Hi, Again its been a while since I wrote anything. Mostly just too busy! But having a few moments today I thought it was time to continue with my faith related thoughts.
My current devotional read is a book by R.T. Kendall - Worshipping God. I thought I would refresh my thinking a little on the whole picture of worship and it was something I picked up a Untied 2019 (New Wine) and had on the bookshelf in my "to be read" section.
The whole COVID experience has also put a lot of pressure on how we do Sunday worship as church, and not all bad pressures either. However, I like to reflect on what God might be saying rather than jump at every new trend. Is online church way forwards or a hybrid as others are promoting? So earlier this year I started reading and reflecting. Possibly the biggest challenge so far has been where is the focus of my and the church I serves, worship?
We all know that often worship really means the songs or music that we use. I think most will know that this is only a small part of worship. Although I would also say an important part of worshipping together and I love music. I noticed that initially having no music in our online services clearly felt like something was missing. Adding online playlists while we worked out who could and would play from home online, helped people prepare and once we could have musicians from home and then later in church it really did help as we came together online.
Much of this has a focus on what we as church expect and want of services when we gather. Was this the right focus, making it all to draw folks together in their disconnected situations at home? Some liked it, some struggled. What if we were unable to meet at all in person or online, how would we worship God then? Would we cease until we could meet or is there something more?
Kendal suggests, and I would concur, that worship begins, continues and thrives through our personal relationships with God. It is this more than anything, in effect our daily, personal, 24/7 worship in prayer, bible reading, listening to God, that forms us for when we come together as church.
I think that when that is our devotional life, it is less important when we we come together what we sing and how we pray than the fact that we are. Whether its the latest popular Christian songs or hymns of yesteryear, live or pre-recorded, whether its expository prayer or prepared, liturgical or less organised services, the key is what we are bringing, ourselves, as people who are and do worship God. If the focus is what we want, we have got it wrong, I think. Our focus should be on Jesus and that I think comes through our daily worship.
As the old chorus says:
Turn your eyes upon Jesus
Look full, in his wonderful face
And the things of earth will grow strangely dim
In the light of his glory and grace
As I walked a beach in Dorset recently in the sunshine with the tide receding I found it a delight and a joy to praise God and rejoice that I am his and he is mine no matter where I am, who I am with or what I am doing. As I have spent more time in personal worship it has fuelled and inspired my leading of the church, preparing worship for Sundays and has brought a new sense of inspiration to preparing sermons.
