First, thanks for doing this study as a team. As I said at our meeting last week, my prayer is that we can all get into God's Word together so what we do in private flows out of us on Sunday mornings. In addition, I pray that we get to know each other better through this study.
Week 1 of this study is some pretty basic material that some of you may have heard many times. But it's always a good reminder to go back to what worship really is.
I think a lot of times we get caught up thinking that worship is music or singing, or what happens on Sunday morning. But it's so much more than that, and as we saw this week, worship is our whole lives - 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Above all else, the definition that I would love for everyone to remember is that WORSHIP IS A RESPONSE TO GOD. I love Louie Giglio's definition of worship: "Worship is a whole-life response to God's greatness and glory."
So if worship is bigger than just Sunday mornings where we all help lead worship, then it is important that we're worshipping during the week too. We can't just show up Sunday morning and turn on a switch and begin to worship the God of the universe. It actually might work for a little while, but I think people would figure out that we're pretty fake.
One verse that stood out to me in the story of Jehoshaphat was 2 Chronicles 20:12, "We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on you."
That's probably the biggest lesson the Lord is teaching me right now is to keep my eyes on Him. In the midst of everything going on in my life, my home, my work and the world, I need to keep my eyes on Him - which coincidentally is worship.
Let me know what stood out to you this week.
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Interestingly, that verse ("...but our eyes are on You.") also sticks out in my mind. I mean, it is so relevant to today. It's like, "Well, this looks bad, and we're pretty much surrounded, and I honestly don't know how to handle this or what to do, but---our eyes are on You, Lord."
In particular, it relates to me during this season of my life when my future is uncertain career-wise. In my notes for that first day, I have written, "It is heartwarming to know that even though I don't know what will happen in my life, He does." And finally, "How do I respond to adversity? Responding in a way that brings honor to God is a way of worshipping every day."
Wow, what a great week of learning! The "being thankful" part of worship is sometimes hard, particularly in adversity. But as Moore points out, "...we are not told to give thanks for our circumstances, but in them." It helped me to have this pointed out to me through this study. I can honestly thank God for the opportunity to learn to become wholly dependent on Him.
When I consider the reality that "We cannot encounter his presence and awesome glory and not somehow be affected," it causes me to truly consider the importance of what we do as worship leaders. Lives will be changed! How exciting is that?!
This seems to be a good study thus far. Day 1 started out as one would expect defining worship as a "way of life". I trust God has shown each one of us that we can worship him in more ways than just singing songs we're familiar with on Sunday.
I liked MacArthur's explanation of "whole life" worship on Day 3. That true biblical worship is three directional; upward, inward and outward. It reminds me of the Cherry Hills mission statement which is also three part.
As lovers of music I'm sure we all can identify with the author in that we have a good understanding of upward worship but if we're honest we should feel challenged by what he wrote about inward (who we are when we're alone) and outward worship (our relationships with others).
This past week while I've been listening to praise music I keep hearing the words "Worship in Spirit and in Truth". They are found in John 4:23 and they come from our Lord and he says, "Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks." This really encourages me because I feel like as we do this study (or any study) and we uncover God's truth we can become the kind of worshipers the Father seeks! Amen.
This is a great week to be reminded that worship is more than just on Sundays. As life goes on through the week, it's so easy to get wrapped up in schedules and tasks, and lose sight of God for awhile. This was a particularly busy week getting ready for a 5 day trip to my parents' house (during which each day has been jam-packed with activities), and honestly finding the time to devote to this new study was challenging. It felt like God was telling me that--even in weeks like this--I need to be focused more on Him. Sometimes the simplest of messages give you the biggest kick in the pants!
Sorry! The previous comment was from me, but I used our Google account that is in Jason's name. Need to set up a new one just for me! :) Jen House
This being summertime, I have already taken one vacation and am currently writing this from my mother-in-law's house in Ohio. What is sticking with me right now from the second and third day's study in particular is that there is no vacation from worshipping. Our relationship with God isn't something we lay down and pick up again when we have time.
