Image by SakuriRainne. Creative Commons.
We should become opportunistic worshippers, recognizing God wherever we find him. If we approach life like that, he will surprise us with a touch of the divine in weird and unlikely places.
I am a party worshipper. Yes, partying has been equated with binge drinking and stupid behavior, but that is a rip-off of a great word. Alcohol is available at a good many parties and I certainly don’t believe it is an issue, as long as we don’t overdo it.
I would like to make partying a spiritual discipline, because it is absolutely awesome for people to let their hair down, blow off some steam, enjoy some great music, hang out with friends, and relax! Honestly, we need to party and Jesus is there at the party with us. He attended his share, and I believe, he had a good time. Relaxing and having fun together is healing. It reminds of how God created us for one another.
Music is an awesome way to worship, but it doesn’t have to be in a church service or Christian music to cause us to think about God, get lost in the moment, and be moved by art.
Solitary reflection and prayer is a beautiful way that people have worshipped God down through the ages. I would highly recommend talking things over with God on a regular basis, purposefully examining our life, and remembering what he thinks about us. I do this on a regular basis just to keep the ship upright.
All of the ways to worship that I have mentioned are ways to get our batteries recharged and focus on God, but they don’t require much of us. The last way that I want to discuss, sometimes requires a lot of us, but these opportunities deliver the best sense of touching the divine.
Just now, I am beginning to see that the various spiritual disciplines like Sabbath keeping, worship, and service are not clearly delineated. They blur together. For instance worship restores our soul. That makes it like keeping a Sabbath. But is also leads us to service and that makes it like ministry.
By most accounts, the very best sense of a divine connection comes from simply serving another person. Man, what a great feeling it is to help someone else, whether it is a homeless person who has nothing or a neighbor who just needs someone to talk to.
I plan on discussing this more, later in the book. So, I will just throw out the concept here. You don’t need to save the world, just be free to help your neighbor. Whatever type of service you choose to help your fellow man is awesome; however, there is much to be said for just being available to family, friends, neighbors, and people in your world, as opportunities spontaneously arise. Your world is probably composed of more people than you realize. If you are alert, you will see opportunities to serve them.
The key is recognizing the opportunity as a divine appointment and being willing to be interrupted or to change your plans. These golden moments do not happen according to schedule and they reveal themselves at inconvenient times. This is messy worship because sometimes people try our patience and they don’t usually “get fixed” just because we showed up.
This is worship…talking to a lonely neighbor, shoveling snow for an elderly neighbor, watching a neighbor’s house while he is away, being there for a family member when their world is shaken, reassuring an old friend who is struggling with haunting feelings of guilt, opening up your home to someone whose options have been exhausted, being an advocate for a person who can’t do it themselves, and loving friends unconditionally. This list is endless. Sometimes serving requires some financial help. Sometimes, it is small thing like just engaging in conversation. Sometimes, it is bigger thing that requires some serious sacrifice, like taking someone into your home. But it all is worship.
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