Reading through my Christianity Today this morning, and I came across this article "9.5 Theses on Worship" by Gary A. Parrett. Just wanted to share an excerpt from it that particularly struck me and seems to be along the lines of what we are discussing here:

"Any discussion of worship, then, must begin with the biblical concern for worship as a lifestyle, not merely as a formal gathering that features specifically "religous" actions. This is a them consistently affirmed, in most forceful language, throughout the Bible. In passages such as Isaiah 1:10-17 and Amos 5:21-24, God actually rejects the very worship practices that he had himself commanded of his people - assemblies, sacrifices, Sabbath observances, prayers, and the like - because these actions had been severed from a more fundamental commitment to lives of justice, mercy and humility (Mic. 6:8). Religious actions at religious gatherings of the community were not intended to be substitutes for a life devoted to the true worship of God but, rather, were to be its celebratory overflow."

Any comments? I haven't had a chance to look up the specific Bible references yet, but will.

Another thought I had about your "church funk" Dotsie - does your church offer any other services other than Sunday morning? We have a Tues. night "Quiet Communion" - a short service devoted to quiet prayer, followed by a less formal communion than Sunday. Many find this a much quieter time of devotion than the usual Sunday "hustle-bustle". Perhaps what you need to refresh you, is to change your "style" of Sunday worship??

Just wanted to add that I am thankful for this discussion and everyones thought/perspectives. I hadn't realized how much I am in need of, or miss, a good Bible study or something like it to talk some of these things out. Thanks.