1.06.2009

Worship

A post from fellow blogger Heather inspired this post...

Our church services are a lot like many other Protestant churches. We have the traditional "worship songs" and prayer time. We have the Pastor's message. We have quiet time to really be "in the moment". Recently, our pastor and his wife (our worship director) have been incorporating more opportunities for individual worship into our services.

This led me to really consider how I worship. What goes through my mind, my heart, my soul. I grew up in a liturgical church where "properly worshiping" included standing, sitting and kneeling at the right time and knowing what to say when. I thought I would be in that church forever. I even did graduate studies thinking that God was calling me to help teach youth about the Church.

Then one day, my "worship experience" seemed flat. I was "going through the motions" more than really seeking God with my whole heart. After a long period of doing nothing, returning to what I knew, and seeking elsewhere, I found a new church home.

Suddenly, the comfort of routine was gone. I was worried that I "wasn't doing it right", whatever "it" was. I loved the "feel" of my new church. The pastor was wonderful, the people were loving, and somehow I could really sense the presence of God in that place. I knew in my heart that I was in a good church.

But I still never really THOUGHT about worship. Music is HUGELY important to me (I was a band and choir director in a former life!) and I rely on it often as a primary form of worship. Now I wonder if I've been relying solely on music. The focus of worship should be about WHO, not HOW.

Over the past couple of years, God has really been working in my heart and life. I have a lot of "baggage", as many people do. My pastor and church community have been a huge support system for me. I've been able to get involved with so much in our church and have come around to the thinking that anything I do can glorify God, if done with a servant's heart and loving spirit.

That is worship.

One of my resolutions for this year is to eat better and exercise regularly so I can lose weight and become healthier. Taking care of my physical body is not just self-preservation. It is wanting to be there for my children and husband. It is wanting take care of God's precious gift to me, to be a good steward of this temple.

It is worship.

“It’s who you are and the way you live that count before God. Your worship must engage your spirit in the pursuit of truth. That’s the kind of people the Father is out looking for: those who are simply and honestly themselves before him in their worship. God is sheer being itself—Spirit. Those who worship him must do it out of their very being, their spirits, their true selves, in adoration.” - John 4:23-24 (The Message)

5 comments:

Tara Bennett said...

Wonderful insights. Thank you for sharing!

sassy stephanie said...

Wow. What a great post. I am the opposite. I used to go to church and wish we could just skip the music. Then one day, our pastor said they ran across someone that was feeling blue. He asked them "did you sing in church today? I mean, really sing, out loud?". It made me stop and rethink my thoughts about worship. God's word tells us outright that music is a form of worship. Now I totally get into it and love it.

Toni said...

What a wonderful post!Thanks s much for sharing it!!I loved that song too!!I hope you are having a blessed day today!!

RandomWonders said...

Very well said! The regular "routine" of worship can seem mundain at times and the Lord wants us to WANT to worship Him..to crave Him, to have our hearts pumped up and ready to sing to Him from the roof tops! It's hard to do sometimes and when I feel like I haven't given it my all I say a quiet little prayer "Lord, I am sorry for being lame in my praise to You...please help me to rock it next time" ;-)

DiPaola Momma said...

This is a wonderful reminder to us all (no matter our faith) to take time each day and worship within ourselves. THANKS!!

And thanks for following my blog! GOOD LUCK in winning my Woo Hoo box. I'm having soooo much fun with all the entries and goodies who knows where it will end up?