Posted on 01/30/2007 3:08:19 PM PST by Quix
It seems fitting in my prayerful heart and spirit this day to offer this thread for our Biblical discussion and dialogue. Let us truly dialogue instead of throw Scripture-daggars at one another. Let us learn from one another TO THE GLORY OF GOD rather than beat one another about the head and shoulders with our biases.
I was going to start this thread with my own pontifications but now believed they would best be left for much later in the thread. I hope all with any sense at all about the topic will share liberally, thoughtfully and prayerfully.
I will express that I have a bias that worship is a key issue and intended BY GOD to be a key, high priority, earnest activity of all believers.
To get us off and running, I offer the following questions to help focus our discussion. I don't pretend that such questions are absolutely complete and comprehensively encompassing. If you have other fitting questions to the topic, please offer them to our congregation on this thread.
WHAT IS WORSHIP?
Please consider, prayerfully ponder how you each might contribute to such a thread from your own Scriptural, personal experiences.
WHAT IS WORSHIP?
How do we know we are involved in worship?
How do others observe us to be authentically involved in worship?
How does God detect that our worship is authentic, with heart passion after Him?
What factors, traits characterize worship?
What behaviors characterize worship?
What priority is worship to have in the life of the beliver?
What are the hazards of worship, if any?
What are the contaminants of worship, if any?
What is/are the purpose/purposes; goal/goals of worship?
What is the Biblical result(s) of worship?
What are the Biblical standards of worship?
What is the Biblical model of worship?
What is the Biblical priority of worship?
Is there an aroma of worship? If so, what is it; is it like?
Is there a spirit, attitude of worship? If so, what is it like?
Is there a false vs authentic worship? If so, how so? Is there a behavioral difference or is the difference deeper?
I woke up this morning thinking there was one other thing I should have mentioned in my post 39, namely:
Worship can be both passive and passionate. IMHO, most Christians will eventually arrive at the neverending passive worship like the Apostle John as he "works out his own salvation" in his walk with the Lord.
Those "mountain top" moments (to coin Chambers) of passionate worship may be provoked in us by a number of different triggers, i.e. it is a very personal thing.
For some it may be the sound of a choir or a single voice, a melody or a hymn - or even sounds in nature.
For others it may be colors or art - stained glass, paintings, movies, churches, cathedrals, sculptures - or the art of nature, a gentle surf, field of flowers, majesty of mountains.
For still others it may be holding a newborn child or the hand of an elderly person, the sight of a religious person - or the silent majesty of a coral reef or the playfulness of a kitten or puppy.
And so on...
For me it is a meditation - just thinking of a name or character of God lifts me into passionate worship every time. Some of my favorite "triggers":
Jesus is the brightness of the Father's glory, the express image of His Person, He upholds all things by the Word of His power (beginning of Hebrews 1:3)
I AM (Ex 3:14)
Living Word of God (Rev 19)
John's vision of God on His throne (Rev 4)
The new heaven and earth (Rev 21-22)
and lately, The Rock (Ex 32:1-4)
What a concept the aroma of worship!...
i.e. anointing oil.. (worship perfume).. olive oil plus aromatic herbs..
Even human "taste" is partly driven by aroma(odor)..
The nose and the tongue are connected to "taste"..
The anointing oil is a metaphor for the Spirit on several levels..
Worship then can be a tasting and smelling of the Spirit..
Wonder if each human spirit has an individual taste and smell to God?..
Dear Carbine, Thank you for Linking Here to Alamo-Girl's Testimony; What a Blessing! Thank you So Much, my Sisters in Christ!
It can be incredibly moving when done in the spirit as well as in the body.
I love that song. You are so right about what constitutes worship. We do all of that in our church and the worship is becoming a really special time for me. I love to sing and sing 'new songs' unto the Lord during that time.
PRAISE GOD FOR YOUR WONDERFUL RESEARCH AND EXAMPLES.
What a great list of Scriptures and word root meanings. I want to return to your post later . . . There is much, much food for growth there. Thanks enormously.
Beautiful, hosepipe. Thanks! Love, Mxxx
Quite right.
Though . . . sigh, I have no reliable triggers that work every time in those senses. I can at least still choose to direct my focus, have in mind and at least heart and spirit THE FOCUS of my life, deeds, thoughts, . . . hopefully more and more of my words . . . GOD WHO IS ALONE WORTHY.
During one of our worship songs, a slow one, one of our pastors and his wife went to the back of the church and danced with eachother. I had never seen that happen and it was so intimate and beautiful--like God wanting to dance with his children, with our heads on his shoulder. It was so moving.
Wonderful question . . . I assume the answer is yes because God is so intent and intense on an individual direct relationship with each of us. And taste and smell are such idiosyncratic senses . . . I suspect that
HE FITS EACH ONE OF US SO UNIQUELY AND PRECISELY that the only answer can be yes.
just my 2 cents.
Thanks for your great postS.
BTW,
As I have experienced it rarely and in slightly muted form and as I've read and heard about it . . .
the aroma of worship does not come when the group involved is out of unity of spirit; out of sorts between anyone--unclear in their relationships with anyone else; when the focus is askew from purely GOD ALONE WHO IS WORTHY; when there is any other attitude before God than humility, thankfulness, adoration.
And, such seems to never be a response to vending machine actions or conditions. It seems always to be a DADDY SURPRISE GIFT of the moment because He Loves those involved and wants an extra measure of HIS PRESENCE for them as a memento of the moments they are so fittingly and thoroughly focused on Him.
Here is a great song to praise and worship Almighty God with. When this is sung by a large group of belivers it resonates to the heavens and things happen:
Holy,Holy,Holy
by
Reginald Heber 1826
Holy, holy, holy! Lord God Almighty!
Early in the morning our song shall rise to Thee;
Holy, holy, holy, merciful and mighty!
God in three Persons, blessed Trinity!
Holy, holy, holy! All the saints adore Thee,
Casting down their golden crowns around the glassy sea;
Cherubim and seraphim falling down before Thee,
Who was, and is, and evermore shall be.
Holy, holy, holy! Though the darkness hide Thee,
Though the eye of sinful man Thy glory may not see;
Only Thou art holy; there is none beside Thee,
Perfect in pow’r, in love, and purity.
Holy, holy, holy! Lord God Almighty!
All Thy works shall praise Thy Name, in earth, and sky, and sea;
Holy, holy, holy; merciful and mighty!
God in three Persons, blessed Trinity!
AMEN! AMEN! AMEN!
Wellllllll, that was a trigger! Bringing tears to my eyes and a sense of closeness to God.
But, alas, He has had me on primarily a walk of faith in most respects for most of my years and certainly the last half dozen. I rarely have subjective FEELINGS of such things.
They come in blips and occasionally longer moments now and then--and not always when I think I most need them! LOL.
Somehow He is utterly faithful--but according to HIS plan for me and not my own--thankfully.
It blesses me enormously before HIm that someone like you can detect that He IS #1 in my life.
Thanks tons for that encouragement.
LUB
Perhaps it is because He knows I'd be inclined like Peter to built tabernacles and CAMP RIGHT THERE with that EXPERIENCE instead of getting up and getting on with the business of The Kingdom. I'd want to STAY IN DADDY'S LAP until Jesus returned! LOL.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.