Wednesday, March 25th

How do you define worship?  
What does it mean to you?
We often limit the idea of worship as being solely musical, a reciting of words to a beat with notated melody.  Yet, how easy is it to go through the motions?  We have music playing in the background while we work, we can almost unconsciously sing the lyrics without awareness of the meaning of what we are saying or the intention behind it.  At times it can be nothing more than a mumbling.  

At New Life we refer to baptism as the outward expression of an inward change. Similarly, worship is the outward expression of our adoration and devotion for something that we value; a giving of praise and celebration.
 
When you think of your relationships in your life, how do you rank the level of depth to them?  How do you invest in those relationships?  How do you connect with people in meaningful ways?  You spend time with them, right?  You give your attention and time, you share your heart and thoughts.   Think of a child who sees their dad coming home from work.  They run out the door squealing with excitement and longing, exclaiming “Daddy, I missed you.  I love you! I want to be near you.  To be wrapped in your arms, enveloped in your presence.  I delight in you and want you to be delighted in by YOU!”  There is a desire for connection.

Spiritually, I define worship as an intentional, relational connection to the character, power and presence of God. It is aligning our head and heart into a posture of gratitude and submission to His perfect will and purpose.

It’s a declaration of His worth-ship:  Professing that He has infinite worth to be honored, praised and glorified for. Yet, He demands nothing from us, he allows us the freedom to choose where we will place our devotion. He created us with our own free will. He wouldn’t be kind if he forced us to bow and worship Him. When he said you shall have no other gods before me, he didn’t remove all of the other options of what we could worship. His desire is for us to choose Him, but He will never make us.  Worship is to revere him as worthy through our humble attitude and elevating Him.    

True worship goes beyond singing songs or playing musical notes.  It's the soul's intentional connection and alignment to its creator. Genuine worship magnifies His brilliance that is reflected in the care and purpose of how all things are interwoven together with perfect harmony and unity. We see this in the balance of the earth on its axis, the bending of light to paint brilliant sunrises and sunsets.   The expression of Psalm 19:1 “The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands.”

Yet how often do we go through each day with the same mundane routine?! In our pride we selfishly overlook God’s desire to connect with us that is expressed through His creation. Reflect on the power and resilience of seeds germinating in darkness, yet reaching for sunlight to grow and produce flowers and fruits, that we in turn get to experience the pleasure of their many flavors and receive nourishment from. The literal of Psalm 34:8 when it says “Taste and see that the Lord is good..”

To notice the delicate etchings of frost on a window.  The wonder of how every snowflake is completely unique.  Our ability to see color, adding depth and contrast to the world around us. This all exemplifies His infinite mind and purpose, revealing who He is, completely undiluted (lacking nothing and holding nothing back) for us to witness, appreciate and be cared for.

We worship through interpreting it as the expression of His desire to be intimately connected with us in every possible way. Worship is a coming home, home to perfect intimacy, perfect shalom (wholeness, completeness), an appreciation of His provisions and finding refuge in His presence. Our worship is a gift that can be offered through every thread of our lives. We can worship in the way we care for others, the heart posture of how and why we labor at work, we can worship in the way we view ourselves, believing we are each a masterpiece of God’s workmanship, each unique in how we live, yet unified in purpose and desired to be part of His story of sharing and experiencing His great love.
 
Our purpose is to worship through our willful, intentional connection to a supremely sovereign God. Worshipping through song is one of countless ways to attune to and proclaim His worth. It is our soul's attempt to communicate its desire for something greater than ourselves. It's our soul's hidden language that only we can express because, we alone bear the image of God above all of creation. But, to experience the fullness of what it offers to the ONLY ONE worthy to receive it, it requires all of our intention and conscience.  Not out of duty, but of desire.  

So let us live out Psalm 33:1-4 “Sing joyfully to the Lord, you righteous; it is fitting for the upright to praise him. Praise the Lord with the harp; make music to him on the ten-stringed lyre. Sing to him a new song; play skillfully, and shout for joy. For the word of the Lord is right and true; he is faithful in all he does.”  Take some time to listen to this song, "heart of Worship" put it on repeat and allow yourself the space to connect in a meaningful with your Heavenly Father.  Crawl into His lap, bow at His feet, dance for Him, sing at the top of your lungs or simply express gratitude for the breath in your lungs. However, you respond I pray you enter His presence and see the fullness of His love and grace that He offers freely.

You are loved!
-Kate