Photo taken by: Jody Reich
What?!
23 But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship him. 24 God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.” (John 4:23-24 ESV)
A friend recently posted the above scripture on a social media site. These words got me thinking about the many ways that we worship God, not just in song service, but in our actions, the attitudes of our heart, and as representatives of Jesus “with skin on.” Of course, that triggered memories of some of the “What?!” experiences I have had in churches…
Please Be Quiet
It was a Sunday morning and the spirit of God could definitely be felt as the congregation sang onto the Lord in worship. My husband and I were standing with hands raised, singing and worshipping with all that was within us. Suddenly, my husband felt a tap on his shoulder. He opened his eyes to see the man in the row in front of us turned around facing him. “Excuse me, “the man said, “Could you be quiet so I can hear your wife sing?”
Another time…another church… my husband and I had taken our seats and were waiting for service to start. A man walked down the aisle and hesitated at the row in front of us, “I can’t sit here,” he stated grumpily, looking at me, “you sing way too loud” and off he went.
Excuse Me, You’re in my Seat
We had recently moved to Oklahoma and were looking for a church to attend. My husband was back home in Michigan, caring for the grandkids, so I was on my own that Sunday. I searched the internet for churches close by that held similar beliefs to ours. Finally I found it, a church not too far from where we lived, that was the same denomination my husband and I had basically grown up in. I was a bit nervous as I entered the church alone.
Sunday School was still in session in the sanctuary, so I slipped into the first pew that had an empty seat on the end. The seat was next to an elderly lady and she kind of gave me a funny look as I sat down. I smiled a nervous smile and settled in to listen to the remainder of class. When class ended, the teacher, an elderly man, made his way to where I was seated. “Excuse me,” he stated boldly, “but you are in my seat.” I mumbled my apologies and slipped over to a pew across the aisle.
A few moments later, a family entered and asked if they could slip into my row. I stepped out into the aisle to let them pass, only to realize that as they entered the aisle they took up the whole row! I was again without a seat. I noticed that the lady in the row behind me had a book sitting next to her and a lot of open space. I asked if I could sit there and she kind of huffed and said, “You can sit here,” and moved her legs so that I had to climb over to sit on the far side of her. “Perhaps she has someone else coming to fill that spot,” I thought to myself as I made my way to sit on the far side of her. However, as service progressed, I noticed that the seat remained empty. I knew right then and there that this would not be the place for us to worship.
What?!
We can look back at those situations now and laugh, but seriously, what if one of those experiences was the only time I had entered a church?
Worship
We worship God in spirit and in truth, through our actions, the attitudes of our heart, and as representatives of our heavenly Father here on this earth. Our “act of worship” goes far beyond the songs we sing to Him in church each Sunday. We worship Him as we reach out to show His love to others, to help our neighbors, to encourage someone who is hurting or may not do things exactly the way we think they should, or even in giving up “our seat” to someone who is new.
“What” is the Father Speaking to You?
Whether in your quiet times with the Lord, in your daily life, or in your public times of worship, what is the Father speaking to you? Take time to listen to His gentle voice. The Lord will show you how He desires you to grow in your worship if you only ask Him. He will cause you to see beyond your own circumstances to reach out and encourage others.
I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. (Romans 12:1, ESV)
On a side note, one of the ways God has opened the door for me to give my talents and abilities to Him, is through writing. It has been on my heart for many years to write children’s books. I have taken a step of faith and self-published my first book, “Even Though We’re Different, We Can Still Be Friends.” I am seeking to get it published in hard copy if God opens that door for me. Meanwhile, you can check it out at: https://www.amazon.com/Even-Though-Different-Still-Friends-ebook/dp/B07671HGTC/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1508509453&sr=1-1&keywords=even+though+we%27re+different
In Jesus, Jean