The Formative Power Of Public Worship

Corporate worship forms a community into the body of Christ and has great influence in shaping the spirituality of its members. Every worshiping community has a great responsibility for how this influence is wielded. Communities that take seriously their corporate worship life will find great benefits in the spiritual growth and vitality of individual members. This article describes how worship forms the faith of the community and provides suggestions for how communities can do this more effectively. The public act of Christian worship (the liturgy) is the single most formative event in the life of the Christian community. Men and women are transformed into the image of Christ through the means of grace; and nothing is so significant in this respect as the regular, consistent participation in corporate worship. It is for this reason that worship has always been seen as the central life of the Christian community. Other components or dimensions of our common life together flow out of …