Monday, March 19, 2007

Worship article

So someone at the church asked me to write an article about worship for our Little Church's. I asked if they could please give me a broader topic...I could only narrow that down to everything that exists. Anyways...this is what I came up with. I don't know if it makes any sence but it's where I'm at right now.
I recently read a book that talked about the role that revelation plays in the interpretation of scripture and I believe the same concept can be applied to how we worship. Peter Rollins in How (not) to speak of God says, “What is important about revelation is not that we seek to interpret it in the same way but rather that we all love it and are transformed by it. To fail to recognize this would be similar to an art critic saying that what is important when considering a piece of art is that we interpret it correctly rather than loving it and being challenged by it.” (page 17) If we’re not careful we can find ourselves caught up in the form we use to worship rather than loving the God we worship and being transformed and challenged by him. One thing I’m learning in the area of worship in my life is that silence and “being” are just as important as saying and “doing.” We are so prone to words and duty that we forget the power of space and allowing God to transform us through his power and not through something we can muster up on our own. David ended many of his thoughts in Psalms with the word “selah” which is a technical musical term showing pause or interruption. How many times have we blown by that word or other thoughts in scripture or conversations or an article we’re reading for the sake of checking something off our list of things to get done for the day? Our worship of God could be so much deeper if we would take a break everyday to be still and let our thoughts and our busyness cease and to let God be able to speak and transform. Sometimes I think I must wear God out with the amount of thoughts and words I have. We are most transformed by God in worship when we have time to realize that we are not God. That takes slowing down and space. Any thoughts?

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