--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: (from chapter 20, \"Bezalel\") \"We were…" description: "\"“(from chapter 20, \"Bezalel\") \"We were getting it: worship was not so much what we did, but what we let God do in and for us. These months of worship i..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/996/eugene-h-peterson-1745_bible-study_from-chapter-20-bezalel-we-were-getting_1386166.jpg" --- # (from chapter 20, "Bezalel") "We were getting it: worship… ![“(from chapter 20, "Bezalel") "We were getting it: worship was not so much what we did, but what we let God do in and for us. These months of worship in our catacombs sanctuary had made their mark on us. We were a people of God gathered to worship God. The single word, "worship," defined what we…” quote by Eugene H. Peterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/996/eugene-h-peterson-1745_bible-study_from-chapter-20-bezalel-we-were-getting_1386166.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/996/eugene-h-peterson-1745_bible-study_from-chapter-20-bezalel-we-were-getting_1386166.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/996/eugene-h-peterson-1745_bible-study_from-chapter-20-bezalel-we-were-getting_1386166.jpg) > ““(from chapter 20, "Bezalel") "We were getting it: worship was not so much what we did, but what we let God do in and for us. These months of worship in our catacombs sanctuary had made their mark on us. We were a people of God gathered to worship God. The single word, "worship," defined what we were about. The congregational consensus emerged not so much by talking about it, but by simply doing it: worship was our signature activity, the distinctive act that set us apart from all other social structures - schools, businesses, athletic teams, political parties, government agencies. It was not achieved through a Bible study or a discussion that pooled our various expectations and came up with something we could all live with. We simply met every Sunday and worshipped God. We sang together, prayed together, listened to scripture together, received the Sacrament together, baptized our children and converts, and went back to our homes ready to enter a week of work with the blessing of God on us. ...The ordinariness of our lives and the circumstances of the catacombs cleared our minds of romantic and utopian illusions regarding church.”” [Eugene H. Peterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eugene-h-peterson/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Worship is defined by collective practice, not just belief, shaping identity and purpose through shared rituals. **In simple terms:** Worship is what we do together. Key Takeaway Engage in communal worship to build shared identity. Themes community faith ritual Mood reverent thoughtful Type spiritual inspirational When to use this quote - church services - small group gatherings - faith‑based volunteering Key Concepts theology social cohesion Questions to Reflect On - How does shared worship affect individual belief? - Can worship exist without a community? A Different Perspective Worship alone may not change personal convictions. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Bible study](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bible-study/) [Church](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/church/) [Doing Worship](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/doing-worship-1984853/) [Gathered Worship](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/gathered-worship-2415529/) [Pastor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pastor/) [Political parties](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/political-parties/) [Prayer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/prayer/) [Single word](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/single-word/) [Worship](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/worship/) [Worship Defined](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/worship-defined-2276044/) [Worship Did](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/worship-did-4816396/) [Worship god](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/worship-god/) [Worshipped God](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/worshipped-god-821191/) ## Related quotes > [I was doing worship as a lifestyle before it was a section at the bookstore.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/israel-houghton/i-was-doing-worship-as-a-lifestyle-before-it-was-a-section-at-the/) [Israel Houghton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/israel-houghton/) > [“I once heard worship defined as celebrating the availability of God.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-crabb/i-once-heard-worship-defined-as-celebrating-the-availability-of-god/) [Larry Crabb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-crabb/) > [This gathered worship, as Quakers call it, is not only absence of noise. Gathered worship springs from the reverent, silent expectation that God will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/this-gathered-worship-as-quakers-call-it-is-not-only-absence-of-noise/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“The kingdom of God comes both through our gathered worship each week and our “scattered” worship in our work each day. Thus all work,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tish-harrison-warren/the-kingdom-of-god-comes-both-through-our-gathered-worship-each-week/) [Tish Harrison Warren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tish-harrison-warren/) > [Men forsook God, and made carved images of men. Since therefore an image of man was falsely worshipped as God, God became truly Man,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cyril-of-jerusalem/men-forsook-god-and-made-carved-images-of-men-since-therefore-an/) [Cyril of Jerusalem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cyril-of-jerusalem/) > [“Israel worshipped a God who could grow angry, who changed his mind, a God involved in history, who cared so much about one group…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-c-placher/israel-worshipped-a-god-who-could-grow-angry-who-changed-his-mind-a/) [William C Placher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-c-placher/) > [Whoever invented soccer should be worshipped as God.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hugo-sanchez/whoever-invented-soccer-should-be-worshipped-as-god/) [Hugo Sanchez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hugo-sanchez/) > [People were never meant to be idols. We aren't supposed to be worshipped. Only God deserves that kind of praise.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-kingsbury/people-were-never-meant-to-be-idols-we-aren-t-supposed-to-be/) [Karen Kingsbury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-kingsbury/) > [“In the ancient world, Jews were not easily distinguished from their neighbors. They did the same kinds of work, built similar homes, and in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phyllis-goldstein/in-the-ancient-world-jews-were-not-easily-distinguished-from-their/) [Phyllis Goldstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phyllis-goldstein/) > [Why couldn't the merciful God turn down the sunlight so it wasn't blasting like a red furnace against his aching eyes? Because he'd worshipped…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nora-roberts/why-couldn-t-the-merciful-god-turn-down-the-sunlight-so-it-wasn-t/) [Nora Roberts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nora-roberts/) > [In the fall of 1988, I worshipped God in a Buddhist temple. As the smell of incense filled the air, I knelt before three…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-shelby-spong/in-the-fall-of-1988-i-worshipped-god-in-a-buddhist-temple-as-the/) [John Shelby Spong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-shelby-spong/) > [It is in the process of being worshipped that God communicates His presence to men.