{"id":1776,"date":"2020-04-30T20:36:21","date_gmt":"2020-04-30T20:36:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/yourmorningcupofinspiration\/?p=1776"},"modified":"2020-04-30T20:36:21","modified_gmt":"2020-04-30T20:36:21","slug":"meaningful-ways-to-worship-at-home","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/yourmorningcupofinspiration\/2020\/04\/meaningful-ways-to-worship-at-home.html","title":{"rendered":"Meaningful Ways to Worship at Home"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"worship<\/a>
Photo by Daria Shevtsova from Pexels<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

For the last six weeks, responsible Christians around the country have forgone their Sunday morning worship services in order to \u201cshelter in place.\u201d\u00a0 Instead, they\u2019ve found ways to worship at home.\u00a0 They\u2019ve made this sacrifice in order to be part of a nationwide effort to slow the spread of the coronavirus.<\/p>\n

Admittedly, for many of us, not attending worship on Sunday morning is a sacrifice.\u00a0 It is a sacrifice for me.\u00a0 I truly miss going to church on Sunday morning.\u00a0 Not seeing my church family regularly is difficult.\u00a0 I long for that weekly opportunity to put aside my worldly concerns and consider more spiritual matters.<\/p>\n

But I am happy to make this sacrifice.\u00a0 If by staying home, I not only prevent myself from getting ill, but I keep myself from potentially spreading the virus, then I am happy to do it!<\/p>\n

Significantly, as Christians, we are called to sacrifice for others.\u00a0 As Jesus said in John 15:13, \u201cGreater love has no one than this: to lay down one\u2019s life for one\u2019s friends.\u201d\u00a0 As a result, I am happy to do something as small as give up my Sunday morning worship to protect the vulnerable people in our society.<\/p>\n

But finding ways to worship at home is tricky.\u00a0 While at home, we simply can\u2019t replicate the feeling of being in a church sanctuary.\u00a0 Moreover, no matter how good our home sound system is, there is nothing like listening to live organ music.\u00a0 And even with Skype, Zoom and FaceTime, there is no substitute for spending real time with our church family on a Sunday morning.\u00a0 But we can find other ways to worship.\u00a0 And they can be equally rewarding, in their own way.<\/p>\n

Below are some ways to worship while at home.\u00a0 You may find them to be so spiritually fulfilling that you continue these practices long after the quarantine is over!<\/p>\n

Watch Church Services Online<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Most churches now have transitioned to offering online services for their congregations.\u00a0 My own local United Methodist Church has done so.\u00a0 Our staff conduct a weekly Sunday morning service with just four people in the sanctuary: my pastor, her husband (who films the service), and our music directors, a husband and wife team.\u00a0 The service is quite nice, and we are able to watch it at home, on our television.<\/p>\n

Seeing the pastor, music directors and church sanctuary on Sunday morning (even if on the television) provides a feeling of normalcy during this topsy-turvy period.\u00a0 Moreover, it is pleasant to grab a cup of tea and watch the service from my couch!<\/p>\n

In fact, you don\u2019t have to limit your television viewing to your own church.\u00a0 I know people who watch multiple church services.\u00a0 They may watch their home church\u2019s service, and then they watch services from across the country.\u00a0 It is interesting to hear the music and sermons from different churches, which may be very different from your own.<\/p>\n

Develop A Prayer or Meditation Practice<\/strong><\/h3>\n

While we normally think of worship as a group activity, our spiritual development requires that we engage in individual reflection as well.\u00a0 There is no better way to accomplish this than with a prayer or meditation practice.<\/p>\n

If there was ever a golden opportunity to develop a prayer or meditation practice, it is now.\u00a0 Not only do we now have the time to do so, but quieting our minds is so important during this stressful period.<\/p>\n

If your home is noisy, you might consider getting up a little bit earlier than the rest of your household in order to have some quiet time to pray or meditate.\u00a0 I always am the first person up at my house, and as a result, I am able to use the early morning to contemplate.\u00a0 It is much easier to think when my only distractions are the little birds singing outside my window.<\/p>\n

Alternatively, you can pray or meditate while you walk.\u00a0 I take my dog for a long walk each day, and I find that is a good time to pray.\u00a0 Sometimes I meditate on the lyrics of one of my favorite hymns.\u00a0 For instance, yesterday as I walked with the dog, I meditated on the words of the beautiful hymn, \u201cHow Great Thou Art.\u201d<\/p>\n

By praying and meditating, you also give yourself a break from the news for a bit.\u00a0 While it is important for all of us to keep abreast of what is happening in the world, these days the news can become overwhelming.\u00a0 Through prayer, we can refocus our attention on God and know that \u201cthis too shall pass.\u201d<\/p>\n

Read Inspiring Literature and Listen to Beautiful Music<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Admittedly, it is nice to go to church and enjoy a powerful sermon.\u00a0 But we also can stimulate our brains by reading inspiring books and articles.\u00a0 You might do something as simple read a passage from your Bible each day.\u00a0 Or, if there is a particular author who you enjoy, purchase his or her books online.\u00a0 And of course, Beliefnet has thought-provoking articles which are available for free!<\/p>\n

Moreover, while we can\u2019t sing hymns in church on Sunday mornings for the time being, we can listen to them.\u00a0 These days, I listen to piano renditions of my favorite hymns on Spotify.\u00a0 Even on YouTube, there are lovely videos of hymn music.\u00a0 This video is one of my favorites \u2013 One Hour of Relaxing Hymns on Piano<\/a>.\u00a0 I listened to this particular video over and over again when my husband was in the hospital.\u00a0 It brought me peace of mind at a time when I needed it most.<\/p>\n

I encourage you to find meaningful ways to worship at home.\u00a0 Even though attending a church service is always nice, there is something to be said for worshiping alone.\u00a0 When we worship at home and in solitude, we have the opportunity to deepen our relationship with God.\u00a0 So take the time to develop a spiritual practice that is separate from your church experience.\u00a0 Ultimately, your spiritual life will be richer because of it.<\/p>\n

Email: meerabelle@meerabelledey.com<\/p>\n

If you would like to receive my Free E-Book, “The Confidence Course,” and sign up for my weekly newsletter, go to meerabelledey.com<\/a>.<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

For the last six weeks, responsible Christians around the country have forgone their Sunday morning worship services in order to \u201cshelter in place.\u201d\u00a0 Instead, they\u2019ve found ways to worship at home.\u00a0 They\u2019ve made this sacrifice in order to be part of a nationwide effort to slow the spread of the coronavirus. Admittedly, for many of…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":593,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1776","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"yoast_head":"\nMeaningful Ways to Worship at Home - Your Morning Cup of Inspiration<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Even when we can't go to our traditional worship services, we still can find meaningful ways to worship at home. 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