Often, we speak of "five items" (rituals, ceremonies) of worship. And while the rituals ARE important ("in truth," v. 24), they are not really worship without the key component: "in spirit" — THAT is what turns the ritual into a real act of worship! "In spirit" involves genuine desire (Ps. 122:1), awareness of God's presence (Mt. 26:29), reverence (Heb. 12:28), and sincere obedience (Jn. 14:6,15). Let's APPLY this…
- Consider the ritual of "singing"
The mere act of singing (vocalizing words to a tune) is NOT worship in and of itself! However, singing can BECOME worship when properly done (cf. 1 Cor.14:15,…