One People Living as Worshipers

By Laura Springer with Jeff Barnhart 

Key Idea: In Christ, Christians are disciples, priests, and family, and these identities form our communal life of worship, lived toward God, alongside one another, and before the world.

Key Verses: Matthew 5.16; 28.16-20; John 13.34-35; 1 Corinthians 12.12-30

Worship is not a meeting on the church calendar. It’s not even gathering for praise and preaching on Sunday morning. These are too small. Worship is living in a way that makes God’s worth evident. It is life as his family, his priesthood, and his disciples, no matter where we are.

The Church is the community of God's disciples. Disciples bring their reason, emotions, and actions to their service to Jesus. They center cultural differences on Christ so that these differences work together to reflect God's beauty and grace. They share life, learning and teaching God's Word and Ways, working out their salvation in community, and declaring Jesus to all who will listen, both inside the church and out in the world. As disciples of Jesus at TFB, let us join together in conversation centered on truth and serve alongside one another to build each other up in Christ.

The Church is the one priesthood of God. Believer-Priests display God’s many-splendored glory, a glory that disperses through the amazing variety of God’s people like white light traveling through a prism disperses into a rainbow of color. They proclaim God’s grace to everyone and stand before God in confession and consultation for themselves, one another, and the world. Christians live together as priests by gathering to hear and speak the truth. They carry one another before the throne of God and point one another toward Jesus. They live as those who know the truth about human brokenness and divine grace. As priests of God at TFB, let us acknowledge and confess our brokenness to one another and bring each others’ needs before God. As we sing together, let us sing the lyrics as prayer and proclamation. As we serve together, let us look for and come alongside any in need.

The Church is the one family of God. Christians are children of God and siblings of one another. Family relationship is foundational. They live together as a family, prioritizing their communal life above all else and carrying their family resemblance into all the moments of their days. They choose to be for one another in head, heart, and hands, whether gathered as a community or dispersed into the world. They live in a way that makes it clear to all that they are the children of God and siblings of one another by displaying love for one another and glory to their Father in heaven (Matthew 5.16; John 13.34-35). As siblings in Christ and the children of one Father at TFB, let us show up and be present for each other in our gatherings and welcome those we do not yet know.

As we meet together for praise and prayer or learning and service, whether in large or small gatherings, let us worship by living alongside one another as siblings, priests, and disciples. As we disperse to our God-given mission fields of work, school, home, or play, let us worship in the dailies by proclaiming our Lord Jesus Christ in actions and words. Let us worship our worthy God wherever we are, whomever we’re with, and whatever we are doing.

Who writes Academy? Laura has an MDiv in Christian Education, a ThM in Systematic Theology, and a PhD in Educational Studies. She also serves TFB as a guitarist (primarily) and singer in TFB's worship band. Jeff has a Certificate in Biblical and Theological Studies, a Certificate in Spiritual Formation, and is currently working on an MA in Spiritual Formation and Soul Care. He also serves as kitchen lead for TFB's Family Dinner, co-lead in the Young Adult Ministry, and as TFB’s bookkeeper.