Applause (Lesson #2) : Worship

I've been wanting to talk about worship (what it is, how we do it, why we do it, etc.), but didn't have a firm grasp on the lesson. Then Katie sent me a link to an article by Todd Agnew about worship. It's a pretty good article, and the kids know who he is and like his music, so I thought it would be a good starting point for the lesson. Here's the basis:

What is worship?
OT: shachah (shaw-khaw')
A primitive root; to depress, i.e. Prostrate (especially reflexive, in homage to royalty or God)
bow (self) down, crouch, fall down (flat), humbly beseech, do (make) obeisance, do reverence, make to stoop, worship.
NT: proskuneo (pros-koo-neh'-o): to fawn or crouch to, i.e. to prostrate oneself in homage (do reverence to, adore) -- worship.
from pros: motion towards, accession to, or nearness at
and kuon (meaning to kiss, like a dog licking his master's hand)

So it is falling down before someone or something, either literally or figuratively. An act of showing humility--that you acknowledge that you are "beneath" that someone or something.

Why do we worship God?
God commands it.
Why does he command it? Does he need it? Is it to make him feel powerful?
No, it is to remind ourselves of our place, to humble ourselves before the Creator of all things.

How do we worship God?
I got much of this from Todd Agnew's article (see above), so I give him credit for the use of these particular references.
Romans 12:1 We give our bodies to God
John 14:15 : We obey God's commands
Matthew 9:13 and Hosea 6:6 We show mercy to others
Matthew 25:40 We show love and kindness to others (do for them)

Why do we confuse worship with singing hymns and praise songs?
Worship can be done anywhere in many different ways. It has nothing to do with singing except that singing is one possible way to worship God.
(Just as we can worship without singing, we can sing about God without a worshipful heart.)
In Isiaiah 55:8-9, we read that God's ways are higher than our ways.
In Ecclesiastes 11:5, we are reminded that there is no way for us to understand the works of God.
As Agnew states, "I think music is the only language we have that can express things beyond the capability of our vocabulary." Music can elevate my thoughts an emotions to a place that can express love and gratitude to God in a way that my words often cannot.
I also think that the corporate act of singing unites people. We can be singing the same words and feeling the same feelings at the same moment. In John 17, Jesus expresses his desire for our unity. So far, we have failed at that on most fronts, but when everyone in the congregation is singing Amazing Grace, we can, just for a moment, feel the possibility of that unity.

What gets in the way of true worship?
Pride
Time
Mood
Embarrassment (a.k.a. Pride), especially for preteens and teens.

How can we truly worship God during corporate worship?
First and foremost, remember who God is and why we are worshiping Him.
Other ideas:
Picture yourself bowing down before the throne of God.
Imagine God during the creation.
Imagine Jesus descending from heaven.
Imagine yourself alone in a room with Him.
Focus on the words, not the people around you.