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 James K.A. Smith, in You Are What You Love, argues that worship is not just about what we believe but about what we habitually do. Our liturgical practices, whether formal or informal, shape our long-term desires. Corporate worship trains our hearts in ways that individual devotion cannot fully replicate. Singing hymns, reciting creeds, praying together, and hearing the Word preached all reinforce our ultimate allegiance to Christ.  Moreover, worship engrains spiritual disciplines into our daily lives. Just as athletes train their bodies through repetitive practice, worship trains our souls, forming habits that make us more Christlike.

Worship is inherently communal. In the Old Testament, Israel’s identity as God’s chosen people was reinforced through feasts, sacrifices, and temple worship. In the New Testament, the Church is called the "body of Christ" (1 Corinthians 12:27), united through shared worship.

Corporate worship binds believers together, reminding us that faith is not an individual pursuit but a shared pilgrimage. The sacraments, particularly the Lord’s Supper, reinforce this unity, as we partake together in remembrance of Christ.

Finally, worship shapes our hope and vision for the future. Christian worship is not just about the present but about anticipating the fulfillment of God’s kingdom. Every act of worship is a foretaste of the heavenly reality described in Revelation 7:9-10, where a great multitude from every nation worships before the throne of God. Through worship, we are reminded that our ultimate citizenship is in God’s kingdom, shaping how we live in the present with an eternal perspective.


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