Worship

Happy Monday. Sometimes I worry that I’ll run out of ideas for word-of-the-week—seems like a silly thought since there are a LOT of words from which to choose.

This week I’m thinking about…

WORSHIP

I’m not very good at worship. I don’t sing well, I can’t stand and wave my arms, and frankly my mind tends to wander. I think it’s that last part—the wandering mind—that makes me a bad worshipper.

I think the whole point of worship is focused awareness. I have an idea that we worship the things to which we give our undivided attention. Those are the things that really seem to matter.

The things on which we focus become de facto gods.

I watch a baseball game for three hours. I key in on subtle strategy, anticipate next moves, analyze decisions. I don’t lose track of the score while I wonder what God’s up to.

I meet with my financial advisor for maybe thirty minutes. When I’m analyzing investments, I’m completely tuned in to the data. I never find myself daydreaming about God.

But “worship” time is a mental meandering. The people around me, the music, the ideas, plans for the rest of the day—I jump from one topic to the next, and occasionally God gets a brief notice.

So if I can focus my awareness on a game or on my money, but not on God, who (or what) am I really worshipping?

I need to be more aware of what I’m aware of. That’s the only way to direct my worship where it belongs.

If worship is about focused awareness, what activities or things or people do you find yourself worshipping?