Sometimes singing worship songs doesn't always feel like worshiping. Honestly, my heart isn't always in it; I'm tired or distracted and I'm just going through the motions. But the moments God graciously blocks out the world so I can meet with Him, ah, Glorious.
It was my sophomore year of high school. I had started going to the youth group at the Baptist Church because Erica's boyfriend (now husband), JR convinced us to go. I was involved in BASIC (Brothers and Sisters in Christ) at the high school, but I still knew so little about my God. In the spring I found myself at an Acquire the Fire Event in Tulsa, Oklahoma. The day was long and I was tired, but the lights dimmed and the band began. And everything that I had been hearing and learning came together and the worship was real. The words made sense:
Here I am to worship, here I am to say that you're my God.
That. That's why I was there. That's why I was singing, to tell God, "God, you're mine. I'm yours. I could make gods of the things of this world, but I am here today to declare that you are my God." I am a follower of Christ, and it's not about showing up to church on Sundays or saying the right things. It's about my relationship with the Lord of the universe, who loves me dearly, and I (if I am by any means capable of such) love Him.
I'll join John Piper and James Morgan in starting 2009 saying, "I love Jesus Christ." Check out Piper's Taste & See article.
- I admire Jesus Christ more than any other human or angelic being.
- I enjoy his ways and his words more than I enjoy the ways and words of anyone else.
- I want his approval more than I want the approval of anyone else.
- I want to be with him more than I want to be with anyone else.
- I feel more grateful to him for what he has done for me than I do to anyone else.
- I trust his words more fully than I trust what anyone else says.
- I am more glad in his exaltation than in the exaltation of anyone else, including me.
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3 comments:
Thanks for this Alyssa! Piper gives us a good feel for what it looks like to love Christ.
This post reminded me of something I read earlier today:
http://theresurgence.com/worship_spiritual_disciplines
Hi, just found your blog. I also enjoyed that John Piper post. Very challenging :)
Blessings to you in Jesus ;)
I love Jesus, too. Sometimes I'm distracted during a "worship set". And, I feel so fake, or that we are so fake at those times. But then, sometimes, I'm lost in worship. And its a beautiful thing.
One time, at acquire the fire, I worked as a security and safety guy. I bounced during the Pillar and Skillet shows. It was hard not to want to mosh, because I had to pay attention. But I feel like I could sense the Spirit impacting 4000 young people, and I thanked God for that, even in the chaos of what on the outside really appeared to be just another rock concert. Jesus Rocks, in my opinion. He is the Rock. Alyssa rocks too.
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