Psalm 86:9
All the nations you have made
will come and worship before you, Lord;
they will bring glory to your name.
I like the word "bring." I just imagine some dude carrying the word "glory" up to God's throne. In my head, the word weighs about 50lbs. When I think about it that way, the task seems tiring and burdensome. But I guess the point is that worship can sometimes be difficult. Worship is not for ME.
Sometimes I worry that "worship" has become this nebulous term referring to electric guitars and powerpoint slides, when really it's about bringing something heavy to the throne. Worship was never about feeling great. God is not glorified when we say, "Worship was really good this past Sunday" when we're talking about the music. Those who are being persecuted for their faith, who are probably filled with more joy than we'll ever have, probably don't say "this act of worship is really good" everytime they get beaten for their beliefs.
Dang I sound so cynical. I guess I just feel like I don't know what real worship is because the American church has distorted it into a fun and entertaining time, when I don't think that's what it was intended to be. I believe that worship is sacrifice (rom. 12:1), and sacrifice is often painful. While I know that joy is a byproduct of this worship and sacrifice, that joy comes from giving, not receiving. We've subtituted sacrifice with guitar riffs and peaceful piano intros, and I think as a result, we receive a shadow of what real joy is. Worship is not for me...
This verse says that one day we'll all know what worship is, and we'll all do it. That's gonna be crazy.
What burdens are you carrying to the throne?
2 comments:
I was reading the blogs I follow (while at school) and this guy I don't know comes up behind me and stands there for like 2 whole minutes while I'm reading this entry. I started to get really uncomfortable so I turn around to give him a really like "why are you still there..." look, and I guess he read your entry. He was like "Wait, so you're a fundamentalist Christian? You voted yes on prop 8, right?"
Just thought I'd let you know, I'm still reading your blog! And apparently so is this lowell guy that I do not know...
burdens that weigh more than 50 lbs. what are you benching nowaydays? i thought you said jeff was making you work out..
Post a Comment