Wow, I like, havent blogged for ages man... Hmm, there are still backlog stuff I wanna blog about, esp my thoughts on my phone getting stolen. I guess I just haven't found time to do that. I'll get to those soon, I hope. =)
Anyway, I told myself I should write down wat I'm going to write down today today. <- What a convoluted sentences, anyone interested in constituency? hahaha ... =P
So there I was this morning - standing in church near the 'altar'. Service usually starts with Praise and Worship and we would all try to go as far forwards as possible. I think it is important to 'prepare ourselves'. I'm not talking about some ritual that we must perform. I mean we should at the least, pray to God, confessing our sins and seeking Him. I just find it so hard to worship without doing that. Of course, it's possible to just go through the motion of worship and noone else can tell the difference. Noone, except God and myself. So I really find it to be a more fruitful time when I humble myself and lay myself bare to Him.
During the first song - it's an upbeat praise song - I started to pray. It's very easy to just 'jump' into singing and dancing and forget about praying. I mean, everyone around you is jumping and clapping and stuff, and I'm quietly praying with my head bowed? Yes, it's easy to skip this step but I'm careful not to. I don't want to rob myself of a better experience of God's presence.
Now this is really crunch time for a lot of us, me included, and I think we have this mentality that coming to church is to be taking a break. The whole church experience, from an utilitarian perspective, can merely be an act of consumption. We come to be refreshed, restored, encouraged et cetera. Now this is especially so for the time of praise and worship. The upbeat praise and stirring worship music; the "from the bottom of my heart" lyrics; the sight of hundreds worshipping God together. This creates an experience that can be quite pleasant. We say that we have been 'ministered to' during the time.
Am I starting to sound cynical? I'm not, I'm being reflective. I'm guilty (if you didn't catch my tone, read the previous paragraph again!) of being a church consumer sometimes too. There's a very thin line between coming to God with our needs and coming to God with our shopping list. Being refreshed, being restored, being strengthened - all these happen, but they should happen as a result of God moving in our spirit. It's unrealistic to approach praise and worship, thinking "The worship will be therapeutic" (of course, not in these words). Praise and worship should be centered on God. We were after all created to love Him and to praise and worship Him. The experience might really be pleasant and therapeutic, but the focus should always still be on God. God sees our needs and hear our cries, and will comfort us. If we come to God with a shopping list, we're switching the roles of Master and servant.
The Heart of Worship
Matt RedmanWhen the music fades, all is stripped away
And I simply come
Longing just to bring something that's of worth
That will bless Your heart
I'll bring You more than a song, for a song in itself
Is not what you have required
You search much deeper within, through the way things appear
You're looking into my heartI'm coming back to the heart of worship
And it's all about You, it's all about you, Jesus
I'm sorry, Lord, for the thing I've made it
When it's all about You, it's all about you, Jesus
King of endless worth no one could express
How much You deserve
Though I'm weak and poor, all I have is Yours
Every single breath
