Devotional 10-19-07

The Heart of Worship

What is worship? What is the difference between worship and entertainment? What defines worship of God? If God commands us to worship, what does that mean?

Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth.
Worship the Lord with gladness; come into his presence with singing.

Know that the Lord is God.
It is he that made us, and we are his;
We are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.

Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and his courts with praise.
Give thanks to him, bless his name.

For the Lord is good;
His steadfast love endures forever,
And his faithfulness to all generations. (Psalm 100)

Do you ever wonder if certain kinds of music qualify as worship? Do you ever think that location is important – that we must worship in our sanctuary? Have you ever thought that particular sermons, spoken eloquently and with grace, were “better” worship than other, less spectacular sermons? What about prayer? Are there qualifications that make one prayer more “worshipful” than another?

I think worship might have three characteristics:

1. It should be pleasing to God. What makes worship pleasing to God? Does he care if the person singing can carry a tune? Does He deduct “worship points” if the preacher forgets an illustration or if the scripture reader mispronounces a name? Does God have a preference for one type of music over another? No. What pleases God is that we bring Him the gifts that He has given to us, whatever those gifts might be. What pleases God, I believe, is that we love Him through our worship, with all of our hearts, souls and minds. Worship is not what happens in front of us; worship is what happens within us.
2. It should move all of us closer to God. I believe that one of the reasons that God commands us to worship is so that we will enter into relationship with Him. It is to create in us an awareness that God is God, and that we belong to Him. I believe that because we are ALL God’s children, that we have a responsibility to bring others closer to God through worship. That’s one of the reasons for community. That’s one of the reasons we have worship leaders. We bring each other to worship.
3. It should become a demonstration of what the Kingdom of God is like. God in our midst, His people offering him worship and their gifts to Him and to each other – true communion. Through worship, God communicates with us.

If the goal is to love God and to love each other, and if the goal is to help to move each other closer to God, then when we truly worship God, we accept certain responsibilities.

• When the music is “not to our taste” or the volume is too high or too low; when the style is too classic or too modern, we realize that none of that defines worship. We come to the realization that the music might move someone else closer to God, so we not only tolerate what we do not like, but we embrace it. We love the other person SO MUCH that we will even sing their music for them, because it means that God is brought closer. We have the responsibility to show a generosity of spirit which values the person standing next to us, or across the room from us, more than our own tastes in music (or preaching or praying or liturgy). We love our neighbor.
• We realize that if the pews, the carpet, the candles, the organ, the piano, the pulpit, the lectern, the screens, the microphones, the stained glass and the hymnals were all taken away, that worship would continue. Worship can happen anywhere that God and His children come together. With that reality in mind, we accept that we cannot love the “trappings” of worship more than we love each other or God. Our actions toward each other and toward God must be an expression of that priority.
• Because worship is a reflection of the kingdom of God, then all of God’s children are part of our community. How we look, how we speak, our ages, our gender, our salary, our clothes, our health or our abilities cannot exclude us from the command from God to worship Him. It is our responsibilities, as members of God’s community, to be welcoming.

So what is the difference between entertainment and worship? Entertainment takes place in front of you; worship is born inside of you. Worship is of the heart. Music, proclamation, location and prayer may inspire it, but they do not define it. Do not come to church looking for God; bring Him with you.

Heart of Worship
Matt Redman
When the music fades
All is stripped away
And I simply come
Longing just to bring
Something that's of worth
That will bless your heart

I'll bring You more than a song
For a song in itself
Is not what You have required
You search much deeper within
Through the way things appear
You're looking into my heart

Kim Matthews

Devotional 10-12-07

Sunday, October 14, our church family will have the joy and privilege of celebrating Children’s Sabbath. This is one of only two Sundays each year we are invited – and given permission – to abandon the solemn “stuff” of adulthood and embrace the wonder-full worship experience of a service planned, prepared and offered by our precious children and youth.

How long has it been since we allowed ourselves to look at Jesus through the eyes of a child, to express our love for God with the tender heart of a trusting little one, to imagine what it would be like to meet our Lord face to face and talk with Him?

