I Will Enter Thy House

But as for me, by Thine abundant lovingkindness I will enter Thy house,

At Thy holy temple I will bow in reverence for Thee.

Psalm 5:7

Image via pixabay

CCO Creative Commons

 

On Worship

Gathered with our church family today for corporate worship and being reminded that...

When Man ceases to worship God,

he does not worship nothing 

but worships everything.

― G. K. Chesterton

Image via Pixabay, Gellinger

CCO Creative Commons

A Simple, Solitary Act of Worship

You've probably had the experience when God often uses simple, solitary moments to encourage us in some aspect of our walk with Him. He did that for me yesterday when we were out for supper where we routinely stop for fish.

As we were waiting for our food, I noticed a man over My Beloved's shoulder who was also waiting for his meal. I shouldn't have been surprised, but when it arrived, the gentleman folded his hands, bowed his head, and I'm sure he was thanking God for it.

Here was a man eating dinner alone, yet who took a moment to acknowledge where this provision really came from. My Beloved and I had done the same a few minutes previous to that, but this gentleman's prayer got me to thinking....

Is my prayer at mealtimes just a habit? If I had to eat alone in a restaurant, would I pray as intentionally as this man did? I know that I would thank God for the food, but would I talk to Him just in my mind and get on with the meal?

Or would I be reverent enough to offer my gratitude for God's provision as a moment of worship, as I felt I was viewing that very moment? This gentleman had no one's hand to hold, no one to share the moment with, no one expecting him to bow his head and pray.

That spoke volumes to me. God used that moment to speak into my heart about this simple, solitary act of worship that expresses gratitude for our daily provision.

Image ~ Grace, Eric Enstrom, 1918

Sunday Ponderings

 Congregation leaving the Reformed Church in Nuenen

Vincent Van Gogh 1884

  

Thinking about the speaker today at our church service and the pressures and hardships they face as believers and followers of Christ in the Pacific Rim in which they minister to the various people groups there. It is such a simple thing for us here in America to attend any church service we choose, yet we so often are slothful toward our corporate worship. I do hope you were able and chose to get up and go today, dear one.

But as for me, by Thine abundant lovingkindness I will enter Thy house, 

At Thy holy temple I will bow in reverence of Thee.

Psalm 5:7

Worship the Habit?

I had read this statement by Oswald Chambers in his book My Utmost for His Highest many, many years ago, and it changed the way I thought about and attended to my quiet time in the scriptures. I came across it again recently and want to share it with you. Perhaps it may impact you as it did me.

Your god may be your little Christian habit―the habit of prayer or Bible reading at certain times of your day. Watch how your Father will upset your schedule if you begin to worship your habit instead of what the habit symbolizes. We say, 'I can't do that right now; this is my time alone with God.' No, this is your time alone with your habit.

I know that prayer and Bible reading are essential to faith building, and I don't think Chambers is downplaying a regular, routine time for it, but rather asking us to consider why we're doing it. I had a tendency to being tied to my routine instead of being tied to the Savior. I was easily annoyed and out of sorts when my schedule was upset or my attention was required someplace else, like caring for my children or answering the phone when someone needed to talk. I had God boxed in on my schedule, and when I missed "my quiet time with God," I felt undone. Not meaning to be irreverent, but I didn't get my fix that day.

God used Chambers' words to cause me to consider my ways and my thinking. I realized that my quiet time had been more about me than about God. My worship wasn't to be tied to my little quiet time corner. God is bigger than that, and my communion with him needed to enlarge as well, wherever and whenever that might be.

Painting ~ Reading in An Interior, Carl Holsoe 1863-1935

Rescue Your Children

Do you know what or who your children worship? They probably don't. Do you know what or who rules their hearts? My guess is, they don't. Do you know why they do what they do? They don't know this either. But do you?

We are given glimpses all the day long of what rules our children's hearts. Do you see it? Do you hear it? We are given opportunities from sun-up to sun-down to help them see themselves. To help them understand why they do what they do. To affirm them or to help them know how to change. Heart change. We have myriad of opportunities to encourage them or to rescue them from themselves.

Do you see your parent-role as an encourager? A rescuer? Or are those opportunities ones of irritation, annoyance, aggravation? Anger? Do you know why you react the way you do? Do you know who or what rules your own heart?

Most of us worship ourselves. Worship? Yes. Who do we want to please most of all? Who is at the center of our lives? What do we put the most effort into and why? If we respond in irritation, it's because we don't want to be bothered by whatever is going on. We respond in anger because we've dealt with this or that over and over again, and they keep at it. They keep at it because there hasn't been a heart change. And we respond in like kind... because there hasn't been a heart change in us either.

