Tag Archives: worship

Wind and worship

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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.

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holy experience

Agnus Dei

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I am feeling very ‘down’ this evening, in fact I have been all day — a heavy melancholy mood that won’t lift. However, something curious happened as I listened to the song Agnus Dei by Michael W. Smith earlier; my spirit soared while the sense of pain and loss deepened. 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).

What is magnificent about this song is that it is completely God-centric. To let my heart and mind focus upon God’s glory alone, to worship the Lamb who was slain, the Holy One, God Almighty — this is what I was created for, and for brief moments the veil is removed, my soul joins the great multitude crying out Hallelujah! (Revelation 19:6).

So I take courage, the time will come when I do join that choir and until then I walk by faith (2 Corinthians 5:6-10).

Alleluia
Alleluia
For the Lord God Almighty reigns

Alleluia
Alleluia
For the Lord God Almighty reigns

Alleluia
Holy
Holy are You Lord God Almighty
Worthy is the Lamb
Worthy is the Lamb

You are holy
Holy are you Lord God Almighty
Worthy is the Lamb
Worthy is the Lamb

Amen

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Banality or worship – you choose

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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.