Recently, I attended a conference down in Columbia SC. This particular group ALWAYS gets me thinking, and usually gets me moving. Moving, that is, out of my comfort zone and into a broader scope of what it is God is calling me to. The last night we were there, I had a very unusual experience, that later I couldn't quite find the words to articulate. A friend of mine later described it perfectly, and that's been banging away in my head and my spirit ever since.
WHY is it that we worship to begin with? Some people say it's an "offering." We're giving our praise to God; seeking to please Him. I've also heard it described as an "invitation." That we use our worship to create an atmosphere that Holy Spirit is welcome in. There's different kinds of songs too - songs we sing about God, and songs we sing to God.
This all ties in with that Saturday night of worship, b/c there was a deep shift in the atmosphere around us. It was tanglible. . .literally touchable. It was the kind of worship experience a lot of Christians would be uncomfortable in. . .b/c there was a loosing of religious control. People were experiencing freedom, they were pressing in hard, and touching something that wasn't seen by the naked eye, but rather felt by the spirit.
I could feel myself moving from "singing a song" to pouring something out of the depths of my spirit man - it was more than a song, it was a love language. It was ALL I had to give to the One I'd come to worship, and there was nothing being held back. I could literally feel a presence near me (maybe within me) and it was marvelous.
The night ended, the conference over, and everyone went home. But I still struggled with what I'd experienced. Visiting a new church the following Sunday, I was grieved. The worship leaders were hardly leading - it seemed almost a suffering for them to get on the stage and bring the sacrifice of worship. Later that day, my friend shared an interesting perspective with me. He said that he'd been to churches where people sing FOR Jesus, or they sing TO Jesus, but that the MOW conference was the only place he'd ever been where the people sang WITH Jesus. I realized, he'd hit the nail on the head.
I wonder why it is that we seem to exclude Jesus from our worship? Yes, He is GOD, but He is also Jesus. I can easily see Him celebrating the festivals and worshiping His Father, and I can't help but think that He longs to join in with us as we do the same. Are we creating a welcome place for that experience? Or are we so trapped in our religious boxes that we can't concieve a Savior who yearns to worship alongside of us?
Are we ready for the joy of worship with Jesus?
WHY is it that we worship to begin with? Some people say it's an "offering." We're giving our praise to God; seeking to please Him. I've also heard it described as an "invitation." That we use our worship to create an atmosphere that Holy Spirit is welcome in. There's different kinds of songs too - songs we sing about God, and songs we sing to God.
This all ties in with that Saturday night of worship, b/c there was a deep shift in the atmosphere around us. It was tanglible. . .literally touchable. It was the kind of worship experience a lot of Christians would be uncomfortable in. . .b/c there was a loosing of religious control. People were experiencing freedom, they were pressing in hard, and touching something that wasn't seen by the naked eye, but rather felt by the spirit.
I could feel myself moving from "singing a song" to pouring something out of the depths of my spirit man - it was more than a song, it was a love language. It was ALL I had to give to the One I'd come to worship, and there was nothing being held back. I could literally feel a presence near me (maybe within me) and it was marvelous.
The night ended, the conference over, and everyone went home. But I still struggled with what I'd experienced. Visiting a new church the following Sunday, I was grieved. The worship leaders were hardly leading - it seemed almost a suffering for them to get on the stage and bring the sacrifice of worship. Later that day, my friend shared an interesting perspective with me. He said that he'd been to churches where people sing FOR Jesus, or they sing TO Jesus, but that the MOW conference was the only place he'd ever been where the people sang WITH Jesus. I realized, he'd hit the nail on the head.
I wonder why it is that we seem to exclude Jesus from our worship? Yes, He is GOD, but He is also Jesus. I can easily see Him celebrating the festivals and worshiping His Father, and I can't help but think that He longs to join in with us as we do the same. Are we creating a welcome place for that experience? Or are we so trapped in our religious boxes that we can't concieve a Savior who yearns to worship alongside of us?
Are we ready for the joy of worship with Jesus?
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