Picture of Worship: Oct 3rd - 9th
This Week and Beyond...
Hey everyone, it's a sermon prep week for me and it's been a little crazy around here, so, not a lot to type today! Take a few minutes to check out the devo below. :)
As mentioned at the meeting, I will be sharing a few other thoughts about the upcoming year, please stay tuned next week for:
- Team nights
- Practices
For now, bless you!! Have a great week, and see you in church on Sunday!!
Devotional...
Picture of Worship
by Karen Morerod, Kansas City, Kansas
"You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven." (Matthew 5:14-16)
I listened as the emergency room nurse explained the CT scan. "See this white spot here on the head view?" I nodded as she pointed to the illuminated image. "This shows where the hemorrhage was. On the right side of your dad's brain."
My dad had just suffered what we would be told later, thankfully, was a light stroke. However there had been a bleed in the brain causing some slight left sided dysfunction. Getting to the hospital in a timely manner had been a key in getting the bleeding contained and stopped.
As I looked at the CT image I thought about how often I'd been told about strokes: the warning signs, what to do when those symptoms appear, and even how strokes happen. Until I saw the actual picture of the CT scan, though, it never made much sense. But now, with this visual before me, strokes came into clearer focus. I saw the spot of foreign fluid on the brain which resulted in his physical impairment. Suddenly it made sense to me how the brain was affected, causing my dad's left side to not cooperate properly.
"Thanks for showing this to me and explaining it," I said as I went back to my dad's room. I felt as though I had just mastered a college anatomy course. I realized that day just how much of a visual learner I am!
I think I'm not the only visual learner, though. Maybe that's why Jesus used so many analogies when he taught. Jesus said we are to be an example, a visual, to the world of what it looks like to follow Him. When others look at those of us who call ourselves Christian, they are to see a resemblance of our leader.
Let's put this into the context of worship ministry. Often times we try to describe worship to others. I wonder if it is sometimes as elusive as the information I've received about strokes. Still, we attempt to define it, recommend a book about it and encourage them to just do it. But does information alone help others in their journey of wrapping their brain around true worship?
Musicians and praise teams can move beyond just information about worship to being a picture of worship. We can give our congregations a glimpse of what worship is. I'm not suggesting that we perform or do anything for show. Neither are we responsible for whether someone standing in the pews actually worships or not. However, when our hearts are right, when we are worshiping in spirit and truth, it will show on the outside.
We are not only a picture, but an encouragement to others who want to worship with us. As God's love flows through us in our singing or playing instruments, it's like a lamp on a hill that lights the way for others. Sometimes they need to see it's okay to clap hands, raise hands, fall on our knees in prayer, be totally still before God -- or wherever our worship takes us.
But we should never lose sight of our goal in providing a picture of worship. The end result is for God to receive the glory and honor due His name. As we bring others into worship, they can be assured that they, too, can give glory and honor to God. And that's what the picture is really all about.
GOING DEEPER:
1. Are you a visual learner? If so, what things have been helpful to you in learning?
2. As those who are tasked with helping to lead in worship, it really is part of our responsibility to be an example in worship. How does that affect how you prepare and act on Sunday mornings?
3. Read 2 Samuel 6:16-23. King David honored God with great exuberance. How does this challenge you in your own worship?