I have returned from the big weekend with 3700 other Christians (most teenagers) and I have to say, I actually feel better than when I left. I left sick and down in the back, and both have improved (albeit modestly) from when I left. So praise God for that.
But my condition allowed me to have a different perspective on the worship service. Friday evening and most of Saturday I could not talk much. So, I definitely could not sing. Also, my back was in such a state that neither standing nor sitting provided all that much relief, so I alternated between the two. The end result was my ability to just take in the praise and lift it up in spirit. This is ironic in some ways, because the theme of the weekend was “Refocus” and here I was having to refocus my worship because my normal expressions of it were hampered.
I am not overly demonstrative by nature, but am usually more reflective in worship. At the same time, I have students that I want to participate in the worship service, and they often don’t understand that by sitting quietly I am still worshipping. Often, they interpret it as a lack of interest, and such attitudes are contagious making them not really engaged in the service either. So I try to lead out through singing, standing, raising hands, etc. to facilitate their worship.
So, with all the students knowing my limitations, I could worship in quietness even though surrounded by many decibels of sound. I enjoyed it and got a chance to really dwell on the words being sung, even those of very familiar songs. I am constantly being challenged to offer up true worship. Hopefully this will be one more step along the way. Tune in tomorrow (or maybe Wednesday) to hear about the speaker.
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