to work for us too.

The fullest depiction of worship services in NT is found in Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians. There he encourages the church to both follow the way of love and eagerly desire the gifts of the Spirit. It’s always both/and not either/or. When we do both the church is edified, which is always the goal. A church full of the Spirit and full of love is the hope both for us and the world. In this talk we look specifically at the role of the gifts of tongues and prophecy to edify us all.

What does Paul mean when he encourages us to sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs? The role of music in worship isn’t just about creative expression or an excuse to pad out a church service. The way we sing in church today dates back to the days of King David who understood that music was a way to access the presence of God.

From the beginning God’s people have engaged in the regular worship of God. From a biblical perspective, not only is worship of God our highest calling, it is in fact integral to who we are. So understanding what worship is, how we do it, and practicing it enables us to become more fully ourselves. This short series covers the worship life of bread - from sung worship in services on a Sunday, to a general posture of worshipfulness throughout our daily lives, to worshipping God with our resources, our time, and our gifting. Enjoy!