Sunday, September 14, 2008

How Do We Worship?

How Do We Worship?

I remember when I was little asking what we do in heaven. I was told that we get to worship God all day. I think if anyone would have asked me, "What is God doing while everyone is worshipping Him?", I would have answered something like, "Oh, I don't know, sitting on His throne, being fanned by worshippers, watching the worshippers at His feet kneeling. He would also be eating grapes or something."

As I've matured, I've learned more about Him from studying the letter He left for us to read, the Bible. My vision of what He will be doing while we all worship Him has changed dramatically. He created EVERYTHING. He owns EVERYTHING. He's profoundly interesting and He intimately cares about each one of us.

I don't think He will be sitting on His throne all the day long. I think He will be interacting with us and engaging our minds and hearts in a most profound way. I think of how amazing going on a hike with Him as a guide, through nature that He created will be. Obviously, He loves His creation when I think about all the most amazing details and huge expansive landscapes He has created.

He is the most interesting and amazing Person ever. I envision worshipping Him as spending time with Him and how can anyone help but LOVE Him?! He loves us so much that He created all this for us to enjoy WITH Him. For me, to know Him is to love Him more deeply every day. And I do mean love in the sense that we feel and know love for other people in our lives. Only with God, anything that hurts is fleeting and is always only for my own greater good and the good of those around me that I love. It's an absolute joy to be filled with love to give as well as to receive love from HIM!

It's so funny that my original thoughts on worship were that it would be a bit of a drudge. Getting all gussied up, singing memorized songs, kneeling a lot, trying to hold my yawn in, but tears squishing out of my eyes anyway, thinking I HAVE to do this to be "proper" and "respectful" and "good".

If we worship God like that, I think of the parallels of our own children. Imagine your children have all the proper manners, say "Yes, m'am and yes, sir.", thank you at the appropriate time and with a sense of duty, complete all their chores, and do everything a parent could dream. But there is no joy in being in your company, there's no laughter or smiles or closeness. It's all cold, dutiful, obeying of all the rules.

I believe God created His children and all this wonderous universe in order to SHARE the joy and wonderment and laugh with and smile with. Is there any greater joy than seeing your own children at peace, with joy in their hearts after you've set up a day for them to enjoy? Why would God be different?

He is with us always. I hope all of us go out and truly ENJOY His company today and every day.

2 comments:

Xiane said...

It's funny - when I was a kid, I used to look at God as a person... an awesome and maybe a little scary dude that sat around, waiting for me to pray or take his name in vain, whichever came first, and act accordingly. [like that would be all he'd have to do, you know? Wait for me!]
Now, it's nothing like that. I use the phrase "The Universe" because that tends to explain to people a little better what I see when I envision God - everything's a part of it, tied together, communicating instinctively and without words. We all need each other, because we were all made from the same things, and we merge and flow together.
I have a lot of words that I could spew that probably wouldn't make sense right now, as I'm not very awake, but I wanted to share a little of what you made me think about when I read your words. I, too, worship much differently than I used to, and I feel so much closer to my place in The Universe now because of it.

Gina - RoseThistleArtworks said...

Thanks Xiane for leaving your thoughts. I don't think you sounded like you were babbling. LOL Your skilled writing describes your thoughts clear as always. Thanks for sharing your thoughts on worship.