Of Religious Worship, and the Sabbath Day, XXI:6

Neither prayer, nor any other part of religious worship, is now, under the Gospel, either tied unto, or made more acceptable by any place in which it is performed, or towards which it is directed: but God is to be worshipped everywhere, in spirit and truth; as, in private families daily, and in secret, each one by himself; so, more solemnly in the public assemblies, which are not carelessly or willfully to be neglected, or forsaken, when God, by His Word or providence, calls thereunto.

No part of true worship of God is tied unto or made more acceptable by the place in which it occurs (unlike the Old Testament situation, in which worship was tightly bound to the tabernacle, and then to the temple) or the direction to which it is offered. We do not need to go to a sacred grove or shrine and we do not need to face east or west or wherever when we worship. Instead, as our Lord told the Samaritan woman (John 4), God is worshipped everywhere in spirit and in truth.

One aspect of worship that I believe is sorely neglected in contemporary American evangelical Protestantism is daily family worship. Whatever this might look like practically, it is beyond doubt that faithful obedience in this area would produce a rich spiritual harvest. A regular home diet of Scripture, corporate prayer, and praise given unto God would result in strong Christians. Supplemented by one's own secret (private) devotions this is certainly a recipe for growth in grace and truth.

But such cannot, despite the undeniable benefits, replace worship in the public assembly of the church, which we are specifically commanded not to neglect. God has called us to this; we dare not discount or dismiss his will. There are many things the church does poorly, even wrongly, but she is still the church.

Tomorrow: Consideration of the Sabbath.