lattelady Posted November 12, 2009 Report Share Posted November 12, 2009 A.W. Tozer said, "We're here to be worshipers first and workers only second...The work done by a worshiper will have eternity in it." Agree or disagree? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
john doe Posted November 12, 2009 Report Share Posted November 12, 2009 Are we here to make monuments to ourselves, or to the God who created us? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lattelady Posted November 12, 2009 Author Report Share Posted November 12, 2009 I would say worshipers first--of God. Workers second. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hemidakota Posted November 12, 2009 Report Share Posted November 12, 2009 It depends on the occupation. Serving in the military for one is a job where the Sabbath days are done in battle, standing duty, or defending your freedom. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lattelady Posted November 12, 2009 Author Report Share Posted November 12, 2009 Hemidakota, I think it is referring to our relationship with God--what does He want first and foremost: our worship, or our working? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beefche Posted November 12, 2009 Report Share Posted November 12, 2009 I must just mass confusion going on in my brain today or something. I don't understand the question. Worship or work? Huh? I have to work to live in today's world. God has asked me to work on His behalf with His children. Isn't doing good works in His name a form of worship? Or are you talking about something else? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lattelady Posted November 12, 2009 Author Report Share Posted November 12, 2009 I shouldn't presume I know what Tozer meant, but in my mind worship is assigning worth to God--telling Him what He is worth and why, giving praise to Him. If we have a correct view of God and how BIG He is and how wonderful He is, how GREAT His works are on our behalf, it leads us to work--out of intense gratitude. An incorrect view of God can cause us to flip our priorities--we may work hard first because we view Him as a harsh taskmaster that will punish us if we don't do enough or work hard enough. Just my two cents on this quote. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beefche Posted November 12, 2009 Report Share Posted November 12, 2009 I don't think God needs me to tell Him what He is worthy of or why. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ryanh Posted November 12, 2009 Report Share Posted November 12, 2009 Context, purpose, background, etc are necessary to understand the quote. Oh, and the full quote, would be nice, not just selected portions. I don't find that quote all that moving or enlightening given it's multiple uses of the word "work". "workers only second...The work done by a worshiper" If the work done by a worshiper is paramount, doesn't that mean that work is the first priority? Seems self contradictory.Either way, I expect you will find a view among LDS different than yours. I envision a Father that is far more loving than to create humans just to give oblations to Him. A perfect being does not need such. That is the effect of having the entire plan of salvation, and our purpose of existance on this earth, revealed. It changes the understanding of the purpose of our existance. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lattelady Posted November 12, 2009 Author Report Share Posted November 12, 2009 Beefche, I agree--he doesn't NEED you to tell Him anything. I guess my belief is that He is WORTHY of you giving Him praise. I love the Psalms. They're FULL of calls to worship, reminders that we are to worship our God. Psalm 30:4 "Sing to the Lord, all you godly ones! Praise his Holy name. For his anger lasts only a moment, but his favor lasts a lifetime!" Psalm 9:1 and 2 "I will praise you, LORD, with all my heart; I will tell of all the marvelous thing you have done. I will be filled with joy because of you. I will sing praises to your name, O Most High." He doesn't NEED our praise, He is deserving of it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lattelady Posted November 12, 2009 Author Report Share Posted November 12, 2009 Ryanh, I wasn't asking whether you found it moving or enlightening...it's okay that you find it to be neither of the two; I was wondering whether people agreed or disagreed with it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lattelady Posted November 12, 2009 Author Report Share Posted November 12, 2009 Where does it say that the work done by the worker is paramount? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beefche Posted November 12, 2009 Report Share Posted November 12, 2009 What does it mean to worship? How does one actually worship God? Certainly, singing hymns of praise is one form of worship. What are other ways to worship Him? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dravin Posted November 12, 2009 Report Share Posted November 12, 2009 (edited) Work and worship are not exclusive, one worships by the work one does. Prayer is a work, as is singing praises, visiting the sick and those in prison, helping the poor, and loving neighbors. These are all how we worship God, they are also worship. Personally I find the distinction close to meaningless, even the simplest act of worship requires effort and as such is work. Edited November 12, 2009 by Dravin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lattelady Posted November 12, 2009 Author Report Share Posted November 12, 2009 It says somewhere in the Bible to "offer our bodies as living sacrifices, holy, acceptable unto God, which is our spiritual act of worship." So there are apparently spiritual forms of worship (offering our lives to God, surrendering to Him), and physical acts of worship--the kind it talks about worship in the Psalms: singing praise or also speaking words of praise to God--telling Him that He is good, that He has done great things, giving thanks to Him for what He's done and who He is. Worship, I believe, takes on many forms. