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.