How Does One Get to the Heart of Worship?

 What is worship?

Worship ascribes worth to the being or object being worshipped.  There is true worship and false worship.  When the children of Israel made a golden calf in the absence of Moses and worshipped it, they were ascribing worth to their object of worship.   However, when Moses showed up with the Ten Commandments, they found that their object of worship was not truly worthy of their worship.

True worship defies definition; it can only be experienced. In seeking to define it, we often cheapen the very act of worship.

To worship, according to William Temple, in his book, The Hope of a New World,  is:

To quicken the conscience by the holiness of God.  To feed the mind with the truth of God. To purge the imagination with the beauty of God.  To open the heart to the Love of God.

Franklin Segler and Randall Bradley in their book “Christian Worship” lay out a basic understanding of worship.

Worship is a mystery.

It is both a revelation of God’s immanence (His ability to reside within the human heart) and God’s transcendence (His inability to be contained or understood)

The mystery is that we can at once grasp His personal attention while at the same time recognize that He is a Holy God far beyond our reach.  Were it not for Him choosing to commune with us and granting us that privilege, we would never be able to reach Him.

Worship is a celebration

It is a celebration of God in History.  His work at creation.  His leading of the people in the Bible.  His coming as a child, reducing His transcendence into the form of a helpless baby.

Worship is a celebration of Jesus life, His teachings, His suffering and His death in our place, as well as His resurrection and victory over the power of death.

Worship is, as writer Von Ogden Vogt put it: "an interruption of work to praise and celebrate God’s goodness."  The problem with most of our society today is that they never stop working.  I went out onto my porch at about 6 this morning, and was amazed at the amount of people heading to work or driving work vehicles already.  We need to interupt our work to praise and celebrate God’s goodness.

Worship is Life or Lifestyle

In it’s broadest sense, worship is related to all human action.  As a part of creation, humankind responds in gratitude to the creator.  Every area of life belongs to the Kingdom of God; therefore, worship is practicing the presence of God in every experience in life.

When I talk  with someone, I practice the presence of God…that is, I talk as if God were standing right there with me. When I eat, I practice the presence (and possibly the restraint) of God. When I study, I study as if God were there with me. When I pray, I practice the presence of God. When I go to Wal-Mart, I stand in line as if God were right there with me. (and He needs to be with me in the line.) Anything I do in life then, becomes an act of worship if I practice the presence of God.

Worship is dialogue.

Worship is a dialogue between God and the worshipper.  God is revealed to the worshipper’s spirit through the Bible, through the fellowship of believers, through music, through symbols, through banners, through human actions and through God’s Spirit.  

As God is revealed, the worshipper is moved to respond.

When I talk about the manger scene…Joseph and Mary struggle up the hill, exhausted as they take those final steps into Bethlehem.  Mary may already be experiencing labor pains and Joseph is urgently seeking shelter because the baby is coming.  When you read those words describing Jesus's beginnings,  you are moved to respond.  Think about someone who yells in a crowd: "Make some room, we have a pregnant lady with a baby on the way and we have to get her to the hospital."  That revelation causes your response.  You are compelled to move.  As God is revealed, the worshipper is moved to respond.

It is more than a conversation though. It is an encounter.  In the encounter, God confronts and makes demands on the worshipper. 

There are times as we worship that we come under conviction.  There may be something in our life that is out of line.  God wants us to yield that to Him as we worship.

There may be a hurt that we have hung on to that is now eating our spirituality alive in the clutches of bitterness.  Worship gently demands that we let go of it.

There may be un-forgiveness in the heart.  God confronts us in worship with our own sinfulness and then asks, “If I’ve already forgiven you, shouldn’t you forgive one another?”

It’s an encounter where God confronts and urges the worshipper to respond.

Worship is an offering.

In the Old Testament system, worship always included a sacrifice.  A giving up of something.   Giving is central to worship; both what we have and what we are.  True worship demands that we give of our selves and of our means.

Worship is Eschatological fulfillment

Gerhard Delling, in his book entitled, “Worship in the New Testament” pg 182 says: It is the continuing decisive working out of salvation in history, which ends in the eternal adoration of God.

Isa 66: 22,23 "As the new heavens and the new earth that I make will endure before me," declares the LORD, "so will your name and descendants endure. “From one New Moon to another and from one Sabbath to another, all mankind will come and bow down before me," says the LORD.

W.T. Connor, in his book, “The Gospel of Redemption” pg 277 states, “The first business, then, of a church is not evangelism, nor missions, nor benevolence; (meaning service to others) it is worship.  The worship of God in Christ should be at the center of all else that the church does.  It is the mainspring of all the activity of the church. (Emphasis mine)

The heart of worship then comes down to the heart of the worshipper.  There is no possibility of the church being Christian without worship.  There is no possibility of a Christian being Christian without worship.  So the question begs to be asked: What is in your heart today?

