“Perhaps no activity is more central to biblical worship than music.” – Stanley J. Grenz [viii]

For many, the word “worship” often brings to mind beautiful memories of music and song. These aspects of worship are so important for the worshiping community. Women and men have responded to God in this way since Israel was first established as God’s chosen people. When God rescued Israel from the Egyptians, what did they do? They broke out in song! (Exodus 15:1-18)

Although its style and form vary among cultures, music is a universal part of human life. It offers us a medium through which we can express who we are, how we feel and what we value.

Let’s hold on to this thought as we practice our daily rhythm.

Pause 

As I enter prayer now, I pause to be still; to breathe slowly; to recenter my scattered senses upon the presence of God.

Jesus, my Lord and one worthy of worship, as I engage with your Word I ask that you would speak to me, that you would call to me, and that I would be filled with joy as I follow you today.

Read & Reflect 

Song can help us communicate in ways that other creative mediums can’t. Not only can we express what we think and believe through lyrics, but the structure of the music can even communicate our conception of the world. But, this too could be said for spoken word, poetry or prose. What makes music something even more evocative is the way it reflects aspects of ourselves that go beyond our intellect.

Through song, we can express our full self, our thoughts, beliefs, feelings, emotions and moods. Think about this in our own personal lives. Isn’t it true that whether we’re happy or sad, fuming or peaceful, we often hum a tune or sing a lyric to express ourselves? It’s no wonder song is such a universal response when expressing God’s worthiness!

As participants of a worshiping community, we not only harmonize with one another and those around the world, we also join all of creation in singing songs to God in worship. 

All the earth worships you; they sing praises to you, sing praises to your name.” Selah (Psalm 66:4)

To all who respond to God’s great invitation, Isaiah writes, “For you shall go out in joy, and be led back in peace; the mountains and the hills before you shall burst into song, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands.” (Isaiah 55:12)

Obviously Isaiah isn’t being literal when he says the mountains will burst into song (mountains don’t have vocal chords) or trees will clap their hands (do your trees have hands?). Yet, notice how Isaiah refers to song and music in order to convey a relatable response to joy and peace. Through the medium of music we are able to uniquely capture both for ourselves and for others our deep emotions and desires in ways other creative forms simply cannot do.

As we engage in expressing our full selves to God through song, it’s important that we recognize two key aspects of worship: The vertical and the horizontal.

In musical worship, our primary focus is vertical.  The Psalmist encourages us to, “Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth. Worship the Lord with gladness; come into his presence with singing” (Psalm 100:1-2). Our singing is first and foremost directed to God as the subject rather than the object of our worship. God is not an object for our pleasure, but rather the subject of our praise. God alone is worthy of our attention and alone forms us as we sing, tell, pray, and enact God’s redemptive story in worship.

As we are formed in our vertical worship of God, we also sing to one another and to ourselves. The apostle Paul encourages us to do so when he writes, “…be filled by the Spirit, speaking to one another in psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, singing and making music in your hearts to the Lord” (Ephesians 5:18b-19). This horizontal component of song is not us worshiping ourselves, but rather us using lyrics to remind ourselves of who God is, who we are, and whose we are. Through song, our worship of God (vertical) encourages one another (horizontal) in faith and faithfulness!

Ask 

Pause and Pray

Holy Spirit, fill me and create a new song of worship in my heart. Bring a song to my lips that I might join all of creation in worship of you.  Restore the joy of my salvation as I seek to follow Jesus again today.

As we sing songs of worship to God we participate not only with all of creation on earth, but in heaven as well.  In Revelation 4:8 we are given a soundbite into an eternal song similar to that of Isaiah:

And the four living creatures, each of them with six wings, are full of eyes all around and inside. Day and night without ceasing they sing,

“Holy, holy, holy, the Lord God the Almighty, who was and is and is to come.”

Imagine this! Angels are singing right now, right this very moment “Holy, Holy, Holy!” The worship songs that we sing are actually being sung in heaven at the very same time?! The reality is, we join with all of creation as we worship God through music. Listen to their voices inviting us to join in an eternal song of praise!

Journal and/or self-reflect:

• Listen to Holy Holy Holy by Hillsong United
• What has been my experience with musical worship? What images, memories or emotions arise in me?
• Do I tend to think more about what I get out of worship or what I bring to worship? Explain.
• How do I feel knowing I join in all of creation, on earth as it is in heaven, in musical worship of a holy, creative and worthy God? Explain.

