A discovery of worship
I have had a quest in my life for many years that has until recently gone unfulfilled. I have desired to discover what seemed to be missing from my worship experiences. In my honest moments I would have to say that I have been in the middle of Church on more occasions than I want to count and sensed a drought of the presence of Jesus and a response to His God-ness.
I have heard some of the very best music, some of the top preaching, watched the most inspiring videos and still felt that worship of Jesus was not happening. At first thought it was "their" fault. Then I thought it was my fault because I am pretty good at being self focused and was pretty sure that I was just not able to get beyond my self interests to really release the worship of Jesus.
Then God allowed me to meet the pastor of a church that meets in a mud stick hut in the back bush of Africa who taught me the art of worshipping Jesus. In simple submissive adoration, I saw a group of people embrace and love Jesus in ways I have never witnessed or experienced prior. This pastor taught me that I have been so incredibly loved by the eternal God of the universe who came to earth just so that I could fully experience His love. He taught me that worship is receiving that love and responding to the response of God who is loving me. I may use tools of music and words, maybe even a walk or a dance to show to God how much His love has affected me. But those tools do not create or cause worship. Worship is the connection of a loving God and the object of His love. It is not me that is supposed to enjoy worship, it is God who is supposed to enjoy worship and it can never happen by anything I can do. God enjoys the connection of His love.
So have learned to just be the found lamb, the found coin and the returned son of Luke's story and worship happens.
I have heard some of the very best music, some of the top preaching, watched the most inspiring videos and still felt that worship of Jesus was not happening. At first thought it was "their" fault. Then I thought it was my fault because I am pretty good at being self focused and was pretty sure that I was just not able to get beyond my self interests to really release the worship of Jesus.
Then God allowed me to meet the pastor of a church that meets in a mud stick hut in the back bush of Africa who taught me the art of worshipping Jesus. In simple submissive adoration, I saw a group of people embrace and love Jesus in ways I have never witnessed or experienced prior. This pastor taught me that I have been so incredibly loved by the eternal God of the universe who came to earth just so that I could fully experience His love. He taught me that worship is receiving that love and responding to the response of God who is loving me. I may use tools of music and words, maybe even a walk or a dance to show to God how much His love has affected me. But those tools do not create or cause worship. Worship is the connection of a loving God and the object of His love. It is not me that is supposed to enjoy worship, it is God who is supposed to enjoy worship and it can never happen by anything I can do. God enjoys the connection of His love.
So have learned to just be the found lamb, the found coin and the returned son of Luke's story and worship happens.
posted by Phil | 4:30 AM
1 Comments:
Worship, in the African bush is like to known. Only through experience can you sense the true presence of the Holy Ground and the Lord found there. God is glorified in mighty, powerful ways. The experience cannot be described; truly the experience is humbling.
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