What do we find as qualities of worship? Here are four that I have thought about over the years.
1. Quiet creates an atmosphere of reverence. Some of my deepest experiences of worship have come in empty churches, as I traveled around the country I dropped into churches, not for the service but for the quiet sanctuary. In the heart of inland Mexico I went into a small cathedral and worshipped. I did the same thing on Michigan Boulevard in Chicago, on Fifth Avenue in New York, in Rome and in Florence. I didn't want to attend the service because I wanted the sanctuary for quiet worship.
We built a home in Colorado and I would go out at night after turning out all the lights and without being able to see an artificial light anywhere look up at the sky and say, "how big is God?" From our gulf condominium we could see the moon come up over the water and I felt the bigness of God. About sunup I stood holding this shell and thinking about the German scientist who said: "The shell, the ocean, I and all of creation are the same except I have the spirit of God breathed into me. I am God breathed; therefore I worship."
2. In worship we position ourselves in relation to God. The poem "Invictus" is not my creed. I am not the master of my fate; I am not the captain of my soul. God is my father, Christ is my Savior, He is the Lord.
In prayer we position ourselves first in humility. It's interesting that nowhere in the scripture are we told to pray for humility - we are to humble ourselves.
We position in gratitude, not only for the things we have received but the protection that we have had that we have known nothing of. Billy Graham says that he is surprised by God's way of using him and also God's way of protecting him.
We position in faith.
We position in submission, "I am the vine, you are the branches."
3. In worship I evaluate myself - ultimately. Dick Halverson , chaplain of the Senate, asked a businessman, "What do you remember about the first century? Do you remember the names of any of the Caesars? Do you remember the names of any of the great Greek teachers? What about the world leaders of the first century? Do you know them?" The man said, "the only politician I know was Pilate and the only ones I remember are Jesus and the Apostles." Dick said, "you know a carpenter and some fishermen, and a politician who would have been forgotten had he not been involved with a carpenter."
The worshipper's view of life is the ultimate view - reversing our natural perspective: far off appearing larger, nearer and the temporal present, small and distant.
I think that possibly our children and our grandchildren are one ultimate way we evaluate ourselves. Last night our granddaughter and her friend were at the house about midnight baking cookies (a glass of milk, a dozen cookies, and a granddaughter is about as good as life gets) . And I said to her, "Ultimately my life will be evaluated more by our children,grandchildren and great grandchildren than by any other factor of my life. "
Along with the genes and values we pass on to our offspring is the effect we have on friends. Hugh Jacks, president of Bell South, called and said, "during one of your talks you outlined some values that got me to thinking and I went back and established my own value system and I'd like for you to come and speak on value management to our top executives." We don't know all that is happening that will be part of our ultimate evaluation. We do know: "what shall it profit a man if he gain the whole world and lose his soul. "
4. In worship we lose ourselves - "turn ourselves loose" is a better term. While walking on that gulf beach and studying the shell I was caught up in the awe and wonder of God. I was briefly distracted by a man who struck up a casual conversation. It quickly moved from "how are you" to "who are you" and it became competitive. I lost my focus for when I was looking at the shell and the ocean and thinking of God, I was turning myself loose, but then along came my Type A friend and I started jockeying for position with him and taking myself back for myself. In true worship I am "lost in the majesty of God."
Worship is recognizing who He is and who I am in Christ. Worship is the natural response of my heart to a right relationship with myself, with Him and with others.
