Messy Worship
By: Khalilah Shelton
This week is the third Sunday of church service via live stream. My husband and four children gathered around as we sang and watched our pastor teach from his home. We sang along with a YouTube video as the kids jumped around, sang loudly and even played air guitar while sliding across the floor. I'm usually tempted to hush them and to get them to "straighten up and sit down" but not today. This all would have looked like chaos to others, I'm sure, but to me it was worship, messy worship. Their hearts were focused on what they were doing and to whom their praise was directed. It was all quite loud and somehow involved jumping on the couch, but it was how they worshipped, how we worshipped.
When we look at worship in the Bible we see that God cares more about our hearts than our religious practices. When we look at the praise David offered unto the Lord in 2 Samuel 6:12-23 we see that his focus was on the Lord even though His actions were condemned by Saul's daughter, Michal.
"And David said to Michal, 'It was before the Lord, who chose me above your father and above all his house, to appoint me as prince over Israel, the people of the Lord —and I will celebrate before the Lord.'" (2 Samuel 6:21)
Michal saw David's praise as a disgrace but the Lord saw it as acceptable because his heart was postured toward God's glory!
The effects of COVID-19 have forced us to look at ourselves; at our worship. It has forced us to see who we really are when school is out, work is postponed and our traditional worship services are suspended. Is this faith ours? Is it personal? Sharon Hughes showed us how to biblically steward our time well in last week’s post Finding Faith in the Middle of COVID-19, but who am I when no one but God sees me? God is peeling back the curtain of our homes and not allowing us to hide behind the busyness of sports practices and PTA meetings. Perhaps He is showing us who we are when we are not called by our titles or wrapped up in our status. If we allow God to expose our hearts and help us to see who we really are, then there is much to be grateful for. We also have much to pray about. Is my life worshipful? Am I being poured out for His glory? The letter of Paul to the Colossians offers this,
“If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.” (Colossians 3:1-4)
Am I seeking the things that are above? Is my mind set on the things of Christ first? I imagine that the days to come hold many new adventures and new normals. Our expectations will have to change as our children are homeschooled, our offices become mobile and our worship services look different. But I ask, what am I worshipping? Am I worshipping my comfort, my distress, my goods, my health?
It seems as if the Christian community at large has not made much mention of the Lenten season and arguably the highest holy day of the Christian calendar, Easter Sunday. Our focus has shifted, but has our worship shifted with it? A few thoughts that have helped me seek Christ in worship is to remember to…
Worship in spirit and truth. Keep it simple and Christ-centered.
Worship often. Don't wait for Sunday to have a “worship experience.”
Worship even when it's messy. When your mind is racing, when the kids won't sit still, when the house is a mess and when you are waiting to see if the next check will come...WORSHIP!
Sister, remember that your life is hidden with Christ and it is no longer you who lives, but Christ who lives in you. Remember this truth as the death toll rises daily, as nurses and doctors are on the front lines, when your job status seems so uncertain and when the kids keep walking past the camera while you are recording a message for your small group. Christ is your life! In the midst of these changes let us not forget to worship, even if it's messy worship.
For more on the book of Colossians please check out The Urban Christian Woman podcast “Living Faithfully As An Urban Christian Woman”
