An extra for today. This was written for the blog http://dev.thelegacyconference.com/ to define, from one point of view what worship is. What is your definition?
Worship
What is it to worship … to pay attention to God, the
audience of one? To put down our cares and worries, our lives, for a moment and
be? Maybe to stop all our fretting and stewing and trying for once; to be still
and recognize the source of our breath? Maybe to realize that we are not in
charge … that we do not run the world … that there is more, and the “more” is
him.
Some religions would have you pledge allegiance to a statue
made of stone, or to the earth or moon or seasons. We, as Christians, choose to
worship a person, usually in a church. Jesus worshipped formally in the temple
or alone in a place of solitude. He and those he worshipped with believed that
they could have a relationship with the most holy God. That he is a person and
that they were called … chosen by him, to be in that relationship.
And they worshipped, not in fear, but in relief. Relief that
there is a father who cares, who wants to take us in, no matter how broken we
are, and comfort us, to guide us in our decisions and show us the wonder of his
world. Who created everything we see and, of course, ourselves. Our response of
gratitude in joy or tears, with cries of anguish or words unspoken, is worship
as we recognize his presence.
However, worship is more than this. Worship is also how we
do each moment. Every time we bend to listen to a small child, or take the time
to help someone, wash the dishes, fold the clothes, or pay attention to a co-worker,
write a story, or paint a picture, we are worshipping. Every time we put
ourselves aside for someone else or let our thoughts rest in the knowledge of
God’s grace, we show our God how much we love him.
And so, each day, we worship him with song or word or dance,
in nature, alone and in community; in the morning, noon and night. He is the Lord
of everything, every moment and everyone. And we rejoice and say thanks!
Anne Selleck
Copyright 2013
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