Having been asked to say something about worshipping reverently I think it comes down to how you see God. How your picture of God is.
A lack of reverent worship would be down to a lack of appreciation of God I think, to say the least.
People who don't show reverent behaviour towards God don't understand who they are dealing with any more. People who are involved in idol chit chat or things that engage them during service have forgotten why they are at the service. We come to worship because that is what God wants His worship and not a mind set on other things. And what God wants he tends to get.
A mind set on other things in the company of God is a mind that shows no respect.
Pro 1:7 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge;
It's a good place to start because God has a jealous side and when he isn't getting his worship you should know were you stand. Later on you understand there is no fear of God when you live by his rules. Nonchalant lateness and vacant minds during service weather from familiarity or not have forgotten that this is God, a being, for want of a better word, a being the likes of which has no equal!
You don't turn up late or vacant to the request of this kind of God. Because God demands his worship.
True worship is the reserve of Yahweh alone and true worship is in evidence when the worshipper still has a sense of awe for the one they worship.
The worship service has God as it's centre and anything that takes the place of God, God objects to.
Even if that is our silly thoughts. Thoughts that we should take captive.
You would think that the call to remembrance would be enough to remind us that there is something supernatural going on and that we have invoked, called upon the most powerful being ever to receive praise.
That our prayers and songs have ascended to another realm that just touches this world. And that we call upon one who is not subjected to the limitations of time and space but who subjects time and space and we would dare to be inattentive towards him. Or behave in an mocking manner.
Great depth's of respect and awe of God is good for human beings!
The best of people have it
"Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory...for mine eyes have see the King, the Lord." Isaiah 6:3,5
Reverent worship is not silence or lack of noise it is a mind centred on God, that acts in an appropriate manner.
Heb 12:28 Therefore let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, and thus let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe, for our God is a consuming fire.
God requires a faithful response from God's people and God's intention is for us to grow throw such contact with God. Fully engaged proper contact.
Worship is your personal response to the gratitude and commitment God has made to you, and it is done in a family setting. How will you respond, by not respecting this time?
Worship is were your heart get's to speak, but it more than, here we get to see the impact that God has made on the church. Is is a church that is reverent?
I get a feeling that God is eager to engage with us and it's meant to be mutual, is it?
Before or after the chat?
When you eventually get here or what?
When your ready to focus?
I don't know if you were waiting for a list of dos and don't ? It don't think it would have hit the spot, it's more to do with your picture of God, is your picture of God an awesome picture?
There is plenty of reason to make God centre and plenty reason to be in awe of him.
And no lack of reasons not to respect him.
The questions is will we?
A heart that has God at it's centre will not go far wrong, one that spends time in his word will know the awesomeness that is God and act accordingly.
The Jews were constantly reminded of God He governed there everyday life.
When you think of Exodus especially on wards, when God set up the nation proper and instituted worship towards himself, He ordained it so and reminded the people that He was the one who brought them out of Egypt and everything that that meant. Their worship started with a picture of a God who saves, and everything was linked to that.
But not just who saves but a God who worked in a mysterious spectacular fashion a God who parted seas and supplied food from nowhere!
So reverent worship comes from that kind of thing, because He says I am the God who saves you and then some.
And their history is our history.
But we are not always so impressed any more with that are we? To far in the distance.
Is it enough that God wants his worship, what does he have to do die for it.
Your reverence for God, your deep deep feelings of respect for God will be in your understanding or picture of who God is. There is something in the whole structure of the worship that should also help. For this is the meeting place of 2 worlds, physical and spiritual, life and death, God and man, sin and sacrifice, punishment and grace and the ability to approach the unapproachable.
Now that we are all grown up and no longer sat at the back of the classroom could you still draw an accurate picture of God for someone? Would it be a vibrant energy filled picture of a living God who saves lives, who saves your life. A picture evoking us to better reverent service. Does it contain a scene were you are rescued from eternal damnation by your creator. Who swoops down to rescue you from the jaws of death but looses his own life in the process?
Or is it a scene were people come together under some pretext of remembering his supreme sacrifice and take no notice.
Is it all just a walk in the park?
Are you fed up with love?
Are you no longer in awe?