Yield 

Although God is the subject of our worship and affection, we are the subject of God’s affection as well. Scripture tells us that God engages in song…over us! Although God doesn’t worship us, God does take great delight in us and rejoices over us with singing (Zephaniah 3:17).

Yielding Prayer

As we engage in prayer today, let’s make it our own by finishing the following prompts:

Holy God, the one who rejoices over me with singing, I am humbled in your presence once again.  Lead me in your eternal song as I focus my affection toward you. I am reminded of all the ways you have met me…

I yield myself to your invitation to join all of creation in worship of you. Unite me with my brothers and sisters in a life of worship as we seek to follow Jesus every day, and everywhere, with everyone.

Father, help me to live this day to the full…. 

Jesus, help me to give myself away to others… 

Spirit, fill my life with your presence…

Amen.

“Come, let us sing for joy to the LORD; let us shout aloud to the Rock of our salvation.” – Psalm 95:1

Worship is so beautifully multifaceted. As we’ve already discovered, musical worship is such an important and core component of what shapes us as a worshiping community. And yet, there are so many other amazing ways in which we get to worship God. What’s even more amazing is that each aspect, when brought together, enhances the other!

We celebrate with the Israelites in making music a core component in our expression of worship. However, what was once center stage is now peripheral to the focal point in Christian worship, declaration. The Bible highlights declaration (proclamation, confession, or a testimony of praise) as a core component to every worshiping community.

When we gather together as a worshiping community, we come to speak and to listen to God and one another. [x]

Let’s hold on to this thought as we practice our daily rhythm.

Pause

As I enter prayer now, I pause to be still; to breathe slowly; to recenter my scattered senses upon the presence of God.

Jesus Christ, my Life and my Redeemer, as I dive into your Word I ask that you would enliven my heart, redeem my understanding, and fill me with a declaration of praise as I follow you today.

Read & Reflect 

“Sing to him, sing praises to him, tell of all his wonderful works. Sing to the Lord, all the earth. Tell of his salvation from day to day.” (1 Chronicles 16:9, 23)

In ancient Israel, singing and declaring were commonly linked together. We see this in 1 Chronicles 16 above. It’s as if King David used these words inseparably, “Sing/Tell…Sing/Tell…” It’s as if we can’t have one without the other.

And these declarations weren’t always calm and composed (neither was King David in 2 Samuel 6:14). “Come, let us sing for joy to the LORD; let us shout aloud to the Rock of our salvation” (Psalm 95:1). Some translations say, “let us shout out praises” (NET) or “shout joyfully” (NLT) or “make a joyful noise” (NRSV). These English translations of the Hebrew Scriptures try to capture the meaning, but don’t quite get there. [xi]

The Hebrew word translated as “shout” has the connotation of a battle cry, a trumpet blast, a shout of triumph or exaltation. Picture a scene from Brave Heart or Marvel Studio’s Black Panther after the battle has been won. King David isn’t invoking the image of a “sweet sweet sound in your ear” (Psalm 19:14), but a “shout of praise.” Is that a familiar phrase? Some church leaders say this after a song to which the congregation responds with a “Yeeeoh” or some form of hoot and holler. The point is, even a wild, energetic, rowdy noise can be an expression of worship!

A testimony of praise goes well beyond simply a “shout” or “noise.” As Worshipers, we speak, declare praises, rejoice, weep, confess and give witness to the saving work of “him who called [us] out of darkness into his wonderful light” (1 Peter 2:9). We do this through our own words, and also through the words of others. As we read the Psalms, we find song lyrics that remind us of who God is and who we are. Our hymns and contemporary praise songs have deep and meaningful lyrics that we adopt as our own.

Chris Tomlin wrote an album called Holy Roar and in it we find these lyrics: [xii]

Is all creation groaning? (It is)
Is a new creation coming? (It is)
Is the glory of the Lord to be the light within our midst? (It is)
Is it good that we remind ourselves of this? (It is)

Is anyone worthy? Is anyone whole?
Is anyone able to break the seal and open the scroll?
The Lion of Judah who conquered the grave
He was David’s root and the Lamb who died to ransom the slave

Is He worthy? Is He worthy?
Of all blessing and honor and glory
Is He worthy of this?
He is

Song is such a beautiful and powerful way through which we declare God’s worth. Yet, musical worship is often a response to what we’ve heard through the proclamation of God’s Word. As is true with most churches, the sermon (the spoken Word) is often placed at the very heart of our worship services. Core to every sermon, beyond instruction for community health and wholeness, is its role in declaring the goodness of God.

