Worship
I had chance to visit my friends at Greenhouse this Sunday and Josh Buck talked about worship. I have spent a lot of time thinking through my theology of worship and what place a corporate gathering has in the big picture. Josh grooved with a lot of what I have been working through, though he took it in a different direction I have been thinking.
Anyway, I have long said that the discussion on worship should start on what happens on Monday through Saturday. Sunday, I think I am coming to believe, has little to do with worship and everything to do with Sabbath. If worship is our act of love to God through our words, deeds, and lives every moment, then what happens on Sunday is about God's act of love to us through His Word, His Body, and His Spirit. Practicing Sabbath is how we are able to receive this love. Slow down, quiet our hearts and minds, listen, and re-orient ourselves to the Kingdom Way. At best, I think, our "worship" on Sunday is symbolic--a drama or artist's interpretation of what we prove we believe during the week. In that sense it is more for us than for God. It encourages the Body, it codifies our beliefs, it strengthens and convicts, it bears witness to the onlooker . . . Whatever it does, it should be obvious that it is more for our benefit than God's.
So I am taking all of this into Josh's sermon and one of his illustrations about our need for real worship was made with greeting cards. He read several cheese romantic cards and then one homemade card with a message from the heart and asked the women which one they would want to get from their men. Of course everyone wanted the homemade one. He said we should try to worship with that same creative, from the heart, "I made this myself" kind of love. I agreed, but when I thought about what would make my wife feel loved, I thought she would say, "the card is great but what I really want is help with the dishes, laundry, bathing the kids, a footrub, time spent paying attention to me . . ." And with Matt 25 and many of Jesus & Paul's words echoing in my head, I kept thinking Jesus would say the same thing when he listens to our songs: "thanks for the card, but what I really want is a footrub and help cleaning this place up" How do you give God a footrub? "Whatever you do to the least of these . . . "
Josh asked us to write God a card (I was supposed to put in a box, but I kept it so I could copy it down--sorry Josh), so this is what I wrote:
God,
I would hope that these words are simply symbols of my true worship to you--my actions, my time, my work, and my life. You don't need my words--I know that. But maybe I do. Maybe I need to hear myself say what I hope I believe--that I love you more than anything. Maybe these words I speak are one of your many gifts to me. Maybe it is you that is speaking through me and to me in the same moment.
Thank you for these moments of Sabbath, when I hear myself, when I hear from you, when I re-up my pledge . . . because that is really all this is. This moment alone means nothing if don't change what I do with my next hundred moments. So I pray that I have the courage to do it and the will to do it again and again. My hope remains that I will show you the love I have pledged for the rest of this day . . . and the next and the next and the next . . .
Anyway, I have long said that the discussion on worship should start on what happens on Monday through Saturday. Sunday, I think I am coming to believe, has little to do with worship and everything to do with Sabbath. If worship is our act of love to God through our words, deeds, and lives every moment, then what happens on Sunday is about God's act of love to us through His Word, His Body, and His Spirit. Practicing Sabbath is how we are able to receive this love. Slow down, quiet our hearts and minds, listen, and re-orient ourselves to the Kingdom Way. At best, I think, our "worship" on Sunday is symbolic--a drama or artist's interpretation of what we prove we believe during the week. In that sense it is more for us than for God. It encourages the Body, it codifies our beliefs, it strengthens and convicts, it bears witness to the onlooker . . . Whatever it does, it should be obvious that it is more for our benefit than God's.
So I am taking all of this into Josh's sermon and one of his illustrations about our need for real worship was made with greeting cards. He read several cheese romantic cards and then one homemade card with a message from the heart and asked the women which one they would want to get from their men. Of course everyone wanted the homemade one. He said we should try to worship with that same creative, from the heart, "I made this myself" kind of love. I agreed, but when I thought about what would make my wife feel loved, I thought she would say, "the card is great but what I really want is help with the dishes, laundry, bathing the kids, a footrub, time spent paying attention to me . . ." And with Matt 25 and many of Jesus & Paul's words echoing in my head, I kept thinking Jesus would say the same thing when he listens to our songs: "thanks for the card, but what I really want is a footrub and help cleaning this place up" How do you give God a footrub? "Whatever you do to the least of these . . . "
Josh asked us to write God a card (I was supposed to put in a box, but I kept it so I could copy it down--sorry Josh), so this is what I wrote:
God,
I would hope that these words are simply symbols of my true worship to you--my actions, my time, my work, and my life. You don't need my words--I know that. But maybe I do. Maybe I need to hear myself say what I hope I believe--that I love you more than anything. Maybe these words I speak are one of your many gifts to me. Maybe it is you that is speaking through me and to me in the same moment.
Thank you for these moments of Sabbath, when I hear myself, when I hear from you, when I re-up my pledge . . . because that is really all this is. This moment alone means nothing if don't change what I do with my next hundred moments. So I pray that I have the courage to do it and the will to do it again and again. My hope remains that I will show you the love I have pledged for the rest of this day . . . and the next and the next and the next . . .
posted by ben price at 11:18 PM
1 Comments:
I found your blog through a comment you left on another's blog. I was drawn in by your comment. As it turned out, I ended up reading most of your posts back through the month of May. Even for the fear of coming across as if "I know you," I had to leave this comment, telling you that for many of your thoughts, I felt like they were something I would think. Much of what you said, and the way in which it seems you observe and process things, seemed like me. Again, I don't mean to presume I know you, but I feel like "I know where you're coming from." Thanks. With no obligation, expectation, or pressure, I hope you keep blogging...even if you miss a week...
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