In this series, we invite you to consider that, for David, worship was life. Worship wasn’t something David did, we might say; it wasn’t a specific time in the day or week. Rather, worship was who he was. David lived and breathed worship. Yes, sometimes he got it wrong; sometimes he followed impulses that led him astray. And sometimes he got confused about who was the object of this worship and got in the way of the God he loved. But through it all, David lived as though his life was an offering to God.
Gathering for Worship (July 14)
A worship series about worship: that feels kind of meta, I know. Over the years, though, I’ve found that people really do need regular reminders about what it means for us to gather for worship week in and week out. Some have never really been taught about the flow and purpose of worship, while others knew at one time but have become distracted by the routine of it all. And don’t get me wrong—there’s something beautiful about routine, about knowing the liturgy and the hymns and the rhythms so well that they feel as close to you as your own heartbeat. But routine is a double-edged sword, because how often do we notice our own heartbeat with wonder, gratitude, and a desire to go deeper?
Call to Worship (July 21)
Growing up in church, I considered the call to worship something of a mystery. Where other parts of the service were being done extemporaneously (like the pastoral prayer), here was something written down that everyone said together, but we weren’t singing it. Unlike the Lord’s Prayer, the call to worship changed every week. So, my child-brain would wonder, “Did Jesus tell us to do this, or is there a special holy book approved by The United Methodist Church where they get all of these, or do you have to have special training to know how to write a call to worship the right way?” In other words, “Where do these words come from!?”
Call to Confession (July 28)
For those who have cycled through Years A, B, and C of the lectionary a time or two, you probably knew this text was coming. For many, it is one of the most uncomfortable texts in the Bible. How do we reconcile that David, the man after God’s own heart, and David, the sexual abuser and murderer, are the same person? And even if we are willing to face the difficulties of this text head-on, how do we even begin to build a worship service around it? Do we keep the tone somber? Do we overwhelm the senses with the weight of our capacity to sin? Do we pretend that David is just a single extreme case, that his sins are on another level than any of us could ever commit?
The Weight of the Word (August 4)
Few stories highlight the power and responsibility of preaching like Nathan’s confrontation with David. This can certainly be a day for pulling back the curtain and speaking directly with the congregation about preaching. How do you prepare? What preaching wisdom shapes your approach to crafting and delivering a sermon? How do you understand the role of preaching in the wider context of worship?
Prayers of the People (August 11)
If you’re breathing a sigh of relief now that we’ve moved past 2 Samuel 11 and 12, think again. Just a few chapters later, David is embroiled in a family drama that has escalated to a violent war against his son, Absalom. Despite Absalom’s attempts to usurp the throne, David responds to his death not as a victorious king but as a heartbroken father. The complicated nature of this episode in David’s story calls our attention to the prayers of the people as our response to God’s Word and to one another.
Benediction (August 18)
“Ask what I should give you” (3:5). Notice that God doesn’t ask Solomon a question. God commands Solomon to ask. We often end up focusing on the wisdom Solomon requests, but what if we began with God’s command? What might God’s command and Solomon’s response tell us about benediction?
Sent Out to Live (August 25)
If you got to last week and thought that must be the last week of this series since it focused on benediction—SURPRISE! The benediction isn’t the end of worship—nor is it the end of this series—because worship does not end when the gathered Body of Christ disperses. We are sent out from worship to continue worshiping God, practicing all that we have learned and rehearsed together in gathered worship in the everyday, ordinary moments of our lives.
Dr. Lisa Hancock, Director of Worship Arts Ministries, served as an organist and music minister in United Methodist congregations in the Northwest Texas and North Texas Annual Conferences, as well as the New Day Amani/Upendo house churches in Dallas. After receiving her Master of Sacred Music and Master of Theological Studies from Perkins School of Theology, Lisa earned her PhD in Religious Studies from Southern Methodist University wherein she researched and wrote on the doctrine of Christ, disability, and atonement. Originally published by Discipleship Ministries. Republished with permission by ResourceUMC.