Are you weighed down with the cares of life? Ps. 55:22   Cast your cares on the LORD and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous fall.  Let go and worship.

Are you seeking to see your way clear on an issue? Prov. 3: 5,6 Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.  Let go and worship.

Do you find yourself bound up in worry? 1Pet. 5:7   Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.  Let go and worship.

Are you angry and unforgiving? Col. 3:13   Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.   Let go and worship.

Whatever it is, let go and worship.  Put aside the cares, the worries, the hurts, the pain and worship. Let’s go back to the manger, and worship Him.  Let’s go to the foot of the cross and worship Him.  Let’s go to the empty tomb and worship Him. Let’s go to the glorious return of Jesus that is promised and worship Him.  Worship Him with your heart, worship Him with your mind, worship Him with your body, worship Him with all you have.  Immerse yourself in worship.  For then you’ve gone back to the true Heart of Worship.

Hurry Up and Wait! Expect Delays!

Ever played that game?  The "hurry up and wait" game?  I was playing it on the freeway from Atlanta just this afternoon.  I was zipping in and out of traffic, trying to get past all of the slow cars, only to get 5 miles up the road where a lane was shut down because a car had caught on fire...and as all of the traffic came to a standstill, I found myself waiting...in the middle of it...unable to move!  Frustrating...but there was nothing I could do about it except embrace it.  I was where I was and no amount of wishing would move me an inch closer or a minute faster towards my goal.

I began to think of all the times I play the "hurry up and wait" game and how it really is rather stupid.  Yet I do it all the time.  Like on airplanes.  As soon as the aircraft comes to a complete stop and the little bong sound chimes, I've got that seat belt off, standing up and grabbing my items from the overhead bin like I'm headed to a fire.  The only problem is--everyone else is doing the same thing.  And usually, I'm about 3/4 of the way back, so I have to wait for the whole plane to unload before I can even pick my stuff up.

Or when I'm shopping at Wal-Mart and I only have 15 items (or less)--and I see some elderly grandma with a hand full of coupons and a full grocery cart, meandering towards the same lane I had already picked out.  If I can get away with it, I accelerate rapidly and try to get in ahead of her.  If it is too close to call, and I might get called for being a rude pastor, I back off and start checking all of the other lines to see if there might be some hope of getting in a faster lane.

But I noticed that I'm not alone.  You do it too!  What's THAT all about?  As I sat in traffic today I pondered that question.

I think it comes when we begin to view the world through the eyes of "how will this affect ME?"  And if it affects me adversely, the "I don't like this one bit!"  My focus suddenly shifts from how others are affected to how I'm affected and my selfish nature takes over.  I  become the center of my universe and though I may have a tinge of empathy for the poor person who's car went up in flames, I was more than relieved when the tow truck got it hefted up on top and drove off, clearing the rest of us to accelerate back to normal (and in many cases, above normal) speeds.

I, however, didn't try to zig and zag out of traffic any longer, as I continued to ponder the question: Just what is it about ME that I think I deserve to have life always go my way all of the time?  Just why do I tend to get so upset when I get into the "hurry up" mindset and then am forced to wait?  But most importantly...How do I STOP the "hurry up and wait" mentality in the first place?  How can I come to the point of "going with the flow" instead of blowing my top?

The sign may say "expect delays" but instead of learning to accept that and adjusting my life to reality, I always seem to be shocked when I find myself facing delays.  I grow angry and outraged that my world is being affected.  That I am being forced to wait still again. 

Yet, on the other hand, I readily admit that I want to make a difference in life.  I want my life to have purpose and meaning. That I want my life to count for the cause of God.

Is it conceivable that my expectations are unrealistic?  Can I really have it both ways?  Can I be "king of the road" and serve another King at the same time? Could it be that the reason  I get so upset at the "hurry up and wait" game is because I believe, deep down, without question, that it really should be all about me after all?  Of course I would never say it out loud...or would I?  Perhaps my loudly yelling at the other "idiots on the road", or muttering and sighing loudly as grandma goes through all of her coupons is my subtle way of telling the world that I sincerely believe that I really should be the most important person in the room or on the road?

Wasn't it Jesus who really addressed the problem head on when his disciples asked the question about who would be the greatest in the Kingdom?  Do you remember what Jesus told them?

Matt 20:25 But Jesus called them together and said, “You know that the rulers in this world lord it over their people, and officials flaunt their authority over those under them. 26 But among you it will be different. Whoever wants to be a leader among you must be your servant, 27 and whoever wants to be first among you must become your slave. 28 For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

Among you it will be different!  Is it possible that the delays of life could actually aid me in developing meaning and purpose?  Could it be that God designed the delays because He is more interested in my holiness than He is my happiness?  Is my whining and complaining really only showing God where MY heart is rather than pointing out how stupid everyone else appears to me or how they bother me, or even annoy and disgust me?  I think so.  The angry, griping, or whiney words I say really are more a statement about me and where my heart is than it is about those who annoy me.  And scripture would bear this out.

