Unveiled

It was a pretty good day. After classes were over I hung out in the new Learning Commons, and man is it nice. I started a new book, Inside-Out Worship, its the one that Katie gave me. And man it is packed! Its gonna make my top 5 list for sure. After that I went out to eat at Rosas with Briana and Jerrod and then went to College Drive for church. It was pretty sweet, and I sorta learned some new songs. Then Briana, Jerrod and I shot some hoops. Then I had practice with my praise team for tomorrow at the Study Abroad Chapel. Anyways heres a thought for the day.

When we really pay attention to God's worth, our worship times will start to look even more like the heavenly throne room. The angels sing as do we. The living creatures speak out their praise, and we join them. But the 24 elders bow down on their faces. Oh, that we would see what they see and do as they do, a little more often! To bow is the ultimate physical sign of reverance.

There's definately a different dynamic in worship that kicks in when we fix our eyes firmly on Jesus. I worry that too often we spend our worship times reflection on how we are doing and what we have gained. So often when we say "I love you." we say it with a huge "I" and a small "you." But there's a wonderful biblical dynamic in worship when we lift our eyes off ourselves and gaze upon the beauty of God. William Barclay describes just how a heart captured by the wonder of Jesus gazes upon him:

"He looks with wondering amazement; he looks as one who looks to a champion and a Saviour. He looks as one looks with adoration at his lover. He looks to God when God has become for him the only reality in the world"

In an age of informality and irreverance, true unveiled worshippers recognize the otherness of God and treasure the call to intimacy with Him. Transfixed by His glory and transformed in His presence, we become ever more like Him. Unvieled worshippers are different when they come down the mountain. They are radiant, for all to see, and shining with the glory of God.

Undignified

One thing I am slowly learning is that it is ok to be an undignified worshipper. In fact, I am starting to believe that God might even prefer it.

Sometimes we may need reminding of how passionate God is for us. Jesus' story of the prodigal son has to be one of the best pictures of God's passionate heart. The father welcoming his wayward son home is powerful in itself, but the way in which he welcomes him is even more moving. This wealthy, dignified man loses all reserve, running toward his son with complete abandon. This was not the way for a man of his stature to behave; if there was any running to be done, he would always send a servant to do it. But as he races toward his son, we see a powerful picture of abandoned extravagant love. Our heavenly Father Loves us with the same great abandon. Passionate, undignified worship is our only reasonable response. William Barclay once wrote:

"Love does not stop nicely to calculate the less or more; love does not stop to work out how little it can repectable give. With a kind of divine extravagance, love gives everything it has and never counts the cost. Calculation is never any part of love."

It's ok to smile. It's ok to clap for our creator. I mean afterall we go crazy for sports and music stars, did we forget that God made them too? It's ok if you feel like lifting your hands and crying out, "God I surrender to you, let my life be totally 100% in you." It's ok to lift your hands and say, "just hold me daddy (abba). " It's ok if you are so full of the joy of the Lord that you cant keep still and you have to move around. I am still working on it, but I want to be a much more undignified worshipper, because I believe that is what God is calling me to be.

Been Busy

I've been slacking pretty bad on the blog deal for a while. I've been pretty busy the last couple of weeks and wasnt really thinking about this. Quick update: I got to lead worship last sunday (the 2nd) at Hope Church of Christ. It went very well, I was really able to worship God with an undivided heart and I heard the same from a few others who were there. Thats what it is all about. Afterwards Lauren Graham asked me to lead worship the next few weeks at the study abroad chapel on Thursdays. I'm excited about that, it should be a fun time. This weekend my little sister and mom came into town for her academic literary meet. She did an awesome job of acting. I was very proud. I had dinner with my mom and got to hang out with my good friend Terry Davis. He is one of the main people that inspired me to go into worship ministry. He is an awesome worship leader that really shows passion and alot of energy. I have learned alot from him. I also got to hang out with Katie Mullican a little bit and she gave me my belated birthday present. She gave me "Inside Out Worship: Insights for Passionate and Purposeful Worship" by Matt Redman and friends, from The Worship Series. I'm in the middle of another book so I have to wait til I finish it but, I read the intro and its gonna be a really good one.