The students in our Sunday School Classes, from Kindergarten through High School responded to just such an imaginary meeting. As you read their varied – some serious, some humorous – questions and comments, imagine the incredible freedom of being able to sit with Him and discuss the longings of your heart as well.

• Do you love Scooby Doo?
• What is your favorite food?
• How do you tell time?
• When we received our Bibles, we were happy and excited!
• My favorite Bible stories are Noah’s Ark, Ruth and Naomi, and Samuel
• How does it feel to be living forever? Can I live forever?
• Why do people sin?
• Are there animals in Heaven?
• Are you happy when we sing?
• What color are your eyes?
• What did you do at church?
• Since you’re Spirit, can you give me strong muscles?
• Did you ever throw rocks when you were a kid?
• Where’s Waldo?
• Did you have a pet? What was its name?
• What do you do for fun?
• Thank you for – Everything!
• What’s your favorite color and why?
• What’s it like there? Is it different for each person?
• Do you like day or night better?
• Will you karaoke with me?
• Should we worry about what separates us from each other?
• Did you ever have a fist fight?
• Why is faith so hard?
• Sometimes I say things that aren’t very nice.
• Sometimes I don’t want to do the things I know I’m supposed to do.

At first glance, some of these questions and comments may appear a bit absurd, but if we’ll look deeper we can see that they are all offered as a means of establishing or reinforcing a relationship. How do we get to know someone unless we have some interaction? How can we build trust without personal experience? How can we open our hearts to another without the assurance of acceptance? Their authenticity is simple, honest and heartfelt.

“When the religious leaders saw the outrageous things [Jesus] was doing, and heard all the children running and shouting through the Temple, “Hosanna to David’s Son!” they were up in arms and took him to task. “Do you hear what these children are saying?”
Jesus said, “Yes, I hear them. And haven’t you read in God’s Word, ‘From the mouths of children and babies I’ll furnish a place of praise’?” (Matthew 21:15-16) The Message

If you had the opportunity to go back to your childhood, would you? The choice is yours – the possibility to do just that belongs to you Sunday morning – all you need to do is enter the Sanctuary with joy in your heart and a longing to be renewed as we celebrate and worship together as children of God.

Dear Father,
We are so grateful for the privilege of being a part of this wonderful family at Johnson Memorial – Your family. Thank You for the gifts of worship our children and youth are offering. Keep us mindful of how precious they are to You, and to us. And let us experience the love, peace and acceptance found if we would allow ourselves to become as authentic as our children, asking only to spend time with You. Amen.

Youth Sunday School class
Led by Linda Summers

Devotional 10-5-07

And as they were eating, he took bread, and blessed and broke it and gave it to them, and said, "Take; this is my body.
And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them, and they all drank of it. And he said to them, "This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many.
--Mark 14:22-24

This is an invitation across the nation the chance for folks to meetThere'll be swinging, swaying, music playing and dancing in the street
--Dancin' In The Streets, words and music by Marvin Gaye, Wm. "Mickey" Stevenson, Ivy Jo Hunter

This Sunday is World Communion Sunday. Every-other-year, members of Johnson Memorial UMC join our neighbors from other downtown Huntington churches and have a joint Communion service in the middle of 5th Avenue. The choirs combine, pastors from all the churches participate, and the congregations mingle. There is almost a party atmosphere, and I think that's a good thing. We Christians come together to celebrate our sameness and forget our differences. I often see old friends at this service. There's a lot of greeting and hugging.

Kevin Witt of the UMC General Board of Discipleship wrote: "When we share in this meal, we proclaim that we are followers of Jesus. We declare our willingness to join him in spreading love throughout the world, even if it means that we may suffer for it sometimes. We are one with Jesus and his mission. If, then, Jesus unites us, then naturally we must be one with one another. We are all fed from the same loaf and drink from the same cup of God’s love. This love unites us with God and with each other."

I'll see you Sunday, dancin' in the streets.

Anita Gardner Farrell