Begin with Worship – Day 28 of Handmade
Song
How do you describe “worship”?
In a secular context, we’d describe how fans worship a famous actor or sports star.
But in the church world, we’d typically describe Sunday mornings.
Sunday morning church is often referred to as a “Worship Service.” It is somewhat accurate; we do offer God our worship there. (Read Barbara’s excellent post on “What Is Worship?” here.)
But hopefully our worship extends past Sunday praise-singing.
- It’s Monday clothes-washing, and
- Tuesday dinner-cooking, and
- Wednesday pantry-serving, etc.
Power Start
Yet still, singing my worship on Sunday mornings starts the week with power.
In the midst of praising God, God pours grace on me.
- Through his promises we sing about
- Through melodious music he has inspired
- Through other people worshiping beside me
Because God is so worthy of worship, it’s easy to give him praise. We can temporarily set aside our own issues and focus on the wonder of Christ.
Self-forgetfulness and Jesus-awareness are heightened during worship.
“Worship is an end in itself. We do not eat the feast of worship as a means to anything else. Happiness in God [which is the heart of worship] is the end of all our seeking. Nothing beyond it can be sought as a higher goal.”
– David Mathis
Worship is a perfect way to start a day, a week, a life.
And a perfect way to end one as well.
Three Questions
Here are our three questions of the day:
(1) Do you have a favorite actor, singer, or sports hero?
(2) Do you sing or play a musical instrument as worship, either at church or at home?
(3) When are you most inspired to worship God?
* * *
What are your answers? Please share in the comments.
My answers
(1) My latest favorite artists are Matt Maher, Lauren Daigle, Cory Asbury, Tauren Wells.
(2) I sing with our church praise team (but I have no extraordinary talent). I play the piano only at home.
(3) Music, nature, people’s kindness to one another—these things point me to the wonder of God.
More here
- Be an Intercessory Worshiper
God places us in community to be placeholders for hope, for prayer, for grace. Who can you be in intercessory worship for? - Great Worship Study Resource
This book by Allen P. Ross, Recalling the Hope of Glory, is an excellent compilation of scriptures and commentary on both Old Testament and New Testament scriptures on worship. - Worship Different
It was just a small change but a good change. May we never be too rigid to embrace change or too comfortable to try something different. Growing in worship is worth it all.
revised from the archives
Get the whole Handmade series here
- See the Whole Picture – Day 27 of Handmade
- Books I Recommend to Bring Us Together – Day 29 of Handmade
Thanks for the link. 🙂 I love your thought that worship involves “Self-forgetfulness and Jesus-awareness.”
I took one semester of piano in college, but just did not have room for more in my schedule. I know I could try to learn now (an 80+year old women in our former church inspired me by taking piano lessons!) But it would take so much time to get to a place where I could play for relaxation and enjoyment, and I have so many other things I want to do with my time now. I sing around the house and in the car all the time. I’ve been in church choirs, but the only time I have sung solos was in a very small church which only had special music maybe once a month or so and were grateful for anyone who wanted to try.
Music and nature inspire me to worship, as do the psalms.