Spiritual Practices: Using Agency in Worship

Viewing and practicing worship through a trauma-sensitive lens.

What is the purpose of the Spiritual Practice of Worship?

Worship has traditionally been defined as honoring or showing reverence for as a divine being or supernatural power. (Source) Like all other spiritual practices it has one basic premise—the quieting of the mind before the presence of a loving God. In a relational context, it is also a time of gratitude for how God shows up in our lives.

How can trauma impact the Spiritual Practice of Confession?

The View of God: For worship, a view of God as loving is essential. It is hard to be self-regulated when in the presence of someone who is angry with you and might even find you repulsive. This view of God turns worship into a time of considering how “great” God is and how unworthy we are. It is not worship—it is self-loathing, and it is easy to confuse the two if you have been impacted by trauma.

Thinking of Worship as Doing: A second trap is thinking worship requires action—for you to do something. That is why many feel the service they do in the church is how they worship. It could be part of it, but it isn’t the complete picture. For those impacted by trauma doing for validation also applies to worship.

Distancing From Emotions During Worship: If your survival strategy is dissociation (distancing) from emotions, it will impact worship. Emotionless worship is dutiful. You may go through the motions without any emotional engagement. It is possible to acknowledge God without emotional involvement; it isn’t possible to worship without emotions.

How can using Agency make the Spiritual Practice of Worship accessible?