Worship. *Dun-dun-dun...*

Yeah. I said it. Worship.

Now, before you get your knickers all in a knot, hear me out. Or read me out. Whatever. I'm not here to chew you out because you dance in the aisles. I'm also not here to chew you out because you've never raised your hands. (Although, if you're not raising your hand in school, then you may have a problem.) I'm here to say that no matter how you worship, I'm just glad you are worshipping.

Many people will give you a list of guidelines, (a.k.a. rules) that you HAVE to follow! If you don't you obviously aren't saved. And as they wave the threat of losing your salvation over your head, doesn't that just make you want to worship with all your heart? Yeah. Not as much. Alternately, if maybe there was someone who gave you a list of things to worship about. A guideline for new worshipers? Not a behavior book, but a list of awesome things to celebrate!

Because it all really comes down to who and why, not how. I'm sure I worship God in different ways than anyone reading this. But that doesn't make me any better or worse. And it doesn't make either of our ways to worship wrong. Society, and many church members, will never tell us this. But God does. David worshiped God so intensely that, well, you know the story. (2 Samuel 6:12-23) God didn't strike him with fire or anything. God did, however discipline his wife for basically saying that David was wrong to worship that way. This is something that I find reassuring when people around me aren't raising their hands, but I feel like doing so. I mean, it works the other way too. I'm probably not being super clear, but this is also helping me to think this out.

One last clarification. Worship is not emotionalism. Being emotional is often part of worship, but the two are not the same. I can cry a river over something religious, in church, or with other Christians, but that does not make my river worship. That makes my river over something religious, in church, or with other Christians. Feeling is fine but to some extent if that is the only facet of your worship, you are missing something. There is so much more to worship than emotion. There is a knowledge of who God is, His characteristics. His awesome characteristics that make Him who He is.

I worship an amazing God. I know that He loves me no matter what. That's why I worship Him.

Prayer

    Today as I was getting ready to post my week of photos, my computer goofed up. So I don't have all my pictures right now. Hopefully by tonight. Anyway, that's part of my challenge, but I have a different one for you.

The Boston Marathon was bombed today. As I'm posting this, I don't know much except for the fact that there were two explosions, and a controlled one. I've heard that 23 are injured and two killed, but that's not the final count. So, I sat there after receiving the news and prayed. I encourage you to do the same. And I challenge you to continue praying even after you've run out of words. To just sit there in silence. For, Romans 8:26 says, "Likewise the Spirit also helps our weakness: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought but the Spirit himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered."

Sunday morning our Pastor talked partially about just being still. We are so caught up in our lives, with technology, with work, with school, and with people. None of those things are bad, or evil, unless we use them as excuses to not just sit, and spend time with God. I've seen myself doing it more and more. Saying, oh, I have to go do this, this, and this, so I'll have to put off devotions, or praying right now. This world is hurting, and although sitting there and praying won't necessarily change the world, it will change you.

           Also, while you pray for people, please keep Ryan's family in your prayers - their blog.

Be sure not to get bogged down in the cares of this world. Fix your eyes on Jesus, the Author and Perfecter of our faith. Phil. 4:8 "Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things." No matter what happens or has happened. Jesus won.

Suffering in Silence

     Disclaimer: This post is not written by me or any of the muses, but by a guy, named Kenny, who goes to our church. I've had the privilege of seeing him come to Christ and watching his whole life change as a result. So I know that these aren't just words that he flippantly wrote, but something that he's been seriously struggling with. I pray that you struggle with some of these things while you read as well.

      A girl in the corner with scars on her wrists. A young man with a handgun contemplating whether to live or die because he things nobody cares about him. A mother who is struggling with guilt after an abortion. A father who has just lost his children to a gunman in a merciless murder.

     Suffering. It is part of the human experience, and we read of it and it breaks our heart... supposedly. But let me ask, does it really break your heart? Does it effect you enough to make you do something about it? - I would contest that most of the time that it does not. In fact, we almost do the exact opposite. We choose to walk away. It's almost disgustion to think about, but we do it all the time. I'm sick of it. I'm sick of being part of the problem and not the solution. It is our responsibility as believers to stand for what is correct. That means doing the right thing.

My Fair Lady

Musical!!

Friday night I saw My Fair Lady, the musical, for the first time in my entire life! Now I will have to see the Audrey Hepburn version. It was an amateur production, but almost all the leads were amazing! This is the first musical I have ever been to that I did not know some of the songs, so I was able to sit back and watch without critiquing originally. BUT......