Day 13 10/25/04

whoohooo the verse for the week. Since I didn’t get to attend Sunday School to show the way I memorized this verse, I’ll attempt to explain it here.
Perhaps some of you all will be able to learn it then it is sooo simple with simple motions. This past week’s verse was Mark 12:30 (NIV).Love (cross arms and give self a hug) the Lord (sign language L aross left shoulder to right hip)you God (point to heaven with flat hand) with all your heart (hand on heart) and with all your soul (disco like move with pointed hand swirling to sky) and with all your mind (point to head) and with all your strength (make muscle stance).Sadly I don’t have anything clever to remember the address with.
So the kinda of worship that pleases God is accurate, authentic, thoughtful, and practical. Seems simple and basic enough. “Worship is your spirit responding to God’s spirit.” That includes the personality that God gave us each to have. I don’t care what style of worship someone prefers but that it is able to be done. Back in the beginning days of attending FBCG, I requested that we stand for the comtemporary chorus time. It was because that is what my heart felt at the time yet it didn’t feel free to stand on own. Warren writes that God looks past the words to see the attitude of the heart. Also, God looks past the actions to see the attitude of the heart. We have this intecessory prayer time at FBCG and people are asked to come forward to pray if they wish. To me this is the oddest thing (even though I grew up with it) because it distracts me from conversation with God on my own because I hear the preacher guiding the prayer and since worship isn’t about me then praying collectively down front each week for all to see seems odd. I think this is one of those personality things. If I was to take part in going down, I’d be insincere. My focus would be on those around me, if I looked like a real prayer, finishing at the same time, and praying the preacher’s words not mine. For some this time may be real.
The aspect of the mind is included twice. Once for being biblically sound in our worship. This would come from know God as our friend. Warren doesn’t say that but that is how I think we are biblically accurate. The other aspect of the mind is to put some thought into how we worship. Even those who have a liturgy can have a thoughtful worship if the flow of the service is thought out. I do like the idea of using words that we don’t normally use to honor God. Perhaps one Sunday we will sing “Our God is an Impressive God, He rules from Heaven up there.” Yeah it isn’t musically as nice but it make me think a little differently about the song.
Practical worship is sacrificing our own self not the easy to part with self but the true self. It is the willing giving of time or personal praise. Some days I wish FBCG wasn’t filled with soo many intelligent and gifted people, for I think we miss some of the simpleness that can be in worship. And I know I’m as guilty as the others in the church for it can be harder to see someone who is less polished is still giving their all to God. It is in the doing of the heart that matters though.

The Question to Consider: For myself,my private worship is more pleasing to God. It fits the personality that God gave me. There is no questioning of what others will think. My verse memory for last week flows with that. I’m not gonna memorize something just from reading it over and over. Through making it an active part of my thinking I am able to get it. My private worship is able to have the diversity that I need and so I’m more able to make it real. “What will I do about this?” Ummm...keep on with it since it is pleasing to God. I’m not sure what response he was going for here other than the duh answer.