worship « Words of Eternal Life

Good to be back

October 31, 2011

For the last month I have been rostered on weekends at work, so it was great to be able to go to church this Sunday. During our worship it occurred to me that some of the songs we were singing would be sung all over the world in many different languages.

After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, and crying out with a loud voice, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!” (Revelation 7:9-10 ESV)

As you are probably aware, I have just finished a month of praying for, and reading and writing about the Shan people of Burma. There are are very few Christians in this ethnic minority, so I would guess that their churches are fairly small. Maybe this is why I kept thinking of them this morning as our little church met to worship. We also are a small group of believers without the resources to pay a pastor, living and working in a culture that is very negative about Christianity.

When I have been unable to get to church for a while it is very noticeable how much I have missed it when I finally get back. This is my spiritual home, these people are my family. We can take each other for granted at times, but boy do I miss these folks when I’m not able to see them for a while!

If this is what other small struggling churches are like also, then I suspect God is very happy when we all meet together in our little congregations all around the world, praising Him in all our stumbling ways.

Gifts I have noticed recently (#655 – #672):

655) Finding a new polarfleece top for only 20% of the marked price!
656) Watching the new BBC Jane Eyre movie with my wife.
657) Just the two of us enjoying a walk on the beach together.
658) Reminder to come to Him as I am, childlike.
659) Cuddling my wee boy to sleep.
660) Sitting in sunshine.
661) Kids spending days building their tree-hut.
662) Cooking dinner.
663) A beautiful park to walk in.
664) Reading and writing on a rainy day.
665) Finding a baby stick insect on the floor and setting it free outside.
666) Daughter playing compassionately.
667) A refreshing cup of tea.
668) My son has spirit and persistence.
669) Girls giggling as they wash the car and each other.
670) The story God is weaving into this ordinary life.
671) That NZ has no snakes.
672) Safe traveling on a long weekend.

Psalm 146 shows 5 steps to get there:

1) Resolve to praise

2) Relinquish idolatrous mistrust

3) Rely on God

4) Remind yourself why God can be trusted

5) Rejoice in the Lord

Leaving behind the wet-blanket

Praising God does not start with the emotions. While it may appear easier for the happy, bubbly, exuberant person to enter into praising God, they actually start from the same place as the dour, grumpy soul – an active resolve to praise, even telling my own soul to do so:

Praise the LORD!
Praise the LORD, O my soul!
I will praise the LORD as long as I live;
I will sing praises to my God while I have my being.
(Psalm 146:1-2 ESV)

The will-choice to praise God is a lifelong committment, and then some. We are commanded to praise God as long as we live, after that we get to praise Him in heaven forever!

However, we can only sincerely praise what we are impressed with. Some folks are most impressed by talented sports people or high achievers in other fields. It could be a thing; the latest Apple gadget, a new car, a new house. It could even be an experience.

These can all bring happiness (blessedness), but we are fools to seek full happiness in them. They will all let us down – trusting in earthbound sources of happiness will end in grief. All men die, all people fail, things wear out, experiences fade into memories. They are idols if we give them the trust and praises rightfully due to God – let them go:

Put not your trust in princes,
in a son of man, in whom there is no salvation.
When his breath departs, he returns to the earth;
on that very day his plans perish.
(Psalm 146:3-4 ESV)

I have to relinquish my hope in whatever else I trust in for happiness (blessedness) and transfer it to hoping in God. If I rely on God for my hope I will be truly blessed (happy).

Blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob,
whose hope is in the LORD his God,
(Psalm 146:5 ESV)

How do I move from ambivalence toward God to praise?

I need to remind myself of the reasons why God can be trusted: God is the Creator, He has sufficient power to save me. He is trustworthy, He keeps faith forever, He will remain true to Himself and His promises. God brings justice, He gives food, freedom, sight, relief and love. He protects the foreigners, fatherless and widows, but He will bring ruin upon the wicked.

who made heaven and earth,
the sea, and all that is in them,
who keeps faith forever;
who executes justice for the oppressed,
who gives food to the hungry.
The LORD sets the prisoners free;
the LORD opens the eyes of the blind.
The LORD lifts up those who are bowed down;
the LORD loves the righteous.
The LORD watches over the sojourners;
he upholds the widow and the fatherless,
but the way of the wicked he brings to ruin.
(Psalm 146:6-9 ESV)

There is a problem though – look around, do you really see all this happening?

Scientists say they can explain how the world created itself. All over the world justice is being corrupted, people die of hunger, millions are blind, the oppressed get no relief, innocent people are in prison, travelers are robbed, killed even. The weak are exploited while the wicked get fat and rich. Where is God?

Try looking for Jesus in Psalm 146

Rather than giving in to unbelief, consider what we know God has already done:

Jesus created the world (John 1:3).
Jesus controls the sea (Matthew 8:24-27) and the fish in it (Luke 5:4-8).
Jesus did as God promised (Acts 3:18).
Jesus brought justice to the oppressed (Acts 10:38).
Jesus fed the hungry (Mark 6:41-44).
Jesus set free those bound by Satan (Luke 8:28-29).
Jesus lifted up those bowed down (Luke 13:10-13).
Jesus opened the eyes of the blind (Mark 10:51-52).
Jesus stood by travelers, widows and the fatherless (Matthew 8:20, Luke 21:1-4, Luke 7:12-15).

