Skip to main content

True Worship

I love to watch Worshipers worship. I like to gaze on the Gazers: those who are lost in His presence. I know it may sound strange to some (maybe even a little creepy), but I'm not staring for the sake of being awkward. I simply know that people who gaze on the Beauty of the Holy One have a story to tell. They may see something in Him that I have yet to see. They may know elements of His nature, His holiness, His goodness that I have yet to know. And as I look upon them encountering His Love, I know that they have a redemptive story to tell. All of this, in turn, makes me further see the goodness of God and, in short, it makes me want to be a better worshiper.

Recently, I was pondering what it would have been like to watch Jesus worship while He was on earth. Of course, my first imagination of this was seeing him with hands raised singing a love song to God. I mean, can you imagine hearing the Lamb's song rising to Adonai; to hear the Son glorifying the Father? It excites my heart to think about it! As the excitement of the thought flooded me, my heart was soon struck by the fact that the glory the Father received from the Son had very little to do with a song. As I considered this and what Jesus' worship would have sounded like, the Lord directed me to John 5:19. In this verse, Jesus said of himself, "Most assuredly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, but what He sees the Father do; for whatever He does, the Son also does in like manner." Jesus' worship had very little to do with a song, because Jesus' very LIFE was worship.

True worship isn't about music. It's not about hands lifted or knees bowed. It's about following Jesus' example of only doing what we see the Father do. Music will often accompany worship. I often lift my hands and bow my knees when I come before His Majesty. But, oh, to say of my life, that I only do the things that my Father is doing! This is the worship I long to give; not a song or a set time in prayer - I long for the very rhythm of my life to be in step with His. Out of this will flow songs of adoration, movements of praise, and time spent in communion. But if I lose my ability to sing, O, God, let me never lose my ability to love! If I lose my ability to dance, let me never lose my ability to walk in step with You. For when it's all been said, I simply want to be like Jesus. So, today, I fix my eyes on the Author and the Perfecter of my faith...and of my worship, and I say, "Jesus, teach me how to worship in spirit and in truth. Let every other man made standard of what worship is suppose to be fade away. I simply want to gaze on you, the Greatest Worshiper who ever lived."

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

The Song in the Storm

Every weekday morning, I awake before dawn. I quietly and sleepily make my way down the stairs where I enjoy my first cup of coffee in my overstuffed chair. I always love listening to the early morning sounds of birds lifting their chorus. I close my eyes and sip my coffee to the sweet sound of nature praising God in the dawning light. This morning, however, was a bit different. I still quietly and sleepily made my way down the stairs to enjoy my coffee. However, this morning as I settled into my overstuffed chair, I heard thunder in the distance. Gazing out my window, I noticed a coming storm. Lightning and thunder was peeling in the dark sky, steadily creeping towards my house. It was in this instance that I noticed my familiar morning greeting: the birds were still singing in their trees. I sat in awe, listening to the birds noisily lift their voices as the steady rhythm of thunder and the flashing dance of the lightning drew closer and closer to their habitation. It was such a st...

Closing Words: A Letter to All My Students

In case you have not heard the news, Geoff and I will be moving soon. We are starting a new chapter of our life…in Illinois, of all places!!! J A new chapter is always exciting. However, please know - We have no intention of ever closing the chapter of knowing and loving each one of you. We will always, ALWAYS be there for you. With Facebook and Skype we can always stay in touch, but even beyond that, we pray we stay personally connected to each of you. Knowing that we’ll soon be packing up and moving on, I’ve had a deep longing to give each of you a glimpse into my heart concerning you. So, what words can I leave you with? First off – know that my prayers will not stop for you. I never felt very good at connecting with you guys on a ‘buddy’ level like Geoff could. I was always envious of Geoff’s ability to be fun loving and down to earth with you all. But know that no one ever loved you more than me. My affection for you, although different from Geoff’s, has always been poured...

Psalm 17 Insights Part 2

In reading Psalm 17 yesterday, I could not escape verse 2... let my vindication come from Your Presence. As soon as I read the words, I sensed the Holy Spirit. I came back to it over and over while I read the Psalm. My first thought was, 'Wow! David is soooo bold!' But then my thoughts would be wrapped in the Presence and I knew there was more here for me. So, I did what I need to do more often - I journaled about it, taking it to God one on one. I've posted that entry here below, but before you read it, let me say this: I know there is more here that I've yet to tap into. I believe this is a message for intercessors specifically. But more than that, it is a message for the hungry ones in the Kingdom. I'll add  few words at the end of this post to sum up some more thoughts I believe God is putting together for me. For now, enjoy the entry posted below: Psalm 17:2 – Let my vindication come from Your presence… There is something here for me today, Lord. I sens...