Prior to reading this book I have to be honest and say that I had some false conceptions about worship. That sounds kind of scary to say but, through this booked I learned again and at a deeper level the importance of living in communion with God. To be completely transparent I don’t think that prior to this year I’ve lived in true communion with God. I compartmentalized my life in many ways, and I did not put one hundred percent of my life on the altar. The past few months and especially this book have shown me the attitudes, the compromises, the hurts, the habits, and the many other things in my life that have been displeasing to God. The things that have grieved His heart and broken the communion.
Whatever Happened to Worship paints a
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It is our primary purpose and the reason we’re here. “You were created to worship. God wants you to know His redemption so you will desire to worship and praise Him.” Tozer says. It’s just so funny to me how even Christians miss this. We wander around living our lives asking silly questions like “Why was I born?” but the whole time God had such a simple and specific plan laid for us. I love this quote, “I believe that He (God) created man out of no external necessity. I believe it was an internal necessity. God, being the God He was and is, and being infinitely perfect and infinitely beautiful, and infinitely glorious, and infinitely admirable and infinitely loving, out of His own inward necessity has to have some creature that was capable of admiring Him and loving Him and knowing Him.” God’s purpose for us was to recognize His beauty. To admire the gloriousness and vastness of who He is. It’s so simple but we miss it! We ask “Where’s God calling me to go?”, “What has He created me to do?”, “What’s my job gonna be?”, “What’s my ministry gonna be?” and we spend all this time, asking all these questions, but if we just started with the fact that we are first worshippers of an Almighty God I wonder how quickly we would be able to answer all the other questions. It says, “The most godlike thing in the universe is the soul of man.” He created us in his own image to be close to Him. Because that’s all He desires from us. “Man is better qualified to appreciate God than any other creature because he was made in His image and is the only creature who was.” (Tozer) And we see this in Genesis at the creation of man. It says, Genesis 1:26a Then God said, “Let us make human beings[a] in our image, to be like us.” He made us like Him so we could connect with Him in an intimate and meaningful
To Know, Worship and love, Rev. P.J. Elliot, James Goold House Publications, 2002, East Melbourne. (Chapters 2- 4)
I found the book to be a thought provoking and fascinating narrative, that was easy to get into. Author Beck's story of his spiritual journey made for worthy reading, especially, with his grounded, detailed recollections and comfortable writing style that flows fluently in an easy going conversational tone that invites you to read on. At times gritty, sometimes impassioned, and tangibly emotional this memoir of a young man looking to find his place in the world and finding it through the awakening of his faith and love for Jesus Christ was a worthwhile
The book of Psalms is one of the most useful books all throughout the Biblical text. It is not just a book of stories or law but personal praises, laments, and the deepest cries of the soul to the one true King: Yahweh. The Psalter is “the most reliable theological, pastoral, and liturgical resource given us in the biblical tradition” (pp. 1). These psalms pave a path for practical faith in the world today. Author, theologian, and teacher, Walter Brueggemann, goes into depth on the psalms of orientation, disorientation, and new orientation to discuss that through the unexpected high and low seasons of life one can turn to the Psalms for authentic conversation with God.
