Forget Your Inhibitions and Worship
Thursday, March 31, 2011
"earth is crammed with Heaven.
Every bush is aflame with the fire of God,
but only those who see take off their shoes [and worship].
Our Bible teacher seemed set on making me feel very "unspiritual"! Now he was talking about worship and when, and how, and where do we worship. My thoughts? Pretty dogmatic, isn't he? But his probing started the wheels turning in my mind about my own worship experiences.
My searching led me first of all to some people in the Bible. Let's think about it. Moses definitely had a fantastic worship experience when he met God in the burning bush. Paul had an incredible experience of worship when he met God on the road to Damascus. Samuel marked the very spot with a stone where he had a worship experience with the Lord and named that stone "Ebenezer". I think Peter might say, "On the morning when I saw the Lord on the shore and I jumped in the water and ran to His side. That was a great experience of worship for me." Nebuchadnezzar "raised his eyes toward heaven" and worshipped the Lord when his reason returned to him. Very exciting, memorable events, but David journals many times of worship with the Lord as he was just meditating.
We could probably go on and on and find worship experiences from many different people in a lot of different settings. Which brings this question to mind. Why do we anticipate "worshipping" the Lord on Sunday morning as we sing--as though this was the only time during the week when we are free to worship? Worshipping with others is Biblical, wonderful, and very fulfilling, but I see worship as a very intimate thing, unique and personal for each of us. When everyone else is singing and clapping and raising their hands is it all right for me to whisper, "Oh, Lord. I love You. I know You as my compassionate Friend, my constant Companion, the One who never leaves me and understands every thing about me. I worship You." But there's no raising of the hands, no swaying with the music, no singing, no dancing. Can this be worship for me?
If I were to ask you to give me your definition of worship, what would you say? I would define worship as a personal encounter with God and I think we limit our worship for Him and with Him when we designate a special time set aside for "worship" and have these great expectations for burning bushes, Ebnezers, and soaring emotions. He is with us constantly, not only around us but IN us--as close as the air on the outside as we gulp it and take it to the inside! We can't get away from Him! Every moment spent in His presence can be worship, acknowledging His awesome nature. He and I are together and I am awed being in His presence. Yes, there are special times when He seems closer, more real, more a part of my infinitesimally small world. I love to "worship" the Lord when I'm sitting in the swing out in the screened-in "Summer House", or looking out the window into the silence of night when moonlight is illuminating the darkness, in the front yard watching the leaves swirl around me, or raising my hands in praise just as I drift off to the Sandman's House.
If I were to ask you to give me your definition of worship, what would you say? I would define worship as a personal encounter with God and I think we limit our worship for Him and with Him when we designate a special time set aside for "worship" and have these great expectations for burning bushes, Ebnezers, and soaring emotions. He is with us constantly, not only around us but IN us--as close as the air on the outside as we gulp it and take it to the inside! We can't get away from Him! Every moment spent in His presence can be worship, acknowledging His awesome nature. He and I are together and I am awed being in His presence. Yes, there are special times when He seems closer, more real, more a part of my infinitesimally small world. I love to "worship" the Lord when I'm sitting in the swing out in the screened-in "Summer House", or looking out the window into the silence of night when moonlight is illuminating the darkness, in the front yard watching the leaves swirl around me, or raising my hands in praise just as I drift off to the Sandman's House.
Psalm 95:6 says: Come let us worship and bow down; Let us kneel before the Lord our Maker.
John 4:24 says: God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.
I think the verse from Psalms is saying, "Anabel, forget where you are--who is watching you--your inhibitions--and worship Me. I am right here with you, you know. Pay homage to Me as you desire. Don't let others control your worship of Me." And John is admonishing us to worship Him sincerely, not as a show, not as you are expected to worship, and be very truthful as you kneel before Him--not for others to see--just for God to see.
So, here at my desk, at 8:15 on Sunday night, I will lean back in my chair, close my eyes, and worship Him. I may raise my hands in adoration or lower my head in abject submission. Whatever. I believe it will be acceptable to Him as worship. Do you?
I chose to utilize this for today's blog post because I feel inhibited at times during worship and I need to let go and let the Holy Spirit move. Have a wonderful weekend!
