How to Worship Online
For the foreseeable future we will be worshipping together online in order to help stop the spread of Coronavirus. Since this is new to most of us (including your pastor!), here are some tips on how to get the most out of the experience:
Don’t watch, worship. We are all so used to watching TV that we will actively need to change our mindset. Remind yourself, “This isn’t a show. This isn’t entertainment. This is an opportunity for me to worship the living God.” It may help to encourage the friends and family you’re worshipping with to remember that as well: we aren’t here to watch, we’re here to worship.
Sing out loud. It will probably feel weird at first, but take the lead and sing out loud. Maybe turn the volume up a bit so you don’t feel like you’re soloing. If you’ve got kids, make it fun. Encourage them to sing with you.
Don’t multitask. Treat online worship like in-person worship. Don’t try to do the dishes or fold laundry or browse social media. That’s a recipe for treating worship like entertainment. Participating in the readings and prayers through the service will help keep your focus on worship as well.
Take notes. During the sermon, pull out pencil and paper. Many people find that this helps keep them focused (which is especially important when you’re distracted by a million things that need to be done at home).
Teach your kids about God. We have linked to a few resources that can help you bring church into your home for your kids as well as you - a video lesson, some discussion questions, and a simple activity. Maybe you can sing and pray together as a family and they can do their lesson during the sermon portion of the service.
Don’t neglect your spiritual health for the sake of your physical health. God commands us to worship because he knows it’s food for our souls. No sane person would choose to go for a week without food. Don’t go for a week without God. Encourage one another to worship and trust God during these difficult days.
In difficult moments like this, we should be thankful for online worship. But let’s not forget that it is never a replacement for worshipping together. As the author of Hebrews reminds us, we must “not neglect meeting together” for the good our souls (Heb. 10:25). So I look forward to seeing you all soon!
Thanks to our friends at The Crossing Church in Columbia, MO (who have been putting worship online much longer than us) for sharing this wisdom with us!