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beefche Posted November 12, 2009 Report Share Posted November 12, 2009 Work and worship are not exclusive, one worships by the work one does. Prayer is a work, as is singing praises, visiting the sick and those in prison, helping the poor, and loving neighbors. These are all how we worship God, they are also worship. Personally I find the distinction close to meaningless, even the simplest act of worship requires effort and as such is work.I was thinking about attending church. How does our attendance show our worship? How do we worship God when we attend? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beefche Posted November 12, 2009 Report Share Posted November 12, 2009 It says somewhere in the Bible to "offer our bodies as living sacrifices, holy, acceptable unto God, which is our spiritual act of worship." So there are apparently spiritual forms of worship (offering our lives to God, surrendering to Him), and physical acts of worship--the kind it talks about worship in the Psalms: singing praise or also speaking words of praise to God--telling Him that He is good, that He has done great things, giving thanks to Him for what He's done and who He is. Worship, I believe, takes on many forms.How do you spiritually offer your life to God? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dravin Posted November 12, 2009 Report Share Posted November 12, 2009 Amongst other things: *We love our neighbor by providing support, both social, emotional and spiritual at the various meetings that make up the Sunday Block. *We renew our covenants, we reaffirm are devotion to and willingness to follow Christ, and take his name upon us. *We follow God's commandments, which shows we care what he thinks amongst other things, we also reaffirm to ourself and others his ability to save by following him through commandment keeping. *We learn God's word. How much respect and reverence do you have for someone if you couldn't care less what they are saying? *We pray, shows respect and reverence and God's ability to effect changes and our desire to have a dialog and relationship with him. Do you worship somebody you don't want anything to do with? *We most of all, show our love for him by wanting to be nearer to him through spiritual experiences and knowledge of spiritual things, through keeping his commandments and following his teachings, and our desire to share these things with others of his children. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OneEternalSonata Posted November 12, 2009 Report Share Posted November 12, 2009 (edited) Are you asking if we place the value on the work or the worship? I see worship as a certain type of work, that is, our heart is focused on loving God through our actions, thoughts, and words when we worship. Saying a prayer that isn't prayerful is work. However, I wouldn't consider it worship. Thus, a sincere prayer would embody both. "For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also." (Matt. 6:21) Edited November 12, 2009 by OneEternalSonata Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Justice Posted November 12, 2009 Report Share Posted November 12, 2009 Lattelady, I sincerely believe that one cannot worship God without working for His cause.James 1: 27 Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.This is why I cannot separate what we do from who we are. We are to become a better person through Christ, and what we choose to do with the time we've been given is the first and foremost indicator of what we're becoming, or who we are. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vort Posted November 12, 2009 Report Share Posted November 12, 2009 A.W. Tozer said, "We're here to be worshipers first and workers only second...The work done by a worshiper will have eternity in it."Agree or disagree?I reject Tozer's dichotomy. I think in a great many cases, we worship God by doing God's work. They are one and the same. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Justice Posted November 12, 2009 Report Share Posted November 12, 2009 Psalms: singing praise or also speaking words of praise to God--telling Him that He is good, that He has done great things, giving thanks to Him for what He's done and who He is.He doesn't want us to thank and praise Him for His benefit. He doesn't care if He ever hears a person tell Him He is good.Oddly enough, though, the only way we can come to know if God is good is to do what He tells us. When we do what He tells us we will come to know He is good and then we will be full of thankfulness, even to overflowing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vort Posted November 12, 2009 Report Share Posted November 12, 2009 James 2:18 Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Connie Posted November 12, 2009 Report Share Posted November 12, 2009 John 14:15 If ye love me, keep my commandments. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NeuroTypical Posted November 12, 2009 Report Share Posted November 12, 2009 Worshipping is my work. LM (smart aleck) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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