I’ll have to admit an apathetic reader. I read many book at one time and sometimes I never finish a book I begin. I have good intentions of finishing the book and the books are always by amazing authors on amazing topics; however, I never quite seem to finish the book. I’m currently participating in the Daniel bible study by Beth Moore and I’m also in the middle of her study the Patriarchs. I’m also reading her book Get Out of that Pit and a Lady in Waiting by Jackie Kendall and Debby Jones as well as My Heart’s Desire by David Jeremiah. I’ve been working through some of these books for almost 6 months; however, each time I read one of the books it always seems to speak to my current situation and definitely challenges me in my walk of faith. So, apathetic reader I am. I pass along my challenge from the day’s reading.
Since I’ve come to Swaziland I’ve found a deep love for coffee. Oh yes, I was a casual drinker back home, but now I am passionate drinker of coffee savoring its various blends, flavor, and aromas. Whether it’s hot, cold, blended, shaken, or stirred I’ll drink it and oh how I enjoy it. I find nothing more relaxing than heading to a coffee shop either in town or to one of the more remote yet interesting finds to sit back read and reflect. However, I can never resist my morning routine: a cup of Joe in hand in my favorite chair and then settling into my book or study of choice, whatever it may be for the day.
This morning was normal day, a cup of Joe in hand and the choice of the day was My Heart’s Desire: Living Every Moment in the Wonder of Worship by David Jeremiah. The book is wonderful and I challenge anyone to read it no matter where you are in your walk of faith. I’ll guarantee it’ll get you thinking. Today I finished chapter 5, The Wise Whys of Worship. I of course had begun reading the chapter before bed several weeks ago, but fell asleep in the middle. So, began reread the chapter today and oh how I was challenged.
Since I’ve been in Swaziland worship has come to mean something more to me; physically, spiritually, and emotionally. Every Sunday I attend one of the 12 churches, which are in my 2 regions and needless to say worship is never the same. Every church has its favorite choruses and every church has its own style of dance and movement. Just as no one church in the states is the same neither is a church here in Swaziland. The style, the dance, the songs sung, and the even the church building is the least of the differences. Oh how I love the differences, but I never truly valued worship and my act of worship until I arrived here in Swaziland.
I remember my first Prayer Retreat last year in August for our mission family cluster. It was my first time to worship in almost 4 months in English as well as in the setting and context of worship, which I had become accustom to in the states. I couldn’t help but let the tears flow. Oh how I had missed worshipping in my own familiar context. A few months later I found myself in my backyard spinning around as I sang out “I can not hide my love, I can not hide love. My feet will have to dance.” Not that is was any more familiar to spin around in my backyard worshipping, but I was learning to what it meant to truly worship. As time has progressed I’ve also learned what it means to worship without song or music, but simply to meet in the stillness and silence of the presence of the Lord.
Worshipping in our Swazi churches was definitely an adjustment in all the senses of the matter. Not only was everything around me different, but even the song which were familiar and good old Baptist hymns were different: the language, the melody, and rhythm were unfamiliar. I went from not knowing what I was singing and stumbling through, to becoming familiar with a few choruses and enjoying the rhythm, yet not understanding it all; to now the unfamiliar being even more familiar and comfortable. The choruses have become old tune and I even get some them stuck in head at the most inopportune times. I understand some of what we are sing and yes I even love to dance along with the youth as well as some of the women in our churches. I may not always know the words or may not always know the meaning of words, which I am singing; however, the power and presence of the Holy Spirit transcends all cultural and all language barriers. The power and presence of the Holy Spirit knows no limits or barriers.
However, David Jeremiah challenges and reminds us that worship is more than singing, it is more than the mere act going to church on Sundays, and it’s more than what happens every Sunday in churches all around the world. Jeremiah explains, “The word worship comes from 2 words that really mean ‘worth’ and ‘ship’”. Therefore the true meaning of worship should be us as followers of Jesus “giving worth back to God” and ultimately “assigning Him His true and proper place”.
Jeremiah uses the comparison of going to church once a week to worship to trying to make a weekly appointment to do all our breathing for the week. Can you imagine everyone driving to the local oxygen tank once a week to get their fill of air? Jeremiah asks us to imagine we’re there at the oxygen tanks along with all the other fellow air-breathers talking about the quality of air, encouraging each other to be better breathers, sing a few air songs, and then do the week’s breathing. Absurd, huh? True none the less of those of us who spend our week out of touch and out worship with the Lord, only go to church on Sunday expecting to experience worship during a 2 hr church service, which heaven forbid in the states last past 12pm.
Some people, Jeremiah states, believes that worship is optional for Christians, usually meant for those who are talented and gifted musically or other wise. He uses the example of a Christian explaining, “Bible study is the thing for me. I’m not much for singing hymns or mouthing praises. That’s okay for people who go for that sort thing, but I’m more of a cerebral person, and I express my faith through studying.” As most of us should know no where in scripture does worship become limited to those who are talented or to those enjoy that sort of thing. Worship for those of us who are followers is no more optional than eating or breathing. If we stop eating or breathing as humans we died and the same is true for those of us as followers, for if we stop worshiping the Lord then we too died spiritually. Worship to the follower is to be a natural act. So, natural that we can’t help, but let the glory of God fill us up and shine through us daily. Missionary or not, I too can fall into the rut of once a week worshipping. How easily it is for me to get bogged down in the busyness of ministry and lesson planning or even in reading and bible studies that I miss out on my distinct call to daily stop and worship.