We can make a rules list for our home. Say please and thank you. Use indoor voices. Don't hang "Do Not Enter" signs on your bedroom door. Don't stare at your sister. No arguing. I said to my girls one day when they were growing up, "If you can't get along with each other, then just separate and go to your rooms!" All of a sudden, I actually heard what I had said. I was setting the stage for separation and divorce! I was not teaching them how to deal with disagreements. I was not reaching their hearts the way they needed me to do. I was simply laying down the law because I was aggravated that they were arguing. I'm so thankful that the Holy Spirit opened my ears to hear that day.

Rules don't make for heart change. Rules might keep things quieter when they know I'm listening. But that won't carry them into an honorable, satisfying marriage relationship. Helping them to understand that they're arguing because each of them wants what each of them wants, not what's in the best interest of the other person, is what will help them change. That's reaching into the heart.

That's the rescuing role of a parent. It takes time, though. And it takes their own willingness to take ownership of what's going on inside themselves. We cannot force the change, but we can offer the rescue. Offer the rescue, time and time again. Encourage and affirm, time and time again. What a wonderful privilege to work alongside the Holy Spirit as God calls our children to Himself! Implore Him for wisdom.... and patience.

Painting ~ Hush A Bye, George Goodwin Kilburne 1839-1924

Sunday Worship ~ Getting Our Awe Back

You could argue that every element of the gathered worship of God's people is intended to give people their awe back again. We need a moment to refocus on the grandeur of God's glory and grace. We need to see his awesome wisdom and power again. We need to dwell on his patience and faithfulness again. We need to be stunned by the perfection of his holiness and the righteousness of his judgment again. We need to be encouraged by the awesome truth of his constant presence again. We need to be reminded to rest in his amazing sovereignty again. And we need to be blown away by the reality that, by grace, he is all these things for us. He has unleashed his awesome glory on us! You see, awe doesn't just remind you of who God is; it redefines for you who you are as his creature and his blood-bought child.

Paul David Tripp in AWE

So Glad I Went

I almost gave in to laziness this morning. My Beloved has been down with the flu and wasn't going to church today, so the decision to go rested with me. I had set the alarm for 6:30, but when morning came, I reluctantly crawled out of bed at 7:00, needing to arrive by 9:00. It's a half hour drive to our church, it was a foggy morning, I hadn't slept well, and on and on my reasoning went.

I'm not a morning person, so I reminded myself that I never actually like to get up--no matter what the day holds. It always takes me about a half hour to shake that feeling loose. I knew I would be sorry if I slept in and failed to attend corporate worship with my church family. So sheer self-discipline strong-armed me out of bed.

And I am glad. I arrived on time for our Sunday School class, which I had prepared for during the week. It was good to hear the discussion on Jonah and be reminded of God's sovereignty and universal grace and mercy. The worship service that followed was uplifting and encouraging, and I believe was a sweet fragrance to Christ.

I believe also that the effort I had made to be there was interwoven into my personal worship. It was a sacrifice of praise to my Lord. God wants our obedience, and He wants us to gather together with fellow believers. I hope you were able to meet with your church family today. I hope you have a church family. It's important for the well-being of all of us.

Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching (Hebrews 10:23-25).

Painting ~ Asleep, Karl Holsoe 1863-1935

A Weekend Visit

Carl Sandburg's Home in Flat Rock, NC

We had a very pleasant visit with our daughter and son-in-law over the weekend, filled with Christmas spirit and wonderful hospitality. One of the highlights was a trip to Carl Sandburg's home in Flat Rock, NC. Although the furnishings and book collections had been removed for preservation work on the house, it was still an interesting visit. I can't recall having read any of Sandburg's works, (although I probably did as a class assignment somewhere in time), but I was totally impressed with the myriad of bookcases he and his wife had added in renovation throughout the house--for his collection of more than 15,000 books. My Beloved recently added bookcases to his office/study, so seeing Sandburg's home in that respect was an inspiration. I'd like to go back in a few years after the preservation work is done to see the actual books and the furnishings of the home. If you click on the picture, it will take you to more information.

Another highlight was the Sunday morning worship service at our daughter's church--totally magnificent! The orchestra, choir, and congregation filled the sanctuary with such heavenly music, that as I closed my eyes, I could imagine God in Heaven receiving it as a sweet, sweet sound in His ear. The pastor reminded us to keep our eyes on the Gift of Jesus, and not  merely on the wrappings and trappings of our cultural Christmas. Truly a blessed time of corporate worship.

