Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. (Romans 12:1)

Today we resume our letters to Libby but we will switch our focus to the Discipline of Worship.   As a reminder, you will play the part of Libby and share your thoughts on the challenges people are facing.  Libby is not expected to be an expert.  Rather, Libby simply shares from personal and practical experiences.   So, please feel free to chime in even if you have questions yourself.  Also, even if you don’t have the time to share, think about how you have addressed the challenge in your life or how you would address it in the life of a loved one.

Please review the Bible passage above and Marlon’s challenge below.

Dear Libby,

I am very interested in your thoughts on how I can grow beyond a limited view of worship in both theory and application.  Although I have heard quotes such as “Worship is a lifestyle.”, I still associate worship with entertainment.  Further, as a matter of application, I treat worship by and large as a spectator sport.  I love to hear great worship songs and see good worship leaders in action, but my involvement feels “empty”.

I know there must be more to worship and long for something deeper.

Feeling for more,

Marlon

Today’s Question:

What thoughts would you like to share with Marlon?

When one of the Pharisees invited Jesus to have dinner with him, he went to the Pharisee’s house and reclined at the table. A woman in that town who lived a sinful life learned that Jesus was eating at the Pharisee’s house, so she came there with an alabaster jar of perfume. As she stood behind him at his feet weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears. Then she wiped them with her hair, kissed them and poured perfume on them.

When the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, “If this man were a prophet, he would know who is touching him and what kind of woman she is—that she is a sinner.”

Jesus answered him, “Simon, I have something to tell you.”

“Tell me, teacher,” he said.

“Two people owed money to a certain moneylender. One owed him five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. Neither of them had the money to pay him back, so he forgave the debts of both. Now which of them will love him more?”

Simon replied, “I suppose the one who had the bigger debt forgiven.”

“You have judged correctly,” Jesus said.

Then he turned toward the woman and said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I came into your house. You did not give me any water for my feet, but she wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. You did not give me a kiss, but this woman, from the time I entered, has not stopped kissing my feet. You did not put oil on my head, but she has poured perfume on my feet. Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven—as her great love has shown. But whoever has been forgiven little loves little.” (Luke 7:36-47)

Today we close out our review of Worship. Tomorrow we will consider the Discipline of Sabbath.  I can’t think of a better story to end on than the story above in Luke 7.  This very popular story offers many lessons on the Discipline of Worship through the lens of love.  Please prayerfully read the passage and answer today’s questions.

Today’s Questions for comments:

• What do you believe was the primary motivation for the woman’s act of worship?
• What may have caused Simon not to acknowledge Jesus in similar fashion?

Make this entire week a special week of worship (recognizing God’s worth).

“Oh, that one of you would shut the temple doors, so that you would not light useless fires on my altar!  I am not pleased with you,” says the Lord Almighty, “and I will accept no offering from your hands.  My name will be great among the nations, from where the sun rises to where it sets.  In every place incense and pure offerings will be brought to me, because my name will be great among the nations,” says the Lord Almighty.

“But you profane it by saying, ‘The Lord’s table is defiled,’ and, ‘Its food is contemptible.’ And you say, ‘What a burden!’ and you sniff at it contemptuously,” says the Lord Almighty.

“When you bring injured, lame or diseased animals and offer them as sacrifices, should I accept them from your hands?” says the Lord.  “Cursed is the cheat who has an acceptable male in his flock and vows to give it, but then sacrifices a blemished animal to the Lord.  For I am a great king,” says the Lord Almighty, “and my name is to be feared among the nations. (Malachi 1:10-14)

It is hard to believe that something as beautiful as worshipping God can be distorted, but it can be.  Even as we view this Discipline through the lens of love, it is probably beneficial to consider what can happen when our motivation isn’t “right”.  The passage above from the book of Malachi demonstrates that God does care about authentic worship.  Are there lessons we can learn from this passage about our attitude towards worship?  Please prayerfully read the passage and answer the questions for today?

Today’s Questions for comments:

• How would you summarize what made God angry with the people he chastises in Malachi 1?
• What lessons do we derive about our attitude towards worship?

Make this entire week a special week of worship (recognizing God’s worth).

As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what he said. But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!”

 “Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, but few things are needed—or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.”  (Luke 10:38-42)

Yesterday we considered what true worship is, based on the words of Jesus.  We will continue to consider the Discipline of Worship through the lens of love.   Today we will consider our attitude towards worship based on an interaction between Jesus, Mary and Martha (passage above).  The imagery presented is simple but powerful.   Please prayerfully read the passage and answer the questions below.

Today’s Questions for comments:

• What lessons about worship can we learn from Mary and Martha?
• What is the major impediment to worship that you face?

Make this entire week a special week of worship (recognizing God’s worth).

