What Does Collective Worship Look Like? 2 Chronicles 6-10

2 Chronicles 7:8-10 (ESV)

At that time Solomon held the feast for seven days, and all Israel with him, a very great assembly, from Lebo-hamath to the Brook of Egypt. And on the eighth day they held a solemn assembly, for they had kept the dedication of the altar seven days and the feast seven days. On the twenty-third day of the seventh month he sent the people away to their homes, joyful and glad of heart for the prosperity that the LORD had granted to David and to Solomon and to Israel his people.

This is what worship should look like and should produce as results.   Imagine coming to church on a Sunday and being so enraptured by the glory of God that you stay for 8 days.  They left for home joyful and glad of heart for the property that the LORD had granted to David and to Solomon and to Israel His people.   We tend to be consumers of worship. If we like it we claim it and focus on us.  In this worship scene they rejoiced at seeing the glory of God.   Notice what happened when they saw God’s glory:

2 Chronicles 7:1-3 (ESV)

As soon as Solomon finished his prayer, fire came down from heaven and consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifices, and the glory of the LORD filled the temple. And the priests could not enter the house of the LORD, because the glory of the LORD filled the LORD’S house. When all the people of Israel saw the fire come down and the glory of the LORD on the temple, they bowed down with their faces to the ground on the pavement and worshiped and gave thanks to the LORD, saying, “For he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever.”

God wants us to worship Him in awe and wonder.  He wants to show us His grace.  He is not limited by our one hour and ten minute worship services.  In some churches if you go over a minute you are paying homage to the time-police.    People have places to go and things to do and we have to package our worship into their time frame.   We run churches like a school bell system.  If the bell rings we are packing up the books and on to the next class (or golf course, or restaurant, or etc.).     God is not limited to be worshipped in the way we package Him.  What would happen if the worship in song just didn’t stop after four songs? What would happen if the worship in teaching just kept going and went past that make believe bell in everyone’s head.   Yes, going past the time has to be very difficult for children’s ministries.  But those in the above scenario also had childcare needs.  Don’t constrain worship.   God does not constrain the way He blesses us.