I think the most challenging thing about Romans 12:1 is wrapping your brain around the concept that every little thing we do can be an act of worship. Although I would certainly like to try out the eating a cheeseburger as worship concept from day 2, it's still a little tricky for me to focus on God ALL the time in every little thing that I do.
One way I have found though, to shift my perspective toward God on a regular basis is to think of everywhere as church. Like Brian said, worship isn't a switch we flip on on Sunday mornings. We certainly would not be worshipping in spirit and truth if we did that. A true worshipper really shouldn't be any different on Sunday morning than on the other 6 days of the week, and vice versa. I think the best way we can do a heart check on ourselves is to see if there is anything we do or say in church that is somehow different than what we would do or say (or how we would act toward other people) anywhere else. The key word there is "act." If we are putting on an act in church, then I don't believe that is the kind of worship the Father seeks. Likewise, if we feel like we are relaxing, or letting our hair down (figuratively in my case) outside of church and "being ourselves,". . .are we really? If we are not consistent in the things we do, think, and say, or in the way we respond emotionally to any situation anywhere, that should be bringing our problem areas into clear relief. I think the best act of continual worship that any of us can do is just to concentrate on being real all the time, with God, with each other, and especially with ourselves (inward worship). I believe that doing that makes the upward worship so much easier, and that can't help but come through on Sunday mornings as we're leading the congregation.
Day 2 is what stood out to me this week. Moore reminded us that in the coming age we will be God's trophies of grace but that now we are living proof of God's goodness and mercy.
It is a good reminder that when we live a life of worship we not only bring delight to God but that we are also a living witness to those around us (upward and outward worship).
I loved Moore's analogy of how much joy and pleasure he receives just from watching his two sons. My prayer for me (and really for all of us on the worship team) is that I will live a life of worship (in both words and actions) that will bring God great pleasure and glory while at the same time causing those around me to hunger to know more of God.
Ephesians 1:5-6 says:
God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. This is what he wanted to do, and it gave him great pleasure. So we praise God for the glorious grace he has poured out on us who belong to his dear Son.
I have to honest. As I read Day 1 I kept thinking of how God was going to "destroy our enemies as we praised him". (Sometimes I get that "video game" mindset). I loved the reminder of how I should praise and honor God in everything I do. It reminded me of the video clip that was shown in church, where the lady gave Christ control of her life but kept scooting him over and hanging on the "chair" to keep some control. Both of these remind me that to praise God in everything, I need to give him control of everything.
The study reminds me that we need to ask God for all things in our lives, not just to help us in difficult situations. I often thing I shouldn't ask God for small things, but our study shows that He cares about all we do. I was reminded this week in a difficut situation that the first thing I should have done was pray instead of getting upset. Once I prayed the situation was taken care of. God is good.
For me this week, I have really focused on the idea of "inward worship." In a recent bulletin column, Jeff put that he hoped we would use the summer to renew our relationship with God. I am so thankful for the opportunity to do this study as a way to do just that. I think it is awesome how God's timing is so perfect in that our church is in the midst of a sermon series on "Heart Check", and at the same time, Brian chose to have our team go through this study together with a key purpose being that what we do with our own personal worship (aka heart check) will shine through on Sundays as we lead. As others have posted, I too struggle with letting life's busyness get in the way of time with God. As a teacher, I have the summer off from work, and so this is the perfect time to reconnect and renew. I am so thankful for God's patience with me. I pray that God will continue to speak to us all through our summer sermon series and this study, and that the growth we experience will continue even when life gets hectic.
Lisa Bosworth
This week's study has gotten me to think more about my relationship with God inwardly, rather than "upwardly" or "outwardly." I feel as though on a regular basis, I find myself giving praises to God in song, or in church, but my inward thoughts are not as focused on God as they once were.