As we gather with one another to listen to a sermon, simultaneously we are celebrating the reality that God has revealed God’s own self to us through the Word both written and spoken. We regularly affirm this truth when we declare, “This is the Word of the LORD” and respond with, “Thanks be to God.”

Ask 

God, thank you that you sent your Word, both written, spoken and in the flesh through your Son. Jesus, thank you for my brothers and sisters who remind me of your worth. You have surrounded me with a community who encourages my faith and my worship of you. Holy Spirit, stir in me, from the deep places of my being, a wild, energetic, even rowdy proclamation of praise as I join all of creation in worship of you today.

Journal and/or self-reflect:

• Listen or watch Surrounded (Fight My Battles) by UPPERROOM
• How does today’s reflection resonate or rub against the culture of my worshiping community?
• What in my life could I share as a “proclamation of praise”?
• What is God inviting me to BRING as a Worshiper within a worshiping community?

Yield 

God of glory, I yield myself to your Word once again. Jesus, I offer all of myself – my heart, my mind, my soul and my strength, my song, my voice, and even the deepest sounds of my soul.  All that I am, and in all the ways I can express, I proclaim all glory to you, for you alone are worthy.  Reimagine in me all the ways I can worship you as I join your worshiping community in following you every day, and everywhere, with everyone.

Good and gracious God, help me to live this day to the full, being present to you, in every way.  Jesus, help me to give myself away to others, as a witness of your love with everyone I meet.  Spirit, enliven me to proclaim your praise in all I do and say.  Amen.

“Pray then in this way: Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name.” (Matt. 6:9)

This week’s reflections have explored how, as a worshiping community, we gather to worship through music, song, proclamation and even a “shout of praise”. Fundamental to all of these expressions of worship is prayer.

In song, we pray. The song lyrics provide us with words to sing as an expression of prayer to God. In declaration, we pray. Whether written or spoken, we declare who God is, who we are and whose we are in prayer. Even the artistic creation of music can be a form of prayer.

Simply, we pray when we turn our focus away from ourselves and direct our attention to God.           

Hold on to this thought as we practice our daily rhythm.

Pause 

As I enter prayer now, I pause to be still; to breathe slowly; to direct my attention to the presence of God.

Lord Jesus Christ, my Instructor and the subject of my affection, as I dive into your Word I ask that you would teach me how to pray, awaken my mind to your presence, and center me in your love today.

Read & Reflect 

Prayer is one of the most fundamental aspects of following Jesus that is often taken for granted. It’s not an uncommon experience in church life where the invitation is offered for someone to pray…and all one hears is “crickets.” Why is that? For some of us, it’s because we don’t feel comfortable and for others, we simply don’t know how. For those of us who can relate, don’t worry, we’re in good company. Even Jesus’ disciples needed to learn how to pray.

In the gospel of Matthew chapter six, Jesus teaches his disciples how to pray.  He starts by reminding us that prayer isn’t about being the center of attention (quite the opposite), it’s not about making sure people know you’re doing it (like posting your prayer life on social media), and it’s not about the many eloquent words we use. God doesn’t need a polished prayer. God just wants our attention.

After giving pointers of what not to do, Jesus goes on to teach his disciples how to pray saying,

“Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And do not bring us into temptation, but rescue us from evil. For the kingdom and the power and the glory are yours forever. Amen.” (Matt. 6:9-13)

Jesus wasn’t giving us a prescription for how to pray, but rather a description on how to pray. Although every prayer doesn’t need to be the same or even contain the same core elements, the ongoing prayer life of the Worshiper and the worshiping community would greatly benefit from encompassing the following aspects that when listed construct the acronym FACTS: family, adoration, confession, thanksgiving, and supplication.

F – Family – Many skip over the reality that we are praying together to God who is revealed in familial terms. Jesus doesn’t say, “My King” (individualistic and nationalistic) or “Our Master” (communal and authoritarian), but rather “Our Father.” Jesus teaches us that, as God’s beloved children, we get to use shared family language when addressing God in prayer.

A – Adoration – As a worshiping community, we praise God for who God is as we proclaim God’s worth. “Hallowed be your name” simply means “You alone are holy and worthy of our praise.”

