Worship- “

         Worship. An act of placing one’s attention, focus and heart on something important. Worship. A thing to do on Sunday’s. Worship. A preference of music style and/or preaching. Worship. A collection of people who come together in a common bond to put their affection on one focal point.  According to Webster, worship as a noun is the feeling or expression of reverence and adoration for a deity. As a verb, worship changes to actively show reverence and adoration for a diety.

      I have sat in worship and I have participated in worship. Sometimes I am not in the normal place or experience. We worship for many reasons and my worship in the past few months have been different.  Sometimes reasons are to be where someone else needs. If we are worshipping God, it shouldn’t matter but when the focus is on who we worship.   Sometimes Jesus did that. Ok, a lot of times Jesus did that.  His focus was on being where he was needed and led. Worship where we want to changes, when it becomes worship because we need to. When we go to worship because it’s a thing to do it satisfies “that” part of our heart. When we worship because we are driven to worship, there is a different part of our soul that is touched.

Yesterday many of Minnesota fans were worshipping.  They were placing their attention and expression of adoration for the Minnesota Vikings. A big reason was because the Vikings won.  Several weeks ago the worship and adoration was missing. It was grumbling, anger and lots of words on twitter.  Today there is a different level of their worship because they had a good experience. That is so much a part of our human mind and heart. We tend to worship when worship satisfies us and yet, why would we worship when something in our heart doesn’t skip a beat in worship? Why would we go worship and seek to fill the hole when where we go is serving empty ladles?  Ritual and routine often replace the meaning worship should have because of the empty ladles. Go to church, sit in the pew, stand for the songs, if they have corporate prayer or read the Bible outloud one may assume the position of reverence but when one leaves it’s not a drive to go out and tell others about the incredible one we worshipped because we leave a bit empty and “oh well- church was nice today”.

I sat in worship the other day as people cried out in prayer, others went and knelt at the alter and others prayed with them while still others stood at their seats in silent prayer.  The music was quality and with depth. The message was Bible based, deep in thought, not amusing, entertaining or with jokes, but with Jesus said, God inspired and how will you respond questions? That kind of worship has kept me worshipping all week.

I drove home yesterday from church thinking about Worship.  I had been challenged in church to be gracious, be humble, be grateful and be serving. It wasn’t exactly a feel good sermon. It was an “ouch, oops, didn’t do that well, but I can do better” moment and the words of the song, “Yet not I but through Christ in me”.   Worship should invade our heart so worship doesn’t end with the Benediction. Worship should be the first thing we thought of when we woke up; yes even with it raining. Worship simply because I have no other reaction to the mighty grace of God that touched my heart and made me worth being around. Worship because through Christ, I have grace that gives me a reason to get up when it’s raining and a reason to smile when a snow storm is coming. Worship because I can do nothing else!