Nowadays, it seems my thoughts are more focused on "the daily grind," which includes but is not limited to: finances, work, house, wedding, fix house, fix car, fix job, fix finances, etc. My brain gets going, and then the "free thought" time that I have/had, has just passed, and I have to get out of the car and go inside, or have to go back to work from lunch, or whatever may have contributed to the "free thought" time- I have to move on to the next thing.
Somehow I have to learn to CONSCIOUSLY spend time thinking about God, and praying to Him. I need to go back to the days when I would sit and ponder His greatness, wonder how He knows everything, how He created everything. I used to sit and wonder what career He might have for me, what wife, where I might live and what friends I may have when I'm older. All those things. I know it seems fluffy, but honestly that's what I need. As the Scripture said in the study, as Keith said, "Well, this looks bad, and we're pretty much surrounded, and I honestly don't know how to handle this or what to do, but - my eyes are on You, Lord," - I need that kind of trust, and to let it BE.
So, I'm looking forward to the rest of this study, as it has challenged me in the most simple of ways. It has not re-written my view of Worship, but I'm glad, because I had plenty of that in college. Right now, I need to simply learn how to get back to the basics.
In Christ Alone,
BigAl
1 Thess. 5:18 is a perfectly appropriate verse for me today. I have been grumbly because I have been nauseated and sick this week, but God reminded me today that those things mean that a new life is growing inside me! I am going to focus on "giving thanks in all circumstances" today.
The start of this study is good for me to think more of the inward aspect of worship. It is very easy for me to intellectualize my relationship with God and not internalize and worship.
I think a key item that is the source of our worship is having a right understanding of who God is. We often like to keep God is our own size and shape box. If we allow him to be who he is we will worship him in our awe.
In the text of 2 Chronicles 20, the first response was to go to God. This comes from an established relationship with God and an understanding of who He is.
Lets know Him fully.
- Joel Morton
Sorry to be posting this late. I finished Day 5 of week one early Friday morning and I’ve been praying non stop face down on the floor for 90 hours straight. I finally came out of my room to post this blog entry.
In all seriousness, this study is great and I’m truly exited to be doing this with all of you. Sorry to be “late to the blog party”’... Just back from a short fourth of July vaca to my parents place up in Spring Grove, IL. Yes, I am aware that Lisa did manage to post while we were on our trip...
The highlight of week one for me has to be Day 5 and reading Psalm 73. I SO identify with this Psalm!! I see those that don’t follow God at all and could care less about Him or Christ or the bible and they seem to prosper!!? I wonder if I’m crazy, if I have it all wrong at times, and just as verse 15 says (“if I speak thus I would have betrayed the generation of your children”) I don’t want to verbalize my thoughts b/c they seem way out of line, as if I have betrayed all those I know and work with at Cherry Hills. And then suddenly it dawns on me that I’m spending all my time outside of the sanctuary of God, focusing on myself and whether I have it right or wrong, whether things are going to go my way. One step into His sanctuary and I feel like such an idiot. And just as Isaiah says in Isaiah 6, I realize immediately that I am a man of unclean lips! As soon as I put the focus on God instead of myself I see things for the way they really are. And I am blown away by God’s mercy.
I am excited for what lies ahead not only in my own life but also at Cherry Hills and on the praise team. I don’t know exactly what the future holds and I know everything is not going to be easy but 2Chronicles 20:12 was brought to my attention more than once this week and it has become a part of my prayer life. May we keep our eyes FIXED on Christ when we don’t know what to do! May we YEARN for His kingdom and His way in our lives as frightening as it may be at times...
Oh man! I chose to post my comment before reading everyone else's comments first! This is an AWESOME idea! I love reading everyone's input! What can I say but that it fires me up to know that we're doing this together!!
Praying that I can worship God throughout the day tomorrow and see the world the way He does.
Praying for you all!
Sorry I'm late on commenting on week 1, as I am now half-way through week 2. I really loved Day 3's "whole life" worship explanation as well. The whole week was a great reminder to me that everyday and in everything, I give God my worship simply by living as His child. Most of all, I'm with Chuck and just excited knowing that we are all doing this as a team and experiencing the same readings together!
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