Worship: John Chrysostom on Worship as a Way of Life

John Chrysostom taught that worship extends far beyond the walls of the church: "You cannot pray at home as at church, where there is a great multitude, where exclamations are cried out to God as from one great heart, and where there is something more: the union of minds, the accord of souls, the bond of charity, the prayers of the priests." Yet he equally insisted that worship must flow from the church into daily life.

"When you leave the church, you should be like a man who has come from a king's table. Think on what you heard. Think on what you received." Chrysostom saw the liturgy as a training ground that sent believers back into the world as worshippers of God in every action and interaction.

Practical application: After your next worship service, take five minutes in your car or on your walk home to identify one thing from the service -- a hymn line, a Scripture verse, a prayer -- and carry it with you through the week. Let it shape your conversations, decisions, and responses. Chrysostom teaches that worship that stays in the sanctuary is incomplete worship.