Sunday Ponderings ~ God's Holiness

Been pondering this afternoon on a comment made in our Sunday School class. The topic was God's holiness and how it affects believers and unbelievers. Part of the discussion was how a biblical understanding of God's holiness affects how we approach Him. The comment was made by someone in the class that prayer enables us to understand that God is far greater than we are, holier, more powerful, and all-knowing. We come to Him acknowledging our dependence on Him. In her words, "It puts us in our place, and Him in His." Much food for thought.

It makes me think of the current casual approach to God, that it is more self-focused and feel-good religion rather than an expression of understanding the majesty and worship of the Holy God. I couldn't imagine approaching Queen Elizabeth in the same manner as some 'worshipers' approach God. The queen is merely human, deserving of much more respect than some give to God Himself. How much greater honor and respect is due to God, but God is often approached buddy-style.

God chooses what He receives as worship.

Where is the honor? Where is the respect?

"A son honors his father and a servant his master. Then if I am a father, where is my honor? And if I am a master, where is My respect?" ~ Malachi 1:6 

Painting ~ Afternoon-Yellow Room 1910,  Fredrick Carl Frieseke 1874-1939

Not the Dark Side

For my meditations this month, I've been reading all of 1 John at each sitting of my devotional time. As I read and re-read, I see that the book is rich in certainties of the faith. The Apostle John repeatedly uses the term know--we know, you know, this is how you know. He wants us to grasp the truth of Jesus' incarnation. He builds on that theological theme.

As I read, I  want to understand how to live my life in light of God's Word, how to think, how to change, how to worship Him in spirit and in truth. As I read verse 5 of chapter 1, my thoughts go to worship. "God is light, and in Him is no darkness at all." Whatever I offer Him in worship must be nothing on the dark side. There is no darkness in Him, and He does not and cannot receive darkness as worship. 

So I ask myself, what is darkness? It must be anything that God is not, because God is light. God is not sinful, He does no sin. He is holy. He wants us to be holy. He wants us to do no sin. This is why I'm confused as to how some congregations bring rock music into their church and offer it to God as worship. 

Rock music in the church is very troubling to my spirit. Some people tell me that it's just not my taste, but I believe that it's more than that. The 1812 Overture is not my taste, but it doesn't war against my spirit. So I've asked myself over and over, why does rock music disturb the spirit within me?

I did a little research to find out the origins of the genre. Briefly, here is what I found:

(from the http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=rock%20and%20roll)

rock and roll: A term used to describe the new emergence of rhythm and blues fusion type music in the 1950's. Often the music is referred to simply as rock in modern times. "Rock and rolling" originally was a term frequently used in predominantly black neighborhoods to mean "having sexual intercourse". The term was however first derived as a musical term by disk jockey Alan Freed. Alan Freed first played a collection of rhythm and blues albums in his show under the name "The Moondog Show". However, upon relocating to New York he changed the name to "The Rock and Roll Show". He had full knowledge of the term and it's racy implications, but probably found great satisfaction in the spread of the term among mainstream America with little knowledge of the term's true meaning. 

I think, probably, that America's mainstream churches have little knowledge of the term's true meaning, either. Rock music doesn't celebrate sex between husband and wife. It celebrates immorality. How can I offer music to God in worship that celebrates sin? He will not accept it. He desires that we abstain from sexual immorality. 

For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you abstain from sexual immorality; that each one of you know how to control his own body in holiness and honor, not in the passion of lust like the Gentiles who do not know God;  ~ 1 Thessalonians 4:3-5

God is light, and in Him there is no darkness, and so I cannot bring Him darkness as worship. I cannot worship Him with music that celebrates immorality.

And, so, I keep looking upward and homeward, to the day when I will not see through a glass dimly, but face to face I will see Him, the author and finisher of my faith.

And, you, dear one, keep looking upward as well. I do hope you know Him and anticipate His coming. 

Painting ~ The Missal, 1902 , John William Waterhouse 1849-1917

Dress Like You Mean It

Commenting today on something most will not understand. If you're not a follower of Jesus Christ, you just won't get it. I don't expect you to. This post isn't for you. But for those gals who desire to have everything you do bring glory to His name, I want to encourage you to dress like you mean it.

As followers of Jesus the Christ, the totality of our purpose is to make Him known, not ourselves. To magnify Him, not ourselves. To have people notice Him--not us, not our bodies. Especially, I repeat, especially when we're gathered together in corporate worship. Our motives, our mission in life affects what we wear when we come to worship. 

