Words on Worship

Do you remember that little song we used to sing as children “ O, Be Careful Little Eyes What You See"?  Eyes are the window to the soul.  What we see and when we see it, can literally change our lives forever. The late John Bunyon said we have two main channels into our mind, the EYE GATE and the EAR GATE.  Through these flow most of the knowledge we receive. Proverbs 4:25 tells us to "look straight ahead."  And Proverbs 23:26 says:  “My Son, give me your heart and let your eyes delight in my ways.”  The connection between the heart and...

I was sitting in a restaurant the other day, and as I was waiting on my food I found myself staring at the silverware.  Oddly enough, I noticed that the fork and spoon, in a loose way,  reminded me of an open hand and a closed hand.  Just looking at these common household items reminded me of two special words in my life: prosperity and posterity. The fork, or open hand, represents prosperity, or success in life, but only by way of temporal things.  The spoon, or closed hand, represents posterity…also success in life…but in things that have eternal value.  May...

Hands speak a language of their own, don't they?  Hands held up can mean praise or even surrender. Hands held out with palms up can either mean I am giving this to you, or you are giving something to me.  Hands that are closed can mean a sign of aggression as it forms a fist.  You get the idea.  So as we approach worship, I encourage you to live with open hands.  It is only with open hands that we can give something away, but is also only with open hands that we can receive.  Worship is you and me...

When I mention a phrase like "worship God with your hands" many people might think I'm merely talking about the Sunday morning experience where we lift our hands in praise during a worship song or prayer.  And even though that is certainly a Biblical expression of our worship, it is just as strong of a display of worship when we use our hands in service to God and to others.  Worship always includes three elements: glory, dedication and sacrifice. Lifting our hands in praise is ascribing glory to God.  But reaching out our hands in service requires sacrifice.  Both acts...

How can I worship God with my body?  Well, worshiping God with our bodies is quite different than the mindset of our current culture which is quite obsessed with worshiping the body itself.  There is certainly nothing wrong with living a healthy lifestyle and eating properly.  In fact, we should do that, as our bodies are a temple unto the Lord and we need to  treat them as such.  However, worshiping God with our bodies as a "living sacrifice" as Paul puts it in Romans 12, means we present all we are as an offering to God. So worship isn't...