October 22, 2007

A “Go with God” moment:

Have you ever walked away from a worship service saying, “I just did not get anything out of it?” Let’s ponder Revelation 4 for just a moment with that question in mind. After John has written his letters to the seven churches (Rev 2-3) John’s attention is then turned from earth to heaven, “After this I looked and there before me was a door standing open in heaven.” Keep in mind that what John sees is a throne room, with an eternal worship service transpiring. Listen carefully to the description of this service:

Day and night they never stop saying:
Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was, and is, and is to come. (Revelation 4:8).

This seems to be the point John is learning first hand and is passing on to us. There is always a constant worship going on in heaven, day and night, never ceasing. Can you see it? Can you hear the praise radiating from heaven and hopefully serving as a contagion for our worship services?

We often forget. Make that I often forget. So when I walk into a sanctuary of Sunday morning, I wait until the service begins. But in actuality, it has never ceased. Maybe for me the most important thing to remember is when I walk into the sanctuary on a Sunday morning I am being invited to enter into a worship experience that started long before I came to church.

In the end, if I say, “I got nothing out of worship today”, it is primarily because I never saw beyond the four walls of the sanctuary. Maybe I am just too earthly minded (make that too self-centered). Do you remember the line in the Lord’s Prayer, “thy kingdom come on earth as it is in heaven?” That also pertains to the act of worship as well to his Kingdom rule. May that be so for us!

Lord,
May You, O Lord, Give me a vision of heaven, and may it affect my view of earth.
May I (we) today enter into worship with all of heaven, and all of creation for that matter.
May I worship You at all times and in all places.
May I cease waiting for the start of worship to begin my worship.
May I never cease to worship, just because our earthly service has a benediction.
May all that I am give praise to all that You are, at all times.
Amen.

Now, Go with God