Session Extras

Year 2

Worship: Session 2
Assembling the Assembly (Gathering)

Below are some great links for further study and discussion. Check out the book suggestions. We've also included additional resources for leaders.

Digging Deeper:

• Why do we worship together? Read more in the article “Beyond Lone-Ranger Worship” by Steven Fry.
• As God’s people we are active participants in worship. John Witvliet offers concrete ideas for how to be more involved in the article “Our Inestimable Privilege: Full, Conscious Participation in Christian Worship.”
• How engaged are the worshipers in your congregation? Listen or read Constance Cherry’s presentation titled “From Passive to Participative Worship.”
• We seek to enter into a life of praise but sometimes we fall into the pitfalls of our culture and life style. In the article “Toward a Life of Deeper Praise,” Penelope J. Stokes explores how to live a life of praise.
• God delights in his people. He delights in our praise. In the article “Treasure Hunt” Larry R. Libby suggests that we should offer praise, even if our heart isn’t ready.
• Stacey S. Padrick looks at the reasons to praise as well as the ways to praise in the article “A Life of Praise.”
• In the article “The Language of Praise” Bob Hostetler lists thirty-one attributes of God with a Bible verse to focus daily prayers on praise.
• The power of forgiveness is seen in our lives. Read more in the article “The Freedom of Forgiveness” by Ruth Collins Server.
• Confession can free us from guilt and bring us closer to God. Read “The Freedom of Confession” by Manfred Koehler.
• Norma DeWaal Malefyt and Howard Vanderwell have written study sessions to help a congregation look at their own worship. Check out “The Opening of Worship,” “The Service of Renewal in Grace,” or “All Ages Needed for Intergenerational Worship.”
• In worship God’s people come to know and experience God. In the article “Well-Tempered Worship” Robert Glick describes how by examining worship traditions we can be led to a fuller and richer worship.

For Small Group Facilitators/Leaders:

This lesson is designed for a one-hour session. Here are suggestions for how to shorten or lengthen the session, as well as what part to emphasize.

Shorter session:

• Keep track of time; don’t let one section take too much time.
• In the Word Search, read Isaiah 6:1-7 and then select only the questions that will work best with your group from each bullet point.

Longer session:

• Begin your group meeting with a little fun. Give prizes (candy, inexpensive or white elephant items) to the person whose name has the most letters in it or who has the most letter “E”s. If some members of your group come late, don’t wait for them to get started. Perhaps they’ll come earlier next time!
• Give your group more time to share what they learned by reading the devotionals during the For Starters section.

Here are some additional ideas to help you tailor the lesson to your group.

• For Starters: Come to the meeting with one or two insights you had from the reading to help your group start sharing their ideas.
• Let’s Focus: Instead of asking everyone to read, ask for two readers, one to read the first paragraph and one to read the second paragraph. Then have the whole group read the third paragraph together. Continue reading using this pattern.
• Word Search:
• In a sermon, W. Maynard Pittendreigh looks at Isaiah 6 and asks “Why in the World Did You Come to Worship Today?”
• Read the lectionary discussion “Seraphim's Cry, Prophet’s Commission” by Carin Ruff.
• Bring It Home:
  • Option 1: Provide paper and pens for the group. Other resources to have available include songbooks, CD’s, Bibles, and an order of worship. Check out the website for Reformed Worship, a periodical that includes many ideas for worship.
  • Option 2: Listen carefully to the group members’ responses. Reply with a positive response such as “Thank you for your insight” or “I appreciate you saying that.” If you receive an unexpected response, respond with statements such as “I’ve never thought of it in that way” or “That’s an interesting perspective.” Your group members need to know that they can share their questions and thoughts without being made to feel foolish.
  • Option 3: Bring some of the questions from Option 2 into your discussion.
• Pray It Through: Ask for three volunteers to lead these sections of prayer.
• Live It Out: Write the lyrics to these songs on bookmark size paper for your group to use in this book.

Submit your ideas!

Do you have suggestions for this particular session? Something that was especially meaningful for you or your group? Extra reading you’d like to suggest? Help others get the most out of this session. Send your ideas to editors@FaithAliveResources.org and we’ll consider adding them here!