acceptable worship

I was in a conversation the other day that was centered around worship; go figure. Anyway, the discussion headed more toward what we thought was the most important element to worship. What makes our worship acceptable to God? Do we need the right songs for worship? the cleanest sound? the newest technology? a deeper understanding of what worship really is? dedicated musicians and singers? coffee? diet Dew?

I just finished reading a book by Louie Giglio, "The Air I Breathe", for a second time. And, in this book he writes that there is one thing that we need to make our worship acceptable; just this one thing, this one element that defines worship. It turns out that it could be simple to grasp, but very difficult to apply. It's not pretty, yet it's necessary. Without it, there is no worship. Without it, there is no audience with God. Without it, we can't even approach God. Without it, He doesn't know us. We can't play it, or sing it.

We can embrace it; bow down in it's shadow; remember the love shown there; the sacrifice that was made so that our worship would be acceptable to God. Without the cross, there is no worship. Without the cross, there is no audience with God. Of all the things that we think that we need to do, or have to have to be able to worship God; the one and only thing that makes our worship acceptable to Him............He already provided. Have we missed it? Did we cover it up with everything else that we think that we need? Did we misplace it? Or, did we just forget about it today........yesterday........last week? When was the last time that we thought about the Cross of Christ? Was it while we were worshiping?


Should've been.

It's all we need.

"just" worship

“I just want to worship…..that’s all”

I heard that in a conversation recently. At first I thought, this person must really want to spend time in worship. But, when I wrote these words on paper......this type of worship seems so limited. How is it possible to be called a follower of Christ and "just" do anything? When I hear someone say that they "just" want to do this, or that; what I hear is that they don't want to do anything else. Is their life so busy that they can't experience the fullness of what God has to offer? He is not limited to "just" one area of our lives. He is all encompassing. He is in every part of our lives. When a person says that they only want to do "just"; they limit their relationship with God and they limit their involvement in church. There is so much to knowing who God is, and there is so much to discovering what He wants to accomplish in our lives, that the word.."just"..doesn't fit.

In Luke, Chapter 10, we read about Jesus visiting with Martha and Mary, and how Martha was rushing around the house doing this and that while Mary was at the feet of Jesus. Martha complained about Mary's choice, but Jesus said that Mary had made the right choice, and it wouldn't be taken away from her. Mary did make the "right" choice, but she didn't "just" sit at Jesus' feet. She listened to Jesus speak, and He had her undivided attention. She would have done anything He asked of her. I believe that when a person only wants to do "just" what they want to do, then their attention is divided among a lot of other things that make them more like Martha. I'm afraid that they may "just" miss out.

If we "just" want to worship, then we will miss out on all that God has planned for us. Worship is all about knowing who God is and what He has done, but knowing who God is and what He has done in our lives is not limited to "just" worship.

Worship is the start.

pauses and tears

Joshua.......Ryan........Pinyan

As he stood at the edge of the platform, waiting for his name to be called so that he could walk across the stage to be "hooded" by Dean Staver, and then receive his diploma from the Liberty University School of Law.....my thoughts go back to other graduation ceremonies. Each time, he would stand at the side of the stage and wait for his name to be called; and every time...there would be a pause.....my heart would jump up to my throat and my vision would blur. (Why is it that the tear ducts fill up when I want to see clearly as I video my children finishing one chapter in their life, and beginning another one.)

This was a familiar pause that I have heard all through his life; Pre-School Graduation; High School Graduation; College Graduation; and now Law School. You would think that I would be accustomed to this pause.....this waiting to hear his name called.....this moment when my son, my little boy, takes his next step in life and continues to grow into the fine young man that God has been shaping from his first breath. Even then, there was the pause.....the tears.....and the words...Joshua....Ryan.....Pinyan.

I guess you could say that I am a proud father, but the correct term would be.....

I am a blessed father. God has blessed me beyond words. He has blessed me with Karen, to help me in this life. He has blessed me with two beautiful children and a great son-in-law. Most of all, He has blessed me with pauses......and tears.