C – Confession – Jesus’ model prayer instructs us as followers to engage not only in adoration, but also in confession: “Forgive us our sins.” We see this modeled in the prophet Isaiah, when found in the presence of God, responds saying, “Woe is me! I am lost, for I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips;” (Isaiah 6:5) Confession is an appropriate response when we find ourselves in the presence of our Holy God. In shared confession we acknowledge our human failure and express agreement that what we’ve done goes against God’s best for us. (For more insight into confession see Jeremiah 5:24-28; Daniel 9:20; Psalm 66:18; and Matthew 6:14-15.)

T – Thanksgiving – The forgiveness (1 John 1:9) that flows from our corporate confession produces a heart of gratitude that leads to prayers of thanks. This prayer goes beyond the experience of being forgiven to then expressing gratitude for all God has done, is doing, and will continue to do (1 Thess. 5:16-18). The difference between adoration and thanksgiving is that the former praises God for who God is and the latter expresses gratitude for what God does for us, for those we love, for the church and on behalf of the whole world. [xiii]

S – Supplication – Supplication comes from the Latin verb supplicare, which means “to plead humbly” and is used 60 times in the Bible. [xiv] As a matter of FACT (pun intended), because of what Jesus has done for us, we get to boldly approach our loving Father with our “prayer requests” (Phil. 4:6; 1 Thess. 5:25; 1 Tim. 2:1-4).

This FACTS prayer is simply meant to be a tool to help us in our prayer life. For some, it’s helpful to have an acronym as a prayer guide. Others find acronyms cumbersome or confusing and would prefer to keep it simple. We can even pray as we breathe inhaling “Lord Jesus Christ” and exhaling “have mercy.”

Whether it’s the Lord’s Prayer, the FACTS prayer, a breath prayer, or even a groan, God knows what we need (Matthew 6:8) and Jesus advocates on our behalf for the concerns of our hearts (Hebrews 7:25; Romans 8:34). Remember, God doesn’t care about the length or eloquence of our prayers. God just wants our attention.

Ask  

Journal and/or self-reflect:

• When I’m invited to pray publicly, why do I respond the way I do?
• What about “Our Lord’s Prayer” further instructs my prayer life?
• Which of the FACTS do I tend to over emphasize? Which do I under emphasize?
• How might praying the FACTS help enhance both my individual and corporate prayer life?

Pause and Pray

“Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And do not bring us into temptation, but rescue us from evil. For the kingdom and the power and the glory are yours forever. Amen.”  

Yield 

Remember, worship is prayer and prayer is worship. Praying the FACTS isn’t meant to be prescriptive, but rather a descriptive way Jesus equipped us to pray in order to help us grow in our prayer life. As we practice prayer throughout the week, we bring our experience with God an offering when we gather together for worship. What we experience of God in worship through corporate prayer, we take with us throughout our week.

Now is an opportunity for us to practice. As we pray to surrender our life to Jesus, let’s make this FACTS prayer our own by completing the following prompts:

Yielding Prayer

Family – Our loving Father, I join all my sisters and brothers in yielding to your invitation to…

Adoration – I am humbled in your presence and proclaim that you are… 

Confession – I confess….

Thanksgiving – Thank you for….

Supplication – I ask that you….

Reflecting back on this past week, we’ve explored what it means to worship in a wide variety of ways: music, proclamation, and prayer. Today, we will explore an often-overlooked form of worship, the symbolic act.

Traditionally, many within the Protestant church have some discomfort with symbolism given the fact that the Reformation emerged out of protest against aspects of this topic. And yet, symbolism remains an important characteristic of what it means for us to be human. Even more, symbolic acts of worship remain at the very center of our life of worship. [xv]

Let’s hold on to this thought as we continue our daily rhythm.

Pause 

As I enter prayer now, I pause to be still; to breathe slowly; to recenter my scattered senses upon the presence of God.

Jesus, the one who invites me to the table, as I engage with what it means to worship you through symbolism, thank you that you revealed yourself in such tangible and creative ways.  You desire that every one of your followers experience the grace of being united in you.  Help me to develop the creativity and the appreciation for all the ways I can engage with you in worship. Amen.

Read & Reflect 

Certain biblical images have come to have deeper significance, multiple associations, and lasting meaning for the people of God. These are called symbols. We see numerous examples of symbolism in the Old Testament—tree, temple, rainbow, river, sheep, scroll, building, body.

