How can I do anything but Worship?

Worship:
2: reverence offered a divine being or supernatural power; also: an act of expressing such reverence
3: a form of religious practice with its creed and ritual
4: extravagant respect or admiration for

I have to start out a bit differently this evening. As regular readers know, I try my best to update on Tuesdays, but last night I was overcome with sleepiness. Tonight was beginning to look the same. I was finishing up with my studies while listening to talk radio, as I normally do. After I completed my notes, I went and showered, leaving the stereo on. I tried to time my shower to coincide with the hourly news as to not miss too much of the talk program. I had just finished drying my hair and was turning the bathroom light off when I heard the stereo rapidly changing channels. I heard a snippet of some rap song, a shot of Aerosmith and something in Spanish before the stereo just stopped at the local Christian channel; in all the stereo changed channels at least 8 or nine times.. At first I was paranoid, as I was in the house alone with my kids sleeping downstairs. Then, I looked for a cat stepping on the remote. Nope. The remote was tucked underneath my Bible, just where I had left it.

Needless to say, I immediately went to my computer to compose this message. I have no doubt that God changed my radio station. I am a completely cynical person, and after exhausting every other possible reason for the channel changing, I come to the conclusion it was Him.

See, I have been having a worship problem lately. I constantly revert to thinking I can do things on my own. Why do I need Christian music when there is a presidential election going on in the country? Well, why do I need air to breathe?

I do not think the definition above does justice for what creatures born to worship are meant to do. I looked up reverence and found this, profound adoring awed respect. That is a bit better.

In the spirit of this peculiar posting, I offer up an entirely different word that I think embodies what worship is truly meant to be.

Rhapsody
-an ecstatic expression of feeling or enthusiasm.
-an unusually intense or irregular poem or piece of prose.
-exalted literary composition
-freeform musical composition; often irregular in form, emotional in effect and improvisational in nature

Something in my spirit erupts when I think of the word rhapsody. Yes, worship music, prayer; all those things can bring me into worship for the Lord. But they can also cause me to simply go through the motions.

Here is a more archaic definition for worship: foolish or excessive adulation for an individual. When King David of the Old Testament saw the ark of the Lord entering his city, he disrobed, leapt, and danced before the Lord. When he was criticized for this, he replied, “I will celebrate before the Lord. I will become even more undignified than this, and I will be humiliated in my own eyes.” (2 Samuel 6.22)

See, he did not care what others thought. He wanted to praise His God. And I think that is what people are looking for today. Not nakedness, but naked humbleness and naked adoration.

I have tried to ride the emotional waves of worship the way I thought I should. I would get all pumped up from a song or a sermon, and expect them to carry me the distance. Inevitably, they let me down. Then I would become discouraged and sulk in a corner, licking my wounds. The cycle would begin over and over. And tonight the Lord turned my stereo.

I do not believe it was because He wants me to start another cycle. No, He wants to remind me that worship cannot be forced, but embraced. How can I not embrace His presence with me right now? And these words that spill out on my page are indeed a rhapsody to the Lord.

“Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me-watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.” –Jesus