“All the trouble in the world comes from failing to do that (worship). Every sin can ultimately be traced to failing to attribute the proper priority and Lordship to God.” As I read these words my heart was pricked and I was caused to stop and reflect on the truth of the statement. Every sin, I sin daily (I don’t know about you. Yes, that was meant to be funnyJ.), is a direct reflection of my failing to give God the proper place in my life and my day.
Unfortunately, this truth isn’t limited to what we as humans classify as big sins, but even to our little nit picking sins, like my favorite: getting annoyed or upset with Swazi drivers. See Swazi drivers haven’t been taught about the common courtesies and etiquette of driving as those of us as American haveJ. For example: the act of stopping at a stop sign or yielding or taking turns at a 4 way stop. I could continue; however, I’ll stop there. Often times I find myself demanding and almost forcing my right to these rules of common courtesy driving; however, then I’m reminded how prideful it is for me to demand me right of way. For even Jesus could have demanded His right of way as the Son of God, the King of kings, and Lord of lords. However, He chose not to demand His rights and instead He suffered and bled so that I, sinner that I am, could call Him: Aba, Father, Redeemer, Savior, and Friend. He died so that I could worship in spirit and in truth.
God asks and invites us into His presence daily. No longer are we limited in our worship to the physical act of sacrificing an animal. No longer are we limited to the specific place of the temple. No longer are we limited to the priest as our intermediary. For may I remind you the veil was torn. Not just partially or for only those good enough or faithful enough. No dear friend, the beauty of it all is that we were blessed by the final sacrifice; the spotless lamb of God, Jesus, for with His death upon the cross the veil was torn from top to bottom. No longer is the Holy of Holies a restricted club, but it is now and forever more open to all who choose to accept the cleansing blood that falls from His nail scarred hands and feet and bruised and beaten body.
Jesus didn’t die on the cross so that we could wade in the shallow end or even dabble our toes in the deep spiritual waters, Jeremiah adds. Worship is a total body experience. Worship requires us as followers of Jesus “to come in contact with the Spirit of God and not just worship by hearing, but through the being wholly involved in all that goes on as we come before God.”
What powerful words and what great demands. No sacrifice is easy and therefore neither is the act of worship. In worship we come to lay ourselves out on the altar as a sacrifice worthy of God. Paul in Philippians 2:17 references his own life as being poured out as a drink offering for the Lord. In 2 Samuel 6 we read of King David, who is referred to as man after God’s own heart, willing to become undignified as he danced before the Lord with joy in His priestly garments. In Genesis 22 and Hebrews 11 we read of Abraham’s willingness to sacrifice his own son, the son who was to fulfill the promise, as his act of worship. Countless others we can read of throughout the Bible, both Old and New Testament, were willing to sacrifice their comforts and their familiar out of their calling of obedience to the Lord in acts of worship. “Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving; let us make a joyful noise to him with songs of praise! Oh come, let us worship and bow down; let us kneel before the Lord, our Maker!” Psalm 95:2, 6
Jeremiah points us to Revelation 4:10-11 where we are apt to find one of the greatest visible acts of worship. We see through John’s eyes, 24 elders present, who Jeremiah explains as representatives of Christ’s church, clothed in white and wearing crowns of gold. As these elders worship the One on the throne who lives for, forever and ever they cast down their crowns at His feet and they say: “Worthy are you, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they existed and were created.”
Jeremiah explains that in the days when John’s book of Revelation first appeared, the Roman Empire was still at the height of its power. As such whenever “a king was conquered by the Roman legions, he was either brought to Rome to prostrate himself before the emperor, or, failing that he was required to bow and cast down his crown before a massive image of Caesar.” Here in Revelation 4:10-11 we see a parallel act of worship through the reverence of the elders in their act submission as they cast their crowns before the One, God, seated on the throne. Just as the elders we are to remember, not to us or our own glory, but God’s great glory for He is worthy of our worship; both in spirit and in truth.
“The great work you achieve this week or-through any peak performance of your life-is but a dim reflection of His worth-ship. At our best, we’re not great canvases of art, but merely mirrors that reflect the divine light. Everything about our worship, whether in an easy chair with a cup of coffee and an open Bible or in the world’s most beautiful sanctuary, must be a finger pointed to the sky, saying, ‘Don’t look at me! Turn your eyes heavenward’.”
So, we must remember worship is…
an act of obedience
an act of reverence
an acknowledgement of Christ’s sacrifice
a reflection of our life.
What a challenge?! Do you accept? Romans 12:1 says, “I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.” Each day God calls us to come to the altar; in mind, body, spirit, and soul as to say, “Lord, here I am. Take me, make me, and mold me into your own image. Use me throughout the day for your honor and your glory. In all that I do and all that I say, in every place I go and in every relationship I have may I reflect my love and worship for you.”
With God’s help I’m excepting the challenge and I hope you’ll join me on this journey as well.
No matter where the fireworks were purchased from we still had lots of fun. I was especially overjoyed that the weather was so pleasant. Last year it was cold, drizzling rain, and miserable! YAH! for great weather. Thank you, Lord!