With our whole being, we come to worship. I know many of you know that. Many of you desire that and live that. For the more naive, I implore you to please let our men focus on worship. I want to be able to focus on worship as well. I do not want to see your cleavage. I do not want to see your rear end. I do not want to see your big belly, soon-to-be mama (even though I respect the new life within you). I do not want to see you poured into your clothes and see every hill and valley, or see your clothes barely hanging on you and hoping they don't fall off. I want to see your God. I want to see your Savior working in and through you.

I know what the prevailing style is. I also know why it's the prevailing style. I think you do, too. 

So, let's kick it up a notch. Dress like we mean it. Full throttle on mission. 

And keep looking upward.
~ Vickie 

Painting ~ Love Letters, Charles Trevor Garland 1855-1906

Sunday Ponderings ~ On Worship

Pondering today in Acts 14, where Paul and Barnabas were being worshiped by the crowd after Paul had healed the lame man. They were doing a great work, so the people thought Paul and Barnabas were gods who had come down in human form. But Paul admonishes them and appeals to them not to do such a thing, for they, Paul and Barnabas, were only human like anyone else.

Worship can be obvious, as it was here. The people brought sacrifices to offer to them. Worship can also be subtle, in that we begin to follow leaders, be they pastors, celebrities, or others that we think highly of. It's good to have leaders, but we need our focus to be on Christ and not the leader. We are all human and prone to weakness and failure. There is caution the other way around as well. Leaders need to be cautious not to draw people to themselves. There is danger here in self-worship. We all should be elevating Jesus.

So I ask myself these two questions:

(1) Do I more often comment on what Jesus and the Scriptures say, or do I more often comment on what my favorite person says?

(2)  When there is opportunity to lead, do I bask in the attention and accolades?

Painting ~ A Woman Seated Near A Door, Carl Vilhelm Holsoe 1863-1935
Wiki Commons public domain

Sunday Ponderings ~ On Worship

My ponderings today are on Romans 12:1-2.

"I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.  Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect."

All too often we hear worship in terms of music--praise and worship music. But that's not what God calls worship. Given to us through the Apostle Paul, God says that worship is presenting ourselves holy and acceptable to God. Worship is to be all that we do, all that we are. 

How do we worship God? We worship God by 

(1) not being conformed to the values and thoughts and purposes of the world around us, but rather,

(2) by being transformed by the renewal of our mind to discern the values and thoughts and purposes of God's will.

The word 'acceptable' is repeated in verses 1 and 2. That's worth noting. When we think of what we offer God as worship, do we consider whether or not it's worthy of His acceptance? Or is it that we just feel good about what we've done and say we've done it for God? He says that to be acceptable, our worship is to be holy and good and perfect, coming from a renewed mind that is able to discern what the will of God is. 

  

Transformation is key. The mind is where transformation takes place. God's Word is where we learn to discern what is good and acceptable and perfect--what the will of God is. God's will is that I glorify Him (1 Peter 4:11). His will is that I love Him with all my heart, all my soul, all my strength, and all my mind (Luke 10:27).

So I ask myself--Do I glorify God or myself? Is what I offer to God holy? Does it reflect His character or the world's?  Do I offer my everyday living to Him--those things that my body does and thinks and values and purposes? Do I love Him with all my heart, soul, strength, and mind?

Is it about God....or is it about me?

Manners and Courtesy in the Home

As My Beloved and I were leaving church on Sunday, we stopped to chat with a young couple and the conversation turned to men being chivalrous. This young man was commenting that chivalry has left our culture, and that it is to our shame. How encouraging it was to hear a young man lamenting that loss, yet how much more encouraging to see him carrying his young lady's bags and opening the car door for her. It's such a blessing to see our own sons-in-law doing to the same for our daughters.

I often comment to My Beloved how much I appreciate his gentlemanliness toward me, as he is always attentive to opening doors for me, helping me with my coat, assisting me into the car, and so many other thoughtful acts of love. Too often I see husbands who give no attention to these little acts of kindness, and thankfulness stirs within me for the heart of My Beloved. When kindness reciprocates kindness, gracious courtesy is set in motion.

I'd like to share the following piece from Grenville Kleiser's Inspiration and Ideals: Thoughts for Everyday, 1918.

"There is special need for gentle manners and courtesy in the home. The familiarity of family intercourse may unconsciously lead to laxity in kindliness, willingness, and considerateness. Habits of self-restraint, intelligent tact, and self-sacrifice are frequently needed where people of varied tastes and temperaments are in intimate daily contact. It is remarkable what one member of a household can do by means of right personal example. When you apply the qualities of sincerity, graciousness, courtesy, cheerfulness and affectionate regard toward those in your family circle, you have set in motion an influence which can not be adequately estimated. Love always wins, and it is still the greatest thing in the world."