Worship Without Praise?

[Logan Nickel]

Every Sunday we got to chruch and we sing songs to the Lord. At night in our prayers we might silently sing them again to God. We listen to Jeremy Camp and Hillsong United rock out Christian style. And some of us may even write music for God or play it ourselves.
Sometimes these songs can bring us to our knees and force tears of joy out of our eyes. But sometimes these songs make our throats hurt and we want to stop.
During those times when we just don't feel like worshiping, but we are anyway, what does it mean to God?
We are singing the words but we aren't doing the most important part, thinking the thoughts.
I don't know if this can even be considered worship. It's just singing a song.

[chicklet]

What matters is our heart attitude. There are definitely times when I do not feel like singing and participating in the worship service, or in group prayer times, but my heart is still focused on God. I believe that sometimes our circumstances can overwhelm us to the point that we do not have the emotional energy to really outwardly participate in things that still remain important to us. I also think that those times are often missenterpretted by the people around us, particularly by our brothers and sisters in Christ. We need to be careful that we do not blithely assume that someone is out of sinc with their heavenly relationship because they are down and present as uninvolved.

In response to what I think you where really saying, Logan - that there are times when we participate but our hearts are not focused on God - I completely agree that this cannot be considered worship.

To worship is to come before God, mind and soul. You can be in an "attitude of worship" during the course of every part of your life, as long as you are focused on living for the glory of God - intent upon honoring Him with all areas of your life.

Three years ago God began to reveal this truth to my heart - two years ago I began to live it. We as humans are incapable of living perfect lives, and yet Christ called us to do just that, saying "be perfect, even as I am perfect." Jesus never asks us to do anything that is not possible, so why does he command this? For the same reason we are commanded to "pray continually" - God desires that our lives, in every aspect, reflect His character. We are not called to be religious, observing days and rituals, but to a life of worship that in all ways brings honor to God.

When our hearts are not focused on God, our songs and other religious practices do not count as worship. If you find yourself not wanting to sing or pray because you are weary of fighting the spiritual war that continuously rages in our lives, but you do not find yourself blaming God for your troubles - you are only weary - do not despair! Even Jesus wept and cried out for relief (read the gospel accounts of His time in the garden of Gethsemani, before the betrayal by Judas). But Jesus did not argue with God - He made his requests known to Him, and then said, "But not my will, but yours be done." That is the attitude we must strive to adopt.

If you find yourself angry with God, or simply do not care to commune with Him out of a lack of interest, also, do not despair! Relationships take work, and there are always times when our human natures will make doing and feeling the right thing difficult. Life is always about choices. If you are angry with God, tell Him! He already knows, but He desires intimate, honest communication from his children. If you have questions that you need answered, talk to your pastor, a strong Christian friend, a parent, or bring them here and ask your fellow brothers and sisters in Christ. The Bible says "be angry, yet do not sin." Anger is often born out of confusion, and that is not a sin. But shutting out the voice of the Holy Spirit and refusing to walk in the way you know to be right, that is a sin. Do not allow the devil to sidetrack you from the way of truth - ask for help.

God's blessings be upon you

[Logan Nickel]

I find myself singing horribly and looking bored sometimes in worship, but truly my heart is in the right place. And not only with worship.
I sometimes catch myself judging other believers before I know them. Thinking, I saw him once being mean to another kid, he couldn't be a good Christian. One of man's biggest flaws is our habit of judging and stereotyping. But we all have good days and bad days.
I myself have been the target of cruel and unfair judgment (as we all have). Now usually I'm a pretty good kid, and usually I do my best to respect authority.
But there is this older man who lives near me. He owns a great deal of forestland on the other side of the hill behind my house. Last summer and winter I went over to the forested place (which I so nerdishly dubbed "Mestue") as often as I could. I knew that the land I took my walks on was not mine, so I did my best to stay hidden from Arty (the man who owns Mestue).
But one day, as I walked up the hill, I saw a truck coming, I knew it was his so I quickly hid behind a boulder. The truck slowed for a time then eventually drove off to another road which led up the hill, where the driver could see me from. I quickly darted down the hill and prepared to jump the aging barbed-wire fence which impeded my progress.
But as I jumped the fence I heard a horn honk. I turned to see that the truck was coming toward me. I was baffled, the truck couldn't have gone all the way over the hill and back onto the road in time, but there it was. It turns out that there were two trucks.
I stopped as the window rolled down and Arty stuck his face out. He yelled at me to come closer, so I did. He gave me a lecture about how old the fences were and that the hill belonged to him. He asked me where I lived and who my parents were so I told him.
The entire time we spoke I kept my head down and gave quick, quiet answers.
I know I should have been more respectful, and I know that I shouldn't have been on his land in the first place without asking. He has had people sneak onto his property before and hurt themselves on those old fences. I was in wrong, yes. But I know that, to this day, he thinks I'm a nasty, bad-natured boy.
I am polite and I wave to him when I see him drive by, but I know that he still thinks poorly of me.
Any-who, I judged him of being an old, territorial jerk. And he judged me of being a young, stupid kid. But we were both wrong. Things work out funny sometimes.
I suppose this whole story is really off topic, but I'm just trying to make a parable for how we judge other Christians.

[naoma]

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