I find myself being careful with my thoughts that go on this blog.  The last few months have sent me into a tailspin of putting together thoughts and words and saying what I want to say.  I took time off thinking I would come back ready to write and still find myself going days, fingers on the keyboard and thoughts coming from all over that lack cohesion and, sometimes, lack civility.

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One thing that keeps floating around in my head is the idea of worship.  I know there are debates that could go on for eons about worship allowing us to spend time on our soapboxes while ignoring the broken and the lost.  That is not my intent here but I have certainly had some heart and mind changes about what worship is and looks like and this is my spot to start sorting some of it out and for the purposes of what I’m talking about today, I’m only looking at our assemblies on Sundays where Christians come together to worship God. 

I’ve seen a church building on I-35 around Waco sporting a sign for a 39 minute worship.  Now, for some of us, worshiping for 39 minutes would be a record because we are thinking about what needs to get done this week, whether anyone noticed our closed eyes, wondering if we are going to get out of here in time to eat and see the Cowboys game or whether we need to pick a restaurant with a TV, wondering why Wade is starting Barber over Jones or Jones over Barber and why in the world Jerry ever signed TO.  We are thinking about the next vacation, the next day, the next big spending spree.  We are doing a lot of things without participating until someone mentions the 39 minute worship and we re-engage to decry something so dastardly.  On the other hand, if church runs over more than 60 minutes (21 more minutes than the other guys are putting in), we are in an uproar that it took too long, the preacher’s sermon isn’t that interesting, the comments made by Brother So-and-So were unnecessary, too many songs, blah, blah, blah. 

I grew up in the Church of Christ and I knew that the service should not take more than an hour and if it did, well someone was going to hear about it.  Yes, we can come together to worship for one hour but that’s all you get God.

Let me suggest that if we come together and our hearts are fully attuned to worship the LORD, the Creator of heaven and earth, the Redeemer and Savior of our souls, if we come fully aware of who it is we are praising, an hour could pass by like a moment and we would never know.  If the greatness of God was on our hearts and on our minds, what could possibly be more compelling than a day full of worship? 

Understand, these are the questions I am asking of myself and no one else.  I am only confessing my past problems and my current thoughts on what and who I want to be from this day forward.  There is no doubt in my my mind that the people leading a worship service can have a great impact on the mood and attitude of the worshippers but if I don’t show up with the right attitude, the right mind-set towards my God, I need to check my heart and examine my thoughts because I know, deep down, I want to lay it all out for the One who has saved me from death, covered me in grace and loves me like no other. 

Grace and peace to you.
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