Worship

What is worship to you? Is it something you do in church? Is it a noun? A verb? An adverb? Ok, enough with the grammar lesson! But the question remains, what do you do with worship? The Christian radio station in Birmingham, 93.7 WDJC, does an amazing thing every Sunday. They play only praise and worship music. I love waking up with such music every week. I wrote them several years back and let them know how much their station prepares me for the worship service at Liberty. But, again, the question remains, what do you do with worship? It can't just be reserved for Sundays. And just what does worship consist of? Music? Voices? Raised arms? Bent knees?

A couple of weeks ago, Lisa & I spent time with friends in Pensacola, FL. Our friend, Jennifer, and I were discussing our passions. Mine for writing and hers for dance. She was frustrated with the fact that she never seems to have time for dance any more. I was frustrated with myself in that I seem to find time for everything but writing. Why were we struggling to follow through in our passions? She blew me away when she referred to following her passion as worship! What if the cry of our hearts is to worship our Lord through our passion? When we write, dance, study our genealogy or even sew, are we worshipping? How about when some of you are writing computer programs, or teaching people about nutrition? Can these be forms of worship? Maybe we should think outside the box of hymns and Matt Redmon & Chris Tomlin songs.

He has given us these passions and drives. When we use them and work them, we are worshiping Him. The Lord commanded that the worshipers lead the way into battle. The walls of Jericho fell in response to obedience and worship. Working in our passion is a battle. There is nothing the enemy of our souls wants more than to keep us from His full plan for our lives. His plan includes using the talents and passions that He has placed within us. Using them brings glory to our Creator. And to glorify Him is to worship Him. Use your passion! Work at it as you would a muscle that requires strengthening. This can be painful and sweat filled. I don't like them, and you might not either. But to ignore them and avoid them glorifies the enemy. And he doesn't deserve our glory!

Maybe you don't struggle with this. Maybe I was just writing this to wake myself up. If so, then it's worth it. But surely there are more than just Jennifer and I who struggle with this. Take courage in your journey! You are not alone in your fight to enjoy and worship God with your passion! I am there and am working to build up this strength He has given me. Meanwhile, pop in a Tomlin cd and worship!

What's in a Name?

If I were to say the name Phelps, your mind would immediately swing towards the Olympics, a record breaking number of gold medals, swimming, or maybe even ADHD. Say May & Walsh, the same thing happens, although in a different sport and without the diagnosis of ADHD. Celebrities and politicians as well are now known by one name. Bond no longer has a corner on the market. But what is in a name? Shakespeare wrote that 'a rose by any other name would smell as sweet'. Anne Shirley disagreed with his sentiment. She insisted that her name have an e on the end. Monica refused to change her last name to Bing. In my stories and scripts, I'm stumped until I find the perfect name for my characters. What does it matter?

If you take the time to google 'names of God', you will realize that they come up with 2,620,000 results. I have known and sat under many teachers who have made a study of His names and their meanings. Every language has a name for Him. To Moses, He said to tell Pharaoh 'I Am'. In learning prepositions, teachers and books inform children to picture a tree. Any word that prefaces this tree is usually a preposition. Do that with 'I Am...'

• I Am your comfort.
• I Am your refuge.
• I Am your fulfillment.
• I Am all that you need.

Those are just a few things that our Lord is. The list truly is endless. You might even say infinite. He is, you know. These last few weeks, I can't stop singing songs about His name.

"Your Name is a strong and mighty tower.

Your Name is a shelter like no other.

Your Name.

Let the nations sing it louder.

Nothing has the power to save,

but Your Name." Phillips, Craig & Dean

"Call My Name.

Say it now.

I want you to never doubt

The Love I have for you is so alive!

You just say My Name!" Third Day

What other Name brings freedom? What other Name breaks chains of depression and oppression? What other Name calls forth the hosts of heaven? Have there been times when whispering, calling, shouting or screaming His name felt useless? Honestly, yes. I felt no better. I sometimes even felt worse. But something begins to break when His Name is spoken. It may take a while to feel it, but He moves. He comes to His feet when we cry out to Him.

So, while the names of Olympic medalists are in the forefront of our minds now, His Name, His eternal Name outshines the brightest of athletes.

Nostalgia

A few posts back, I referred to my love of nostalgia. I love old movies, old books, old music and old friends. I enjoy thinking back and remembering past events. This has been on my mind a lot recently. I joined Facebook.com and have been reconnecting with so many of my old friends. Friends from Wilkes County, NC, as well as High Point, NC. So many that my brother, sister and I went to Liberty Bible/Christian College with, as well. Not to mention the various folks I've known through Liberty Church here in Birmingham and the family that I lived with in Japan. Years ago, Tricia Yearwood recorded a song called 'The Song Remembers When'. It's a beautiful song about lost love. It describes how just one song can transport you back to a certain moment. Isn't it amazing how a song, a picture, even a smell can take you back? I love those moments!

But I have a question. How much nostalgia is too much? The Old Testament tells us that the Lord commanded the Israelites to build monuments when He had carried them through something or when He had delivered them. But what about the times when we remember and treasure the wrong things? God didn't have them build a monument to Egypt, but when they were wandering, they kept longing for it. I wrote in my last post asking how slavery can be the 'good old days' and this post seems to carry that question on. What if we build monuments to the wrong things?

Maybe the long lost love who is now married? An abusive friendship? The devil we know as opposed to the one we don't? Do we occasionally crave the life of sin and slavery that we tossed aside to follow Christ? Are we letting His monuments gather dust and cobwebs while we polish the wrong ones? God is omnipresent and omnipotent. Yesterday, today and tomorrow are all the same to Him, He is in all three. We are not. We only have this moment to live in. Even if our good old days really were good, we are called to be His hands and feet now. How can I be His example today if I'm too busy listening to yesterday's music? Yesterday's conversations? Yesterday's relationships? We can't, and I think shouldn't, forget those parts of our past. They are the reasons that we are where and who we are now.

Balance is the key, of course. But how do you find something you're out of? Look to Him, our great Timekeeper. He holds all time in His hands. He's the One who built us through every step of our past. The Israelites looked back to all they previously had. Not to the One who delivered them. Therein lies the key. The monuments pointed heaven-ward. They were not reminders just of what had happened, but of Who had done the work. If we're too busy wondering about that long lost love what is are we missing that He has for us? If I'm too caught up in my old Cd's, what new artist or word am I missing? God is always trying to speak to us in new and exciting ways, but if we're too wrapped up in the old ways, will we hear Him?

Enjoy the monuments. Take a moment to remember what He's brought you through, but don't dally, you might miss something.