CREATING A CULTURE … WORSHIP

PSALM 95

 

THOUGHTS ON WORSHIP:

 

WORSHIP REORIENTS US TO ULTIMATE REALITY…

WE ARE BORN WITH A WORSHIP GEAR AND IT IS ALWAYS ON …

 

“THERE IS ACTUALLY NO SUCH THING AS ATHEISM. THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS NOT WORSHIPPING. EVERYONE WORSHIPS. THE ONLY CHOICE WE GET IS WHAT TO WORSHIP. AND THE COMPELLING REASON FOR MAYBE CHOOSING SOME SORT OF GOD OR SPIRITUAL-TYPE THING TO WORSHIP … IS THAT PRETTY MUCH ANYTHING ELSE YOU WORSHIP WILL EAT YOU ALIVE. IF YOU WORSHIP MONEY AND THINGS, IF THEY ARE WHERE YOU TAP REAL MEANING IN LIFE THEN YOU WILL NEVER HAVE ENOUGH, NEVER FEEL YOU HAVE ENOUGH. IT’S THE TRUTH. WORSHIP YOUR BODY AND BEAUTY AND SEXUAL ALLURE AND YOU WILL ALWAYS FEEL UGLY. AND WHEN TIME AND AGE START SHOWING, YOU WILL DIE A MILLION DEATHS BEFORE THEY FINALLY GRIEVE YOU. ON ONE LEVEL, WE ALL KNOW THIS STUFF ALREADY. IT’S BEEN CODIFIED AS MYTHS, PROVERBS, CLICHES, EPIGRAMS, PARABLES; THE SKELETON OF EVERY GREAT STORY. THE WHOLE TRICK IS KEEPING THE TRUTH UP FRONT IN DAILY CONSCIOUSNESS.”

DAVID FOSTER WALLACE

 

WESTMINISTER SHORTER CATECHISM:

WHAT IS THE CHIEF END OF MAN?

TO GLORIFY GOD AND ENJOY HIM FOREVER.

 

MODERN CATECHISM:

WHAT IS THE CHIEF END OF MAN?

TO ACQUIRE STUFF WITH THE ILLUSION THAT I CAN ENJOY IT FOREVER.

 

WHAT IS WORSHIP?

 

WORSHIP IS THE ACT OF ASCRIBING VALUE TO SOMETHING OR SOMEONE IN A WAY THAT ENERGIZES/ENGAGES YOUR WHOLE PERSON, YOUR ENTIRE BEING …

 

ASCRIBING ULTIMATE VALUE …

 

WHAT IS THE PSALMIST DOING? TAKING INVENTORY OF THE GREATNESS OF GOD

 

ENGAGES EVERY ASPECT OF OUR BEING …

 

EMOTIONS, Vv.1

 

“SINGING IS PRAYING TWICE.” CHANCE THE RAPPER

 

WILL, Vv.6

 

NOTE THE POSTURE, “BOW DOWN” AND “KNEEL”

 

MINDS, Vv.7-8

 

WORSHIPPING WELL?

 

COMMUNITY, “US” Vv.1,2,6

 

TRUTH, Vv.3-7

 

SPIRIT, “HIS PRESENCE” Vv.2

 

“A MOMENT IN GOD’S PRESENCE CAN ANSWER A LIFETIME OF QUESTIONS.”

 

REST, Vv.8-11

 

WHY CONCLUDE THIS PSALM ON SUCH A SOUR NOTE?

 

“WORSHIP IS A MEETING AT THE CENTER SO THAT OUR LIVES ARE CENTERED IN GOD AND NOT LIVED ECCENTRICALLY. WE WORSHIP SO THAT WE LIVE IN RESPONSE TO AND FROM THIS CENTER, THE LIVING GOD.

FAILURE TO WORSHIP CONSIGNS US TO A LIFE OF SPASMS AND JERKS, AT THE MERCY AND EVERY ADVERTISEMENT, EVERY SEDUCTION, EVERY SIREN … IF THERE IS NO CENTER, THERE IS NO CIRCUMFERENCE. PEOPLE WHO DO NOT WORSHIP ARE SWEPT INTO VAST RESTLESSNESS, EPIDEMIC IN THE WORLD, WITH NO STEADY DIRECTION AND NO SUSTAINED PURPOSE.”

EUGENE PETERSON

 

“IT WOULD SEEM THAT OUR LORD FINDS OUR DESIRES NOT TOO STRONG BUT TOO WEAK. WE ARE HALF-HEARTED CREATURES, FOOLING ABOUT WITH DRINK AND SEX AND AMBITION WHEN INFINITE JOY IS OFFERED US, LIKE AN IGNORANT CHILD WHO WANTS TO GO ON MAKING MUD PIES IN A SLUM BECAUSE HE CANNOT IMAGINE WHAT IS MEANT BY THE OFFER OF A HOLIDAY AT SEA. WE ARE FAR TOO EASILY PLEASED.”

C.S. LEWIS

 

APPLICATION: