McClain Family Blog: I'm coming back to the heart of worship

1 Corinthians 3:4-9

"For when one says, "I follow Paul," and another, "I follow Apollos," are you not mere men?

What, after all, is Apollos? And what is Paul? Only servants, through whom you came to believe—as the Lord has assigned to each his task. I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God made it grow. So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow. The man who plants and the man who waters have one purpose, and each will be rewarded according to his own labor. For we are God's fellow workers; you are God's field, God's building."

1 Corinthians 3:4-9

Sunday, August 30, 2009

I'm coming back to the heart of worship

What is the heart of worship?

Is it our desire to feel good after we've sat through 2 hours of "church?"

Is it singing 3-5 songs?"

Is it being in the building called the "church" with other people who call themselves "Christians?"

Well, for some time God has been teaching me what it means to worship Him...I'm still learning...but I have learned that it is none of the above.

I've learned that my deepest, most intimate and most intense moments of worshiping my Great King have come at the moments where I have come before Him, barren, broken and completely dependent on Him. Not waiting for what I'll get from the next few moments, but arriving before my God as a living sacrifice, seeking to praise Him, honor Him and glorify Him. Making it ALL about HIM.

One of the areas where I struggle most as a servant of the Most High God in a country that is not my own, is giving all of myself in this way and truly worshiping my King in the corporate worship setting. We've not hidden this fact throughout the two years of service here. It is not something that has not come easy for any member of our family, to worship corporately in Spanish. I've prayed countless times for the day to come when the praise flows easily with ease and without thinking from my lips in Spanish, but I'll admit it has been rare to fell the free-ness the same way I feel when worshiping in English. Church on Sunday mornings has often felt like part of our "job" rather than an opportunity to corporately worship with our brothers and sisters in Christ. I do, however, believe and trust God that the day will come when the language will no longer be a barrier.

One of the the greatest joys of our time in the states was worshiping corporately in our heart language with three different churches. I also had the opportunity to be part of a woman's Bible Study while I was back and it was a great encouragement to me.

This Sunday, we chose to go against the grain, if you will and we stayed home from the normal church service to worship God together uninterrupted as a family. It was one of the best mornings services we've ever experienced, quite honestly. (No offense ,Pastor Tom ;] ) The discussion we had after with all three of our children was beyond compare- absolutely priceless.

So, this morning, I ask you to get back to the heart of worship- find your God, enter into quite solace with Him, offer yourself to Him, die to yourself and live for Him.

Pray for us as we seek to do the same. Pray for us as we go to whatever lengths necessary to maintain the spiritual health of out family while serving our King in Costa Rica.