Luke 6:45 A good person produces good things from the treasury of a good heart, and an evil person produces evil things from the treasury of an evil heart. What you say flows from what is in your heart.

So how you and I handle the "hurry up and wait" game really reveals our hearts as well as our characters.  I don't know about you...but I want what flows from my heart to reveal a Savior, not a slime ball.  A character of distinction rather than corruption.  A heart full of love for God and others, not so focused on myself that my short-sightedness eclipses someone else's view of God.  Which brings to mind one other text...

Is. 40:31 But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint. 

Teach me Lord, to wait!  And then let me soar!

The Overflow of the Heart

A friend will treat you with respect. 

M. Scott Peck, The Different Drum , tells an interesting story that illustrates this point.

There was once an old monastery that had fallen upon hard times. Centuries earlier, it had been a thriving center where many dedicated monks lived and worked and had great influence on the realm. But now only five monks lived there, and they were all over seventy years old. This was clearly a dying order.

A few miles from the monastery lived an old hermit who many thought was a prophet. One day as the monks agonized over the impending demise of their order, they decided to visit the hermit to see if he might have some advice for them. Perhaps he would be able to see the future and show them what they could do to save the monastery.

The hermit welcomed the five monks to his hut, but when they explained the purpose of their visit, the hermit could only commiserate with them. “Yes, I understand how it is,” said the hermit. “The spirit has gone out of the people. Hardly anyone cares much for the old things anymore.”

“Is there anything you can tell us,” the abbot inquired of the hermit, “that would help us save the monastery?”

“No, I’m sorry,” said the hermit. “I don’t know how your monastery can be saved. The only thing that I can tell you is that one of you is an apostle of God.”

The monks were both disappointed and confused by the hermit’s cryptic statement. They returned to the monastery, wondering what the hermit could have meant by the statement, “One of you is an apostle of God.” For months after their visit, the monks pondered the significance of the hermit’s words.

“One of us is an apostle of God,” they mused. “Did he actually mean one of us monks here at the monastery? That’s impossible. We are all too old. We are too insignificant. On the other hand, what if it’s true? And if it is true, then which one of us is it?”

One monks’s contemplation was similar to the four others’: “Do you suppose he meant the abbot? Yes, if he meant anyone, he probably meant the abbot. He has been our leader for more than a generation. On the other hand, he might have meant Brother Thomas. Certainly Brother Thomas is a holy man—a man of wisdom and light. He couldn’t have meant Brother Elred. Elred gets crotchety at times and is difficult to reason with. On the other hand, he is almost always right. Maybe the hermit did mean Brother Elred. But surely he could not have meant Brother Phillip. Phillip is so passive, so shy—a real nobody. Still, he’s always there when you need him. He’s loyal and trustworthy. Yes, he could have meant Phillip. Of course, the hermit didn’t mean me. He couldn’t possibly have meant me. I’m just an ordinary person. Yet, suppose he did? Suppose I am an apostle of God? Oh God, not me. I couldn’t be that much for you. Or could I?”

As they continued to mull the hermit’s words, the old monks began to treat each other with extraordinary respect on the off chance that one of them might actually be an apostle of God. And on the off-off chance that he himself might be the apostle spoken of by the hermit, each monk began to treat himself with extraordinary respect.

Because the monastery was situated in a beautiful forest, many people came there to picnic on its tiny lawn and to walk on its paths, and even now and then to go into the tiny chapel to meditate. As they did so, without even being conscious of it, they sensed the aura of extraordinary respect that now began to surround the five old monks and seemed to radiate out of them, permeating the atmosphere of the place. There was something strangely attractive, even compelling, about it. Hardly knowing why, people began to come back to the monastery more frequently to picnic, to play, to pray. They began to bring their friends to show them this special place. And their friends brought their friends.

As more and more visitors came, some of the younger men started to talk with the old monks. After a while one asked if he could join them. Then another. And another. Within a few years the monastery had once again become a thriving order and, thanks to the hermit’s gift, a vibrant center of light and spirituality throughout the realm.

Sometimes, just like the old monks, we ask, “How can we train kids to become people of character? Or perhaps you’re just asking,  "How can we get some new life in our marriage and grow, both emotionally and spiritually?” Perhaps the answer has to do with how we regard each other. How do we treat each other? Are we always putting each other down and creating an atmosphere of criticism and negativism? Or are we treating each other with extraordinary dignity and respect?

Jesus said in Matt. 12:33-35     “Make a tree good and its fruit will be good, or make a tree bad and its fruit will be bad, for a tree is recognized by its fruit. 34 You brood of vipers, how can you who are evil say anything good? For out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks. 35 The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in him, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in him. 

What is your mouth telling others about what is in your heart?