At first, Liesel could not talk. Perhaps it was the sudden bumpiness of love she felt for him. Or had she always loved him? It's likely. Restricted as she was from speaking, she wanted him to kiss her. She wanted him to drag her hand across and pull her over. It didn't matter where. Her mouth, her neck, her cheek. Her skin was empty for it, waiting.
the book thief- markus zusak

Friday, November 5, 2010

The Letter of Worship

{photocredit: widely unknown}
11/5/10
My precious one,

This is a letter about worship. :)

Not the kind of worship you find in stores on cd’s.

That kind of worship simply won’t do here. Want to know why? Because those CD’s basically say well if you listen and sing these songs, you are worshiping God.

But I believe that is a lie. You cannot sing about someone you don’t really know.

So, dear Av, this is a letter about real worship.

What is worship?

I have pondered so much on this question. What is worship? Most of the people who told me what they thought worship was, only really mentioned what it looks like.

Eyes closed, hands in the air, gently swaying back and forth to the music as the words to an acoustic song pour out of the mouth.

Some say it is motion, like dancing.

Some tell me it’s the way you speak in tongues.

Some explain worship by describing running around and jumping and screaming.

And who am I to say that none of this is pleasing in the eye of God? For I know not His mind, nor do I know His heart.

But none of this is worship to me.

I believe that each person worships God in their own way, and I believe that a lot of times, people don’t worship the same way.

Sometimes, worship for me comes in the car when I’m driving down the road, and I have one of my CD’s in.

Sometimes, worship comes to me while I’m at church, singing with the youth.

A lot of times, worship comes to me right here, on the very pages of your letters.

Worship comes to me when I read the swirls of beautiful lines of His Holy Word.

Sometimes, I am seated.
Sometimes, my hands are raised.
Sometimes, I’m on my knees.

I don’t believe that worship is visible, so in reality, none of the above define it.
I believe that true and pure worship is something you can only feel in your heart. And I believe that the above actions happen as a direct reaction to this feeling in your heart.

Worship is a twinge, a realization, a proclamation that Holy God is so much bigger than you, that you do not deserve His love, yet you are His.

I believe that worship is the way we love Him back.

I believe that it is the thank you that we owe Him.

I believe that worship is the way He takes our hearts and makes them a little more like His.

Someone told me that they hated it when worship was over. And that really confused me.

How can worship be over? I ask. and they sent me a message back and say ya’ know, at the end of the service.

This totally broke my heart. Because worship doesn’t have to ever be over. Worship can last all day, all week, all month, all year.
Worship is creative like that. It doesn’t have to end, that feeling never has to go away.


More and more I am learning that, and leaning on that truth. I want to be in worship mode 24/7. I want to always have God on my mind. I want to always be surrounded by the overwhelming feeling that only loving Him can bring.


You want to know about a tragedy? More serious than 9/11? More devastating the starving children in Haiti?
Empty Worship.

Worship is that special time where we can be completely awed, amazed, and floored and attempt telling Him all this, but not knowing where to begin. :)

You know what I desire Av? I want to be ready for worship when a tragedy shakes up my world. I want to be ready to fall on the floor and worship God when I’m hurting so bad that I cannot handle anything else in the world. I want to be ready for Him. I want to show the devil that I’m stronger than anything that he can throw. I long for that worship that is going to break my heart. When all I can do is lay there and cry out to God for comfort. And comfort will come. Because Jesus is the Almighty Comforter. And He loves me.

“Sorrow and worship are not exclusive. In fact, sometimes they move through our hearts so tightly bound that we can’t pull them apart...
Worship reminds us that this isn’t the end of the story. This isn’t even the best part of the story. The song we sing facedown on the ground through tears, in the mud and with broken hearts is just the beginning of a symphony that is building, rising and swelling into eternity.”
(p. 163 Paperdoll- Natalie Lloyd)

I like that quote :)

I don’t want to be a paper doll with a wardrobe of tab on faith. I want myself to be the real deal. I want the whole package. I want the love of God to flood my heart and fill my water pots. I want it to flow over off into the lives of everyone I see. I want people to be able to look at me and see God. I want them to see I’m real. Not just another paper heart out on parade. I don’t want to host paper tea parties, with all of my paper doll friends.

Do you want to know why I am so set on being real Av? Because paper dolls melt in the rain.

When the rain comes, I want to be ready. Strong and flexible, like the palm trees.

And I hope you feel like that too.

I want abundant life over a paper facade. Abundant life is scary and intimidating and amazing. You know what I love about Jesus? I love that His kingdom was never about the glitter and glamour. I like how Jesus got in the muck. How He talked to the people the world labeled as outcasts. How He passed up castles and luxury to have dinner with Mary and Martha, How He looked over the important people of that day and called out the little guy in the tree. How he liked to be among his friends. And how He loved His parents, and how He took time out to spend with God the Father.

Jesus understood love.

That is a statement that no one else walking this earth can make. And who am I not to love Him, not to want to give Him my worship? He fought for me once, and still is today. He laid His life down so I could be saved. He says that He will never leave me. Therefore, I have to say that every day, He wins my heart. Repeatedly.

I would say more Av, I could go on forever and ever about how amazing it is to worship God, but it’s like all the words in my head fell into my heart and exploded into a million fragments.

I am so speechless and awed at God right now. :)

I love it.


I love you.



And I love the Master Creator of Worship.

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