The book “Crazy Love: Overwhelmed by a Relentless God” by Francis Chan is book for those who want more from their relationship with Jesus. He wants us to really think about our relationship and see whether or not we are giving off good or bad fruit, what can we do to really deepen our relationship with Jesus. Coming into college I had no idea what to expect, but I knew one thing, that I was not going to lose myself and my faith to college and my social life. In life we do not really have control of the many things we do or the obstacles that we face, but this, my faith, I did. I decide whether my faith and my relationship with Jesus was going to exceed or was I going to fail him. But as the weeks went by, I saw myself distancing from the one thing that made me happy, that fulfilled me grow darker and slimer by the days. I want to get out of this rut, this place where I am not happy that even when the sun shines my days are dull and full of darkness, this is why I need to fix my relationship with God. I need to
The film God Grew Tired of Us is a documentary about the journey of a couple of Sudanese “lost boys” to their new lives in the United States. The film is divided in two parts. The first one gives the historical background of what led to the boys’ situation at the time the documentary was being filmed and what their lifestyle at Kakuma camp looks like. It starts by recounting the events that led up to the Second Sudanese Civil War of 1983. The conflict was fought along ethno religious lines between the Muslim North and the non-Muslim South. By 1983, 27,000 people, including the lost boys, from the South were forced to flee as the Sudanese government, held in the hands by northerners, announced that all men in south should be killed regardless of age. After a short stay in an Ethiopian refugee camp, the boys finally arrived to Kakuma refugee
...agreed with, some that frustrated, and some that embarrassed me when my personal preferences defied logic or biblical mandate. I would recommend this reading to any who impact church worship (employee or volunteer). Not as a firm guide, but as thought-provoking advice on how corporate worship can impact an ever-changing culture. I think any worship leader would be impacted by Dawn’s questions:
Growing up in Jamaica, I enjoyed worship. I remembered looking forward to church. We clapped our hands and stomped our feet and made a joyful noise unto the Lord. We didn't have keyboards and drums. We clapped and sounded like timbrels. I remembered when I learned to testify and it helped me and several others to build our confidence. I would sing in the local churches when they have special events. I watched young people being filled with the Holy Ghost and I wanted it so badly that I would pray and ask God to give it to me. I remembered watching my mother and my sister speak in tongues and I so wanted to do it.
“So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. ”(Genesis 1:27). Abba, our loving and compassionate God endowed humans with a spirit and intellect like no other creature. Therefore, humans are given a mind that is able to hear, comprehend God's message to us, and emotions that make it possible to respond to our God in love and piety. Lastly, God gave us a choice to obey him or not.
“Human beings are made for worship. Everyone worships someone or something” (Calhoun 2005). The above statement is so true. Some people worship money, themselves, other people or pagan Gods. As for me I worship God the Almighty Father of Heaven and Earth. “True worship of God happens when we put God first in our lives” (Calhoun 2005). Worship isn’t just singing at the beginning of a church service on Sunday. Worship is a daily surrender where we put God first in everything such as our marriage, work life, friendships, family, money, and lifestyle. Worship is where we totally surrender and trust God with everything in our lives.
into a richer experience of worship and a more effect life of service" (Crabb, 1977, p.31). The method to establishing an
Purpose, the reason for which something is done or created or for which something exists. Each person at one time or another has asked themselves why do I exist. Intrinsically instilled in us exist an inner yearning to be used in a higher purpose. We all desire to live as productive citizens in the Kingdom of God by having a purpose in the world which we live. Even the O.T. character Adam yearned for more than just being alive. After God created Adam, he gifts Adam with an ability to name all His creation in Genesis 2:19-20. God discerned that Adam desired to have purpose. God understood that man needed a purpose greater than just living. People must have a vision or else they will perish. To receive your vision in Christ instills the greatest
As time went by, I felt I didn’t have a great testimony, that my story was not important. I found myself listening to countless inspirational speakers and pastors who had mi...
Thus, judgmental behaviors are to be replaced by displaying compassion and mercy towards others, but how will this author’s lifestyle reflect compassion and mercy? Through selflessness (Philippians 2:4), control of the tongue (James 1:26), and by committing myself to serving the needs of others ahead of my
Crow, Mandy, ed. Ecmagazine. essential connection / lifeway christian resources, 24 June 2011. Web. 3 Nov. 2013. .
"When His people cry out to Him with pure hearts, when they sing joyfully about his goodness and grace, when they sit quietly and wait to hear from Him in the midst of their busy day, God shows up -Michael W. Smith (Worship 9)." While there are so many signs that the presence of God is in a place, it is sometimes easy to miss becoming intimate with him in that moment. How can a person become intimate with God in that moment? How can a person touch God? How can they usher in His presence in the first place? The answer to all of these questions is found in one place. Worship is the key to opening the floodgates of heaven, getting the attention of God, His presence coming down, and people becoming intimate with Him. While there are many times that God simply chooses to show up, worship is the way of calling for Him to come down and causing His presence to show up in a powerful way. People become intimate with the King through a process called worship (Elements 18-20).