Worship

God is all-knowing.

God is all-loving.

God is a consuming fire (Hebrews 12:29).

Simple truths like these can produce thoughts with wings, and set my heart and mind on things above, where Christ is. This is what the transcendent dimension of our souls desires.

Many people, including myself, find music to be a great way to connect to God in worship. Today we have access to so much great music through streaming channels. I am grateful that nearly all of the great hymns and praise songs are at my fingertips. I do not sing well, but when I am alone and out of the earshot of others, I make a joyful noise and sing along with these songs or use my hymnbook. At other times I simply listen and reflect on the power of the words. The other day I heard a new version of “Be Thou My Vision,” and I listened intently until the words and the music moved me to praise and doxology.

This is not the only way to worship. There are many avenues to worship, according to Richard J. Foster. He defines worship as “an ordered way of acting and living that sets us before God so he can transform us.” In other words, we must be intentional. I have found this to be true. We have to plan for worship. We have to set aside time, and we have to prepare our hearts for worship. I find this to be true for personal worship, but even more so for corporate worship, especially worship in church. Ironically, I am often hurried and distracted and inattentive to God when I am in church.

Again, Foster offers excellent advice for helping us prepare for Sunday worship in church, which he says begins the night before: “Prepare on Saturday night by going to bed early.” He also suggests we “gather early before actual worship service” so that we can be still and become aware of the presence of God in the sanctuary. This helps us to “let go of the inner distractions” that hinder us from worshiping God. Every time I have followed Richard’s counsel in these ways, I have found my worship experience much richer and more fulfilling.

It is a good and right thing to give God thanks and praise, as we say in the liturgy. But we do not worship because God needs our worship: God deserves to be worshiped, and our souls are designed to worship, and it is our great privilege to worship—this is why we worship. It leads to wellness in our souls.

This week set aside personal time to worship, and plan ahead for worship in your church, coming with a sense of holy expectancy that God will meet you there, and the meditations of your heart and mind will take wing.