The New Testament writers used this deep well of common meaning in order to convey their understanding of Christ, the gospel, the Church, and the realm of God. In the same way, we too draw from certain prominent symbols from within Scripture, such as light, book, water, bread, cup, and cross, and allow them to play an important role in the way we worship today. We don’t consider these things as objects to be worshiped, but rather signs used to help point us to the grace of God in Jesus Christ.

Symbolic actions help make the spoken Word of God come alive to us. This isn’t something new for the worshiping community. All throughout the Old Testament we see symbolic actions used in worship—fasting and feasting, rejoicing and lamenting, dancing and singing, marking and anointing, cleansing and offering, doing justice and showing mercy. In the New Testament, the Gospel writers “Yes and…” these symbols by demonstrating how Jesus brought new meaning to existing practices of faith—especially baptism and breaking bread.

“Teach me Thy Grace in all the little things of life” – Howard Thurman [xvi]

Over time, we Christians have come to call these symbolic actions Sacraments: symbols of God’s gracious action and our grateful response. Through the Sacraments of Baptism and Communion, God claims us as people of the covenant and sustains us as members of Christ’s body; in turn, we pledge our loyalty to Christ and present our bodies as living sacrifices of praise. [xvii]

Let’s further explore these two important Sacraments:

Baptism– In baptism we give symbolic expression to the weaving of our story with the narrative of Jesus and the stories of the entire covenant community. The symbolic significance of worship through baptism can be described in the following ways: [xviii]

1. Above all, baptism symbolizes our spiritual union with Jesus. Romans 6:3-8 offers us a reminder that through baptism, we symbolically proclaim that we are “dead to sin and alive in Christ!”
2. Combined with our confession of faith, baptism symbolizes a transfer of loyalties by pledging allegiance to Jesus Christ as Lord. Through baptism, this transfer of loyalties also connects us into fellowship with one another as “The Body of Christ” (1 Cor. 12:13).
3. Finally, 1 Peter 3:21 states that baptism signifies our union “in Christ” symbolizing the confirmation of a covenant with God. Although through baptism we pledge ourselves in worship to God, we are also reminded that it is God who is the covenant maker and Christ who is the covenant keeper (Genesis 15:1-21; 2 Tim. 2:13). [xix]

Communion – Also known as “The Lord’s Supper”, this beautifully simplistic meal acts as a symbolic reminder for us of what the apostle Paul says, “For as often as you [all] eat this bread and drink the cup, you [all] proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes” (1 Cor. 11:26). Through the symbolism of Communion, we emphasize the dimension of sharing in fellowship with both Christ and all those who follow him. [xx]

We remember what Jesus said, “This is my body, which is given for you [all]. Do this in remembrance of me” (Luke 22:19) and “this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins” (Matt. 26:28). At the table, we are fed by the grace of God that has been given on account of the faithfulness of Jesus (John 6:35). This grace is intended to energize us to follow Jesus every day, and everywhere, with everyone so that we too might give of our lives as a symbolic act of worship.

Other Forms of Symbolism – Christian worship includes even more symbolic actions, with strong ties to these and other biblical practices—gathering and sending, kneeling and standing, speaking and singing, cleansing and offering, marking and anointing, receiving and giving, shaking hands and washing feet, eating and drinking, blessing and laying on of hands. All of these express the love of God and communicate our grateful response in worship.

Ask 

The Gospels demonstrate how Jesus brought new meaning to existing practices of faith—especially baptism and breaking bread—and transformed ordinary acts of compassion—healing the sick, giving gifts to the poor, feeding the hungry, and washing feet—into new ways of worshiping God. As we worship, we have the freedom to engage in a variety of creative and symbolic actions that communicate God’s gracious action and our grateful response.

Let’s journal and/or self-reflect on the following questions:

• What about the use of symbolism as a means to worship God surprises me?
• Which symbolic act of worship appeals to me or encourages me the most and why?

Pause and Pray

Holy Spirit, I hear your invitation to worship both through words and song, and also through other artistic elements and loving action. Thank you for inviting me to participate in your creative work as I seek to be imaginative in how I worship you today. I offer my whole self to be used by you as a symbolic act of worship once again.

Yield 

God’s generous gifts of both Word and Sacrament ground us, equip us and send us as the body of Christ in the world. Our work as the church flows from Baptism and is nourished at Communion therefore strengthening us to live a life of worship every day, and everywhere, with everyone.

