Worship
But an hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth. Yes, the Father wants such people to worship Him. God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.” ~ John 4:23-24 (HCSB)
“Above all sing spiritually. Have an eye to God in every word you sing. Aim at pleasing Him more than yourself, or any other creature. In order to do this attend strictly to the sense of what you sing, and see that your heart is not carried away with the sound, but offered to God continually; so shall your singing be such as the Lord will approve here, and reward you when He comes in the clouds of Heaven.”
John Wesley, “directions for singing” in Select Hymns
Worship is not a spectator sport- it’s all about participation. God is not only concerned that we participate; He is also concerned with how we participate. Do you joyfully enter into the praise of God? Do you heartily engage in the study of the Word? Is worship a drudgery or a delight to your soul? Do you approach the Triune God with awesome desire as well as reverence? Or has it become so old hat to you that you can barely stifle a yawn?
I want to encourage you to engage your heart, mind and emotions in every aspect of the worship service. It is so easy to allow the busyness of life and the cares of this world to encroach upon our minds and steal us away from the central priority of why we gather. Take every thought captive to Christ- as John Wesley counseled- Aim at pleasing Him-there’s no greater thing in life to Aim for.
Because of grace,
Tim