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis/it-is-in-the-process-of-being-worshipped-that-god-communicates-his/) [C. S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis/) > [And a certain woman named Lydia, a seller of purple, of the city of Thyatira, which worshipped God, heard us: whose heart the Lord…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bible/and-a-certain-woman-named-lydia-a-seller-of-purple-of-the-city-of/) [Bible](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bible/) > [“Whoever invented soccer should be worshipped as a God”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymise/whoever-invented-soccer-should-be-worshipped-as-a-god/) [anonymise](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymise/) > [“God forces us to quantify our religious tenants by measuring them against the family problems they solve. If your religious beliefs aren't solving family…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-ben-zehabe/god-forces-us-to-quantify-our-religious-tenants-by-measuring-them/) [Michael Ben Zehabe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-ben-zehabe/) ## More by Eugene H. Peterson > [“Forget about deciding what’s right for each other. Here’s what you need to be concerned about: that you don’t get in the way of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eugene-h-peterson/forget-about-deciding-what-s-right-for-each-other-here-s-what-you/) [Eugene H. Peterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eugene-h-peterson/) > [Like a child exploring the attic of an old house on a rainy day, discovering a trunk full of treasure and then calling all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eugene-h-peterson/like-a-child-exploring-the-attic-of-an-old-house-on-a-rainy-day/) [Eugene H. Peterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eugene-h-peterson/) > [“Liturgy gathers the holy community as it reads the Holy Scriptures into the sweeping tidal rhythms of the church year in which the story…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eugene-h-peterson/liturgy-gathers-the-holy-community-as-it-reads-the-holy-scriptures/) [Eugene H. Peterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eugene-h-peterson/) > [“The core message of the gospel is that God invades us with new life, but the setting for this is most often in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eugene-h-peterson/the-core-message-of-the-gospel-is-that-god-invades-us-with-new-life/) [Eugene H. Peterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eugene-h-peterson/) > [“Liturgy puts us to work along with all the others who have been and are being put to work in the world by and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eugene-h-peterson/liturgy-puts-us-to-work-along-with-all-the-others-who-have-been-and/) [Eugene H. Peterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eugene-h-peterson/) > [“At day’s end I’m ready for sound sleep, For you, GOD, have put my life back together.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eugene-h-peterson/at-day-s-end-i-m-ready-for-sound-sleep-for-you-god-have-put-my-life/) [Eugene H. Peterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eugene-h-peterson/) > [I think pastors are the worst listeners. We're so used to speaking, teaching, giving answers. We must learn to be quiet, quit being so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eugene-h-peterson/i-think-pastors-are-the-worst-listeners-we-re-so-used-to-speaking/) [Eugene H. Peterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eugene-h-peterson/) > [“When I look for help in developing my pastoral craft and nurturing my pastoral vocation, the one century that has the least to commend…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eugene-h-peterson/when-i-look-for-help-in-developing-my-pastoral-craft-and-nurturing-my/) [Eugene H. Peterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eugene-h-peterson/) > [Religion is a very scary thing, because a pastor is in a position of power. And if you use that power badly, you ruin…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eugene-h-peterson/religion-is-a-very-scary-thing-because-a-pastor-is-in-a-position-of/) [Eugene H. Peterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eugene-h-peterson/) > [The vocation of pastor(s) has been replaced by the strategies of religious entrepreneurs with business plans.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eugene-h-peterson/the-vocation-of-pastor-s-has-been-replaced-by-the-strategies-of/) [Eugene H. Peterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eugene-h-peterson/) > [Repentance is a realization that what God wants from you and what you want from God are not going to be achieved by doing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eugene-h-peterson/repentance-is-a-realization-that-what-god-wants-from-you-and-what-you/) [Eugene H. Peterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eugene-h-peterson/) > [It's essential for us to develop an imagination that is participatory. Art is the primary way in which this happens. It's the primary way…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eugene-h-peterson/it-s-essential-for-us-to-develop-an-imagination-that-is-participatory/) [Eugene H. Peterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eugene-h-peterson/) > [“My uncle Ernie didn't believe in God. At least that's what he said. But he always Went to church on Christmas. Which I thought…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eugene-h-peterson/my-uncle-ernie-didn-t-believe-in-god-at-least-that-s-what-he-said-but/) [Eugene H. Peterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eugene-h-peterson/) > [You don't make your words true by embellishing them with religious lace. In making your speech sound more religious, it becomes less true.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eugene-h-peterson/you-don-t-make-your-words-true-by-embellishing-them-with-religious/) [Eugene H. Peterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eugene-h-peterson/) > [“And the remainder of the Message details God’s intricate and loving plan to redeem, restore, and reconcile creation back to himself after what happened…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eugene-h-peterson/and-the-remainder-of-the-message-details-god-s-intricate-and-loving/) [Eugene H. Peterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eugene-h-peterson/) [Explore all 210 Eugene H. Peterson quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eugene-h-peterson/) ## More Bible study quotes > [“God forces us to quantify our religious tenants by measuring them against the family problems they solve. 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