Jesus answered, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”

The woman said to him, “Sir, give me this water so that I won’t get thirsty and have to keep coming here to draw water.”

He told her, “Go, call your husband and come back.”

“I have no husband,” she replied.

Jesus said to her, “You are right when you say you have no husband. The fact is, you have had five husbands, and the man you now have is not your husband. What you have just said is quite true.”

“Sir,” the woman said, “I can see that you are a prophet. Our ancestors worshiped on this mountain, but you Jews claim that the place where we must worship is in Jerusalem.”

“Woman,” Jesus replied, “believe me, a time is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. You Samaritans worship what you do not know; we worship what we do know, for salvation is from the Jews. Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. (John 4:13-23)

Over the next four days we will focus on the Discipline of Worship.  We will continue our theme of considering the Disciplines through the lens of love.

Making a strong connection between love and worship should not be very difficult.  What is more difficult is to rescue worship from traditional church divisions based on style preferences and from limiting worship to the confines of church services and concerts.  As we consider this Discipline we will seek to come back to the heart of worship as a songwriter has said.   Again, our deliberation will be based on some powerful passages from the Bible; the first being an excerpt from the encounter between Jesus and the Samaritan woman at the well (see passage above).

As always, Jesus gives us the greatest insights on the Disciplines.  Please prayerfully read the passage and answer the questions below.

Today’s Questions for comments:

• What is the essence of what Jesus told the Samaritan woman about worship?
• How does this inspire you to practice the Discipline of Worship?

Make this entire week a special week of worship (recognizing God’s worth).

He answered, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’” – Luke 10:27

What was your experience like trying to worship in all your activities?  Did you have to think hard about what you had to do or was it natural? I believe an excerpt from an Our Daily Bread article written by Dave Branon does an excellent job of addressing this topic:
It’s one thing to worship and praise God at church; it’s quite another to move out into the real world and worship Him through daily obedience.
Do we confine our worship to church? Or do we continue to worship Him by obeying Him in our daily life, looking for opportunities to serve?
In 1 Samuel 15 we see that Saul was asked by the Lord to do a task; but when we review what he did (vv.20-21), we discover that he used worship (sacrifice) as an excuse for his failure to obey God. God’s response was, “To obey is better than sacrifice” (v.22).
It’s good to be involved in worship at church. But let’s also ask God to show us ways to continue to give Him the praise He deserves through our obedience.
Lord, I want my worship of You to extend beyond the walls of my church. Help me to listen to
Your prompting and to serve others wherever I can—no matter what day it is.
Our worship should not be confined to times and places; it should be the spirit of our lives.”

We can conclude that if we are obedient to God in our daily lives worship is natural.

There is another important conclusion I believe we should consider. 1 John 5:3 tells us: “In fact, this is love for God: to keep his commands.”

So, we have an equation that looks like this: Love=Obedience=Worship. In the end, worship is about Love. So, as we wrap-up our focus this week on Worship, remember God demonstrated his love for us by giving His best.  It isn’t too much for us to love him with all our mind, soul and strength.

Please share your thoughts by posting your comments.

God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth. – John 4:24

Over the last four days we have moved from reflection/introspection to commitment. After commitment comes action. Worship is, of course, not just about singing songs, or going to church; it is meant to be a lifestyle. At our jobs, in our schools, in our homes or even on vacation, we are expected to worship. So, what would your day be like if you viewed every activity as an act of worship? Let’s make a conscious effort to do this to today. This might sound like an impossible request but pray about it (you can do all things through Christ who strengthens you).  In the power of the Holy Spirit, endeavor to perform each act as an act of worship to God.

Please share what this experience is like by posting your comments. We will not fully benefit from this activity unless we share.

Ascribe to the LORD, you heavenly beings, ascribe to the LORD glory and strength. Ascribe to the LORD the glory due his name; worship the LORD in the splendor of his holiness. – Psalm 29:1-2

Was it easy or hard to come up with the list of obstacles/distractions that detract from worship?  I had to confess that “I” am one of the biggest obstacles. When I am not prepared to die to self and let love prevail, worship is impeded.

Before we get to today’s activity, let me highlight another key insight from the 40 Days of Discipline website: The precursor to true worship is being overwhelmed by God’s greatness.

If you have been following all the instructions over the last three days you should have:
• Your list of the attributes of God, which make him worthy of worship
• Your list of attributes about yourself, which compel you to worship God;
• Your list of obstacles/distractions that detract from worship.

Today is about commitment. Examine what you have written down over the last three days and spend some time prayerfully considering what you should commit to changing to make worship more of a priority.  Remember that you can do all things through Christ who strengthens you.

If you feel led, please share your thoughts in the comments section of the blog.