In the same way, our individual work emerges from the unifying water of baptism, arises from the love displayed at the table, and takes its shape from the spoken and enacted Word of the Lord. We don’t compartmentalize our worship from our work. We each represent so many different industries, locations, working with so many different people that we get to connect the work we do with the work God longs to do through us!

Worship is intended to propel us into another new week of presenting our bodies, of representing heaven on earth, of extending ourselves — our energy and talents, resources and possessions, homes and hospitality, concern and compassion, knowledge and wisdom — as a living sacrifice, for a lifetime and uninterrupted lifestyle of worship that proves our hearts are on fire with Jesus-modeled, Spirit-inspired love. – Doug Stephens [xxi]

As disciples our lives become worship and the primary way we witness to the faith, hope, and love we have in Jesus Christ. Maintaining a life of worship is essential to what it means for us to be the church at work.

Yielding Prayer

Father, help me to live this day to the full…. 

Jesus, help me to give myself away to others….  

Spirit, fill me with your grace through the Sacraments so that I might… 

Amen.

As we seek to cultivate gratitude in this Sabbath Experiment, let’s allow the following words from our Christian Brother and Sister to guide us.

“The more hurried and rushed we are, the more we are willing to trade happiness for desire—and, over time, the less we are able to discern the difference between the two. The marketplace presents us with an awesome array of choices, all designed to satisfy our hunger, choices that grow exponentially and yet never fast enough—products, services, entertainment, technology, all providing stimulus, diversion, and information. But little or any of it brings us true, lasting happiness.

During Sabbath…we invite a time in which we can taste what we have been given, take delight in what we already have, and see that it is good. We focus less on our lack, and more on our abundance. As we do, our thirst and hunger for more than we need begins to fall away. In quiet stillness we can identify our genuine needs with more precision, and separate them more easily from our mindless wants and desires. We can feel the difference between happiness—which is often simple and easy, an inner shift toward appreciation and gratefulness for what is before us—and desire, which is often frantic and relentless, cutting the heart with its sharp and painful demands.

If we do not disengage, if we stay on the wheel of desire, if we do not stop and pray and sing and walk, the pattern of our addictive craving is free to escalate without limit, until we inadvertently create a life of terrible suffering for ourselves and those we love.” – Wayne Muller [xxii]

——

 “If the only prayer we ever prayed our whole life was “Thank you,” that would be enough. Gratefulness cultivates a visceral experience of having enough. When we are mindful of what we have, and give thanks for the many gifts we have overlooked or forgotten, our sense of wealth cannot help but expand, and we soon achieve a sense of sufficiency we so desire…During Sabbath time we are less concerned with what is missing, focusing instead on sharing our gratefulness for what has already been given.” – Meister Eckhart [xxiii]

Below are some creative Sabbath experiments for cultivating gratitude. Let’s try ONE today:

1. Light a Candle: As I light a candle, I choose to breathe slowly acknowledging that what I have is enough.
2. Three Good Things: As I reflect on my life, I choose to identify three good things as a way to tune into the grace of God in my life.
3. Gratitude Letter: I will choose to write a letter expressing thanks and will deliver it in person.
4. Mental Subtraction of Positive Events: In an attempt to appreciate what I have, I will imagine my life without it. Another way I could practice this is through a “Mental Subtraction of Relationships.”
5. Savoring Walk: I choose to take a stroll outside and note all that I appreciate as a gift from God.
6. Give It Up: I will choose to savor something more by taking a break from it.

 As we come to the end of our week of cultivating the spiritual practice of gratitude, let’s keep this practice going throughout the rest of our discipleship journey. Gratitude isn’t something we do on occasion, but it’s a spiritual practice that becomes our way of life.

• How would we articulate this week’s essential priority of worshiping for us as the church at work?
• Who or what are the things in our lives to which we have given our “worth-ship”?
• How might we engage this work as the church in our workplaces, our neighborhoods, and our homes?
• What are some important principles we have learned this week?
• How might this week have equipped us regarding our relationships with God, one another and our church community?
• Let’s Pray the FACTS today as a life group by making note of:
  • Family – Acknowledge God and one another as family
  • Adoration – God’s attributes
  • Confession – Our failings as individuals, a worshiping community, and society at large
  • Thankfulness – Gratitude for the works of God
  • Supplication – Requests for God’s intervention