The Relationship Between Private And Public Worship

Genuine worship and prayer is extremely difficult in the hurried pace of everyday life. Stress and busyness reduce not only the time we spend in prayer and worship but also the attention and energy we bring to it. This article reflects on the importance of opening ourselves to the awareness of God's presence in both private and public worship. Most of us in the Protestant tradition have learned that worship and prayer mean addressing God. Whether saying prayers or singing hymns of adoration, confession, or supplication, we tend to think of prayer and worship as isolated actions. This understanding grows out of our experience within our faith tradition and our culture, and informs how we view both communal and private worship. Rather than being the initiators and sole doers of prayer and worship, the Scriptures and our experience inform us that God is the great initiator. God created us, began the relationship; and throughout the Scriptures we discover God continuing to be the initiat…