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Worship image by patheos.com

Worship image by patheos.com

Worship's Courage

Tim Riter September 2, 2013

I can ignore

            your whispers

            that convict me of my sins

                        in the busyness of daily life

                        doing what I “must”

I allow you

            (the apex of my life)

            to slip into the shadows

                        unseen, unheard

But Sunday comes

            and praising

                        your unending compassion

                        and overwhelming love

            provides the courage

                        to listen once more

            overwhelmed by my depravity

            I then see it swallowed

                        by your grace

A grace amazingly

far greater

                        than all my sin

Research can reveal some surprising truths. One that concerns me is that among self-identified followers of Jesus, more may remain outside the local church than in it. They often connect with God, they strive to obey him, but they see little need to meet regularly with fellow followers for worship. At least in part, I understand that reluctance. I pastored churches for over 20 years, and know their failings far better than those who aren’t involved.

But I think we miss something by viewing worship attendance as a duty, which many of us do, instead of a grace-filled privilege. My busyness and sinful nature conspire to persuade me to place God at the fringes of my life. I don’t deny; I merely ignore.

However, gathering with a church who knows how to get us lost in worship changes me. It provides the courage to reconnect with God more intensely. His transcendence overwhelms my own busyness; his grace transcends my sin nature. And with that, the main barriers to spiritual intimacy dissolve.

God doesn’t need me to admire him in worship. But I need to see him more clearly, and corporate worship does that. Maybe, just maybe, if we saw and talked about the value of worship, others would see the privilege rather than obligation.

Kick Starting the Discussion

How do you view gathered worship? Necessary to your soul? A duty? Irrelevant? What got you to that spot? Are you content with it? Any ideas on how to change?

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TimGlacierMcDonald.jpg

A bit of an unreconstructed Jesus freak. Almost old enough to have known him when he walked this world. About 27 on the inside. Investing his life in university and teen students. Inveterate cross country motorcycle rider. Nature lover. Entranced with the power of written and spoken words. Still learning.

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Unconventional

Old Faith, New Following