What is Worship?
Some are of the opinion that worship, especially Sunday morning worship, is what Christian spirituality is all about. As rewarding and enriching as worship can be, there is so much more to one’s walk with God.
God does not call us to simply believe certain teachings or doctrines, and to go to church on Sunday mornings. We are not called to pray certain prayers and to go through certain motions as if doing these things are sure to earn us God’s favour. God is not a far and distant being who demands that we worship in a certain way.
Perhaps it would be more helpful to see our relationship with God, not as something that is “fixed” for all-time, but as a journey. In our daily living and with the passage of time, we walk through life hand-in-hand with God. Since it is a journey, there is much we can learn and experience about God along the way. As we learn and experience new things about God, we grow spiritually.
As Christians, we are certainly called to engage in spiritual growth. We are called to invite the Holy Spirit into our lives, to model our way of being and living against the character of Jesus Christ, and to become more loving just as God the “Father” is loving. In fact, if one has heeded Jesus’ call to repentance and to being “born again”, then ongoing spiritual growth and development is not optional.
To help us along this journey, a number of spiritual growth programs are offered at Palermo United Church.
Bible Study:
An occasion to gather with others who are interested in learning more about the Bible, and in how it can apply to daily life. No prior knowledge of the Bible is needed to join-in!
Worship Leadership:
Some find that helping during worship by doing things like singing in the choir, reading from the Scriptures, serving communion, greeting people, and so forth are ways that they get closer to God. At Palermo United, congregants are always welcome to assist in any of these ways.
Sunday School:
During Sunday morning worship, children 13 and under may choose to join-in our Sunday School. There, they’ll have the occasion to learn about the Bible and Christian faith in both a fun and safe atmosphere.
All of this, however, is just the beginning. As the congregation grows and develops, more spiritual growth programs will be offered. All depends on the needs and the interests of the congregation.
Six Tiny Stories With Great Meaning
**(1) Once all villagers decided to pray for rain, on the day of prayer all people gathered, but only one boy came with an unbrella.** That’s FAITH
**(2) When you throw a baby in the air, she laughs because she knows you will catch her.** That’s TRUST
**(3) Every night we go to bed, without any assurance of being alive the next morning but still we set the alarms to wake up.** That’s HOPE
**(4) We plan big things for tomorrow in spite of zero knowledge of the future.** That’s CONFIDENCE
**(5) We see the world suffering, but still we get married and have children.** That’s LOVE
**(6) On an old man’s shirt was written a sentence ‘I am not 90 years old…I am sweet 16 with 74 years of experience’**
That’s ATTITUDE