Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will. [Romans 12:1-2]
Jon Swanson makes me think.
Okay, I guess he doesn’t really MAKE me think. But he keeps writing stuff like What Counts As Church? that reminds me I’m not the center of the universe. Since that’s a novel idea for me, his words challenge me to look at old ideas in new ways. Aside from the brain cramps, I guess it’s a good thing.
After reading What Counts As Church? I met a friend for coffee at my church, except I realized that we were really meeting in the building where my formal church usually gathers—because church isn’t a building. While we were talking our worship pastor, Terry Kelley, walked by.
Terry’s a great guy, a fabulous musician with a big heart for God. But I found myself thinking that “worship pastor” is sort of an odd title. If he leads worship, what do other pastors do? Shouldn’t every pastor be a worship pastor?
Many churches, including mine, designate the music as “worship” time. I guess that means we’re not doing worship when we give or listen to the message or greet our neighbors?
I know that’s not the intent, but words matter because they guide our thoughts. When we talk about the church as a building we easily shift to thinking that way, and suddenly church becomes a place or an organization rather than people and relationships.
Same thing with “worship.” If we’re not careful, we confine it to a box that’s only open when there’s music and singing and maybe hands raised. That’s the worship time, and when it’s over we close the box. We’re done with worship—check that off the list and get on to other stuff.
This morning I cycled along the Cache la Poudre River. It’s one of my regular workout routes, but I’m reminded every time of the story in Relentless Grace about The River. I remember that God is bigger than my small perspective, that He’s in control, and that the river flows exactly as He intends. I don’t sing (thankfully for others on the path) but I believe those moments are acts of worship.
Or maybe they’re prayer instead of worship—sometimes I get them confused. This was workout time, not worship time or prayer time.
See how our insistence on categorizing our interactions with God gets in the way of our interactions with God? Does it really matter if it’s called prayer or worship or sitting by the river with God or riding a hand cycle while I talk to God?
Like most things, I mess this up. I get all focused on whatever I’m doing, like this is “writing time” and later will be “throw the tennis ball for Monte” time. I forget that it’s ALL worship time.
That’s why I need guys like Jon to remind me to think.
Do you ever divide up your life, without thinking, and turn prayer and worship into categories rather than ways of living?
I, John, am the one who heard and saw these things. And when I had heard and seen them, I fell down to worship at the feet of the angel who had been showing them to me. But he said to me, “Do not do it! I am a fellow servant with you and with your brothers the prophets and of all who keep the words of this book. Worship God!” [Revelation 22:8-9]
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