It was only for three years. It was two thousand years ago.

But He did leave His Church, filled with His Spirit, commanded to continue His work.

God is working, He is in control and He will reign forever!

Rejoice in the Lord!

The LORD will reign forever,
your God, O Zion, to all generations.
Praise the LORD!
(Psalm 146:10 ESV)

Part of reminding myself of why God is worthy of praise includes thanking Him for His unending gifts.

Gifts I have noticed this week (#458 – #472):

458) Music soothing my soul (1 Samuel 16:23).
459) Seeing danger for what it is.
460) The painful cleansing of confession (1 John 1:9).
461) Toddler sleeping all night in his own bed.
462) Someone to love me when I am not able to.
463) Reminder from a friend to stop and smell the roses.
464) Dinner at a family restaurant.
465) Exploring lifestyle changes, considering alternatives.
466) Parents coming for dinner.
467) Kids showing off for Grandma and Grandad.
468) A very tired girl after her friend’s birthday party and sleepover.
469) Fumbling through hard conversations.
470) Beginning to see that something is not right and could be better.
471) Small improvements giving hope.
472) Three hours of useful time through mis-reading my roster!

An external post related to this topic:

I Think Therefore I’m An Atheist?

Wind and worship

May 10, 2011

then the LORD God formed the man of dust from the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living creature. (Genesis 2:7 ESV)

In the silence while everyone was out today, I picked up my neglected flute and played ‘Amazing Grace‘. As I exhaled the breath given me by God, it hit the silver lip, splitting into octaves, tones and semitones. Music woven back into worship to Him who gave me breath. He breathed life into me, I breathed out worship. In a rare moment I lived as I should be.

You don’t need a flute to do this, voices work just fine (Acts 16:25).

But would I use my voice to worship if suffering and treated shamefully? (1 Thessalonians 2:2) In my heart I already know the answer, I’d like to think it were not this one but history and knowledge of myself tells me – no, I would grumble and complain, my voice would not be praising God from prison.

Paul, the worshiper, commands:

Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. (Philippians 4:4 ESV)

I don’t know how to do this. I’m not even sure how to learn how to do this. How will I praise God when suffering unless I can learn this?

Gifts I have noticed this week (#371 – #396):

371) Finishing off posts I began writing months ago.
372) Holding the hand of a child when she slipped, preventing her getting hurt – just as my Father holds me.
373) Unwrapping the last Easter egg, anticipation, wanting sweetness, needing life.
374) Rain on the tin roof.
375) Relaxing under the shower of Your Word as it washes over me.
376) A wife who can read me better than I can see the signs myself.
377) A helpful and understanding doctor.
378) rain has finally ceased, I see blue sky, sunlight even!
379) Old smelly dog lying by the fire.
380) Aching emptiness paralyzing – it means something I haven’t yet discovered.
381) Word habits, drawing me back to You.
382) A busy weekend.
383) My little boy’s fascination and delight watching model railways.
384) The adoration of a dog reminding me to worship (thank you, David B.).
385) Audiobook speaking when I’m unable to read.
386) Water resting in torrent-hewn pools.
387) Brightness from even a grey sky.
388) Her example – walk when in the grey.
389) Breathing deeply through pain.
390) Walking slowly, carefully, through slippery miry clay.
391) Forest bursting full with the cycle of life.
392) Swinging legs and arms energizing me.
393) fantails flitting around me, being fed by our Father (Matthew 6:26).
394) Fingers pink and puffy from cold.
395) Coming home to warmth.
396) Life given by God, breathed across silver, creating a song of grace in worship to God.

Agnus Dei

July 7, 2010

It was as though my soul reached toward God in praise, the act of which intensified the inward pang of being bound to a broken, fallen world (see 2 Corinthians 5:2-5).

In Simple faith depression, lamb, worship

Banality or worship – you choose

December 9, 2009

In Job 23:12, while speaking of God Job says, “I have treasured the words of his mouth more than my portion of food.”

Our bodies have extremely strong drives to ensure we feed them. I cannot even skip one meal without my body informing me load and clear that it wants food. So to treasure the words of God more than food is quite an achievement!

I suspect that our hearts have similarly strong, but more subtle drives for nourishment. As the preacher says in Ecclesiastes 1:8, our eyes are never satisfied with seeing nor are our ears filled with hearing (hence the money to be made from Facebook, iTunes & etc). I am always wanting to see more, hear more, know more and these are powerful motivators that I don’t always recognize as driving me.

Have you ever perused the Woman’s Weekly magazines at a doctor’s waiting room or blobbed in front of TV watching utter garbage simply because there was nothing else to do? Was there really nothing else to do? This hunger for ‘input’ can drive us either to banality or worship – you choose.

In Christian thinking trivia, worship

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Good to be back

Gifts I have noticed recently (#655 – #672):

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