Work Dynamics
"Worthy O Master! Yes, our God!
Take the glory! the honour! the power!
You created it all;
It was created because you wanted it"
(Revelation 4v11 TM)
Have you heard believers' say after Sunday worship,
"that was a great time of worship" or
"that was a great time of worship" or
"I didn't get anything out of worship today"
Let's be clear worship is not limited to the section when we do singing, known as 'praise and worship'. Although some through their marketing would have you believed its all about the quality of the worship leader and group.
Culturally, music is incredibly important for it is a vehicle in which to express thoughts, emotions, hopes, dreams and fantasies of pleasure. However, the significant thing which time and time again interferes and affects Christians is the consumerism in our culture.
The Christian paradigm does not begin with 'I', or me and how I feel. It begins with what Martin Buber calls 'Thou' - God.
Christian worship begins with the amazing, magnificant, resplendent Lord of the Universe, the King of a billion gallexies! Wow, worship is toward God, not self.
Therefore, yeah, there will be times when the music in worship frustrates how you wish to pleasure God by singing and as Matt Redman reminds us 'getting back to the centre, it's all about you Jesus, all about you'.
One more radical thought. Worship is not just a Sunday thing. Worship as Paul said is 'offering our lives as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing (Romans 12)'.
Consequently, Martin Luther wrote:
'A dairy maid can milk cows to the glory of God'.
The lawyer can proceed to defend or prosecute to the glory of God, the driving instructor can assist learner drivers to the glory of God, the house manager can clean to the glory of God. The childminder certainly cares for children to the glory of God. The carpenter, pupil, retired and holidaymaker also live each day to the glory of God. So, each day is an opportunity whether in organised worship, or at leisure or at work to please God.
Watch out golf ball - I'm going whack you to the glory of God!!
Be a blessing to the Lord this week and always.
PRAYER
Lord show us that the whole of our lives is an offering of praise to you.
Help us this day and in the coming week to dedicate what we do
and perform it with an awareness of your presence.
Change the old paradigm of worship just for Sunday alone,
hat we like Mother Teresa see you in what we do, in her case seeing
Jesus in the dying beggar on the street and so tended him
as if it were you Lord Jesus.
In so doing, it changes us from grasping, striving, dominating - to serving,
partnering, being available and vulnerable, instead of controlling all the time.
This is the way of the Lord, teach us to walk in it Lord. Amen.
Rev.Terry Tennens
Work Dynamics
