Here is another thought to help us spend some time in reflection.
Author Marva Dawn has had her fair share of physical maladies in life…Limited exposure to light, and other physical handicaps.
She writes the following in an article on Worship to Form A Missional Community.
“One of the problems arising from many congregations’ emphasis on emotions is that it leaves out those who are at the moment struggling with the opposite feelings or encountering experiences that call those emotions into question. For example, if you tell me that I should get all excited about Jesus when I am battling with anger at God because of a new physical malady (my handicaps already seem legion!), your invitation will only make me more depressed. If, on the other hand, you show me some objective truth about God that can produce in me the hope for his presence in the midst of the new tribulation, then I might be able to move away from anger and into a more positive response.”
[REALLY LISTEN TO HER NEXT THOUGHT]
“That is why the content of our worship music and preaching must proclaim primarily the splendor of God, rather than our feelings about him. (I am not excluding feelings; they simply are not as important as the One whose splendor stirs them.)”
Do you have any thoughts about this article? I am going to try, key word being “try,” to do more things like this to help us think in a missional way about worship. Please take some time and spend it daily reflecting on worship and the mission of God…
1.15.2006
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About Me
- D.J. Bulls
- Arlington, Texas, United States
1 comment:
Gil,
And opinions are like feet...everone has them and most of them stink!
I couldn't agree with you more! We need to move from me-focus to HE-focused! Something that is largely absent in our worship in the first place is a Christocentric focus! May we overcome our selfishness to see what we can "get out of worship" and see what we can "give in" to the glory of the one whom we worship and adore!
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