General worship - an instinct / posture. We all worship something - God, money, health, power, etc.
Christian worship - worship of God. We worship Christ and orient our lives to the glory of God (Romans 11:33-36)
Romans 12:1 - we are to be a living sacrifice.
Gathered Christian worship - Allows us to practice and reset ourselves to help us learn to serve and worship God. This helps us build the habit and way of life for the rest of our lives outside church.
Why? The way we worship shapes the kind of person we will become.
Romans 12:2 - When we have a posture of worship, it transforms us and allows us to know God's will and understand his purposes.
"As we pray, so we believe, so we live"
So, how should we worship? At our church we take a dual approach:
Historically rooted: Rooted in, and reflective of, Christ's historical church. We have a received faith and can draw from 2000 years of church history in wisdom and humility.
Culturally responsive: Firmly embedded in our local context. Aware of local culture and we worship in a way that is relevant, not worship developed in a different culture. Psalm 137 - How shall I worship in a strange land?