Infant Stage: Birth through Age 3

Newborns and toddlers are included here, up to the age where they can effectively say what their needs are.

The PRIMARY TASK to be completed during this stage is learning to receive. The PRIMARY RESULTING PROBLEM in adult life when this task is not completed is weak or stormy relationships. If our primary dependency needs are not met, we will spend the rest of our lives trying to get others to take care of us.

A Recognition of Worship to God 
through the eyes of the Bible

Having been asked to lead an event on the topic of worship in relation to youth of our Lutheran church, I tackled the scriptures in regards to “worshipping” and “praising” God, something we tend to define as a Sunday morning service, but which we know in our hearts is far more reaching than what happens between the invocation and benediction at church. At its root, worship is a response to God and His grace poured out in our lives. Here is what I enjoyed discovering about worship in the Bible. [and EVERY ONE of these images has a Scriptural foundation.]

Far from being limited to a sanctuary, worship occurs
  on mountains, in valleys, on land and at sea;
    in boats and out of boats, at tables and in beds,
  at home and away, both nearby and afar;
    in dirt and on pavement, both inside and out –
  inside and outside, at the opening of tents;
    inside and outside, on the top of houses;
  inside and outside, at the gates of the temple.

It can be dark, it can be light
  Spiritually, physically or both
    It happens in the morning, also at evening,
  Occurring at night just as at day;
    day after day, year after year,
  in birth and near death, and with resurrection too;
    on special days and ordinary days,
  on right days and even wrong ones.

It can be done standing or sitting, kneeling or bowing,
  walking or leaning, dancing or leaping,
    by rising or falling, lifting hands or lying down,
  by lowering heads or lifting eyes, clapping hands or kissing feet,
    with prayer and fasting, in clean clothes or even torn robes.

It is described as being done with the lips,
  with the mouth, with the tongue –
    using words and music, using old songs and new –
  hymns, psalms, and spiritual songs,
    with “amens” and “hallelujahs”
  with voices quite loud and silence quite strong;
    and although I could not find an organ per se,
  worship was encouraged with music in that day
    with harp and lyre, tambourine and trumpet,
  with cymbals and louder cymbals, with strings and a flute.

It was all to be done in awe and reverence,
  with thankfulness and great joy,
    during mourning and trouble, in celebration and relief;
  it could be done alone and with others,
    in congregations and among nations.

It was done by slaughtering rams or lambs,
  goats or even cattle by the thousands (but no chickens);
    by offering grain, or oil and flour mixed with incense;
  by building altars of earth and also of stone,
    some cut, some uncut –
  always at His direction, always to His glory;
    there were wine offerings and drink offerings;
  sin, guilt, and peace offerings;
    fellowship, free will and thanks-be-to-God offerings;
  there were tithes and shekels, half-shekels and mites,
    gifts of bronze and silver – gold, frankincense, and myrrh.

But when it gets down to it,
  what I found God wanted from His worshippers was this:
    Make it always in spirit and always in truth,
  Always from the heart, with all your heart.
With soul and mind and strength added in
Let this be where worship both ends and begins

Biblical Worship References

Praise Him for...

We are encouraged in our workship: