As I was taking my afternoon cigarette break, listening to a squirrel scratching for food in a far away tree (man, my hearing is awesome!), I pondered the fact that I haven't worshipped in the traditional sense in quite awhile. Not that I don't enjoy the music. Not that I don't enjoy the sermon. Not that I don't enjoy the people. What typically happens is, I'm in the middle of work and have missed almost the entire service by the time I realize it or I'll be in the service and work interrupts. So I've given up on trying to worship on Sunday morning.
That doesn't mean I'm not in fellowship with other Christians. I am. Every Sunday morning and Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday & Friday. My life is fellowship. And I grow in my faith discussing it on a personal level and every Tuesday in staff meeting, whether I like it or not. I love discussing faith, religion, Christianity. But sometimes, Tuesday mornings are busy and I'd rather be working.
What is worship exactly? My trusty American Century Dictionary says it's 1. homage or service to a deity, 2. adoration; devotion, 3. skipping 3 b/c it's British, 4. honor with religious rites or adoration, 5. idolize. If I break down a Sunday morning worship service, the main points are praiseworthy music and a teaching from scripture/sermon. We are to honor God when we worship.
Let me tell you how I worship. It's on a computer, in fellowship with other Christians on the 'net. I listen to Christian music almost all day long, and I sing along, which can sometimes be a problem with an office-mate. I catch myself singing with the ear-buds in and think, "Oh man, did I do that out loud? Poor office-mate"! I am often moved to tears (no, not by my own singing) by the songs I hear and how they touch my soul. Is that not worship? I worship by keeping up on Christian blogs, articles, e-news, etc. I laugh. I cry. I ponder. Is that not worship? Does that not honor God?
How does worshipping within the confines of the sanctuary make it more honorable to God? Does the fact that I don't worship on Sunday morning among the multitudes who attend this particular church make me a heathen? Then a heathen I will proudly be.
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2 comments:
One of my favorite phrases is "Just because someone knows how to read the world Toilet don't mean they know how to use one.". The converse of this is "Going to church on Sundays doesn't make you any more of a Christian than standing in a kitchen makes you a chef".
A Christian or even Christianity is the condition of being Christ-like. In church, I never feel like being Christ like because I am always laughing at the hippocrasy or the fakers or rolling my eyes at the "It's Adam and Eve, not Adam and Steve"-isms of the preacher. Church pisses me off because it's filled with people I least want to be with. I would rather sit with other people who can call themselves Christians without judging others or falling back on old "Because God said so" isms without presenting any meat on the bone. Do you get what I'm saying? I love Jesus/God, but I believe in a God of love, not hate, not bias. I believe we are all good people deep down and God remembers this. I think I just hate people. Shit.
What is worship? I wish more people would ask these questions. Your trusty Websters is right, I believe, it's adoration. Kind of like, we adore those God has blessed us with as partners in our lives that's how we are to worship God. Adoring God is worshipping Him. Giving him honor and praise, now that's a churchy phrase, is something we can do everyday. Bless him, thank him for everything, and doing so I think reminds us who is really in control and so we give him the credit; we worship him for what he has done, what he is doing, and what he has yet to do in our lives.
Don't we love and adore those who love and adore us? Then don't we at least owe God the same adoration and love?
Am I preaching? I hope not. I'm just letting my mind guide me.
Keep asking questions. God loves that.
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