The Other 167 Hours
We could make worship all about the music, the volume of the guitar, the skill of the vocalists.
We could turn it into a show of whose hands are raised, and whose are not.
We could get preoccupied with searching for a church
with the right worship style,
in the right kind of building,
with the right kind of pews (or folding chairs)
next to people dressed the right way.
And we could suddenly forget that worship is not about the music.
It’s not about the place we show up on Sunday mornings.
It’s not about who sits next to us.
It’s not even about church.
It’s about God.
But if I’m not careful, I could get so wrapped in that one hour every Sunday morning, that I might miss the God-worship being sung all around me, during the other 167 hours of the week.
***
In the Bible, people worshipped by “getting down.”
They didn’t wait for Sunday. They didn’t worry about what they wore. They didn’t concern themselves with expectations of religious elites.
They got down.
In the Book of Genesis: “They bowed low and they worshiped.” …
“They bowed in worship.” …
“At once, Moses fell to the ground and worshiped.”
So, I too will “get down,” here at Getting Down With Jesus and in my everyday life.
I will worship.
***
I’ll take an old Bible, and I’ll open it up to the Easter story in the spring, and the Christmas story in December, and I’ll keep it on the kitchen shelf all season long.
And I’ll turn up the music when I awake, and leave it on all day long, letting praises ring through speakers and voices and souls.
And then, in a stolen moment while the girls play, I’ll rest on my chair, and highlight a favorite passage and commit it to memory. And then I’ll post the passages in my office, and by my kitchen sink, and on the tablet of my heart, so I won’t forget the promises.
I’ll cover my home with reminders of the Object of my Worship. I’ll hang a cross on the closet door, and a print of the Walk to Emmaus in my bedroom, a signpost above my laundry room window …
And yes … I will worship Him on Sunday, too, in that hour when we gather together as the Body.
But how will I worship the other 167 hours of the week?
I won’t worry about what I’m wearing.
I won’t worry about who’s watching.
I won’t give a thought to whether I sing off key.
I won’t wait for Sunday.
I will worship Him now.
I will bow low.
For I’m getting down.
Me either! In fact, I think I am worshipping right now – sitting in the living room of my in-laws' lake home, watching two of our children sleep and reading "Getting Down With Jesus!" Life doesn't get a whole lot better!
I intend to "get down" on the beach today, and everywhere else I find myself. It's that song – "Here I am to worship, here I am to bow down, here I am to say that you're my God. You're altogether lovely, altogether worthy, altogether wonderful to me!
Me either! In fact, I think I am worshipping right now – sitting in the living room of my in-laws' lake home, watching two of our children sleep and reading "Getting Down With Jesus!" Life doesn't get a whole lot better!
I intend to "get down" on the beach today, and everywhere else I find myself. It's that song – "Here I am to worship, here I am to bow down, here I am to say that you're my God. You're altogether lovely, altogether worthy, altogether wonderful to me!
Amen!
Praise God! Thank you so much for sharing this post. It is my prayer today that many will read this and realize that worship is not only for Sunday mornings! There is so much more to being a Christian than going to church, yet so few truly understand that.
I will be "Getting Down" today!
Oh Jennifer, you inspire me!
I sing words about "we bow down" or something similar and want to drop to my face right in church. And when I hesitate to lift my hands in praise (I'm nearly the only one in my church's 800 seat auditorium who does) I think of the words, "empty hands held high–such small sacrifice" and hold them up even higher. And a number of years back, I went through my house and decided every piece of artwork either needed an accompanying verse (on little calligraphy cards stuck all over our walls) or it needed to go.
I just LOVE hearing about someone else GETTING DOWN with Jesus. You GO girl!
Love,
Anne
Hi Jennifer
I love it! Getting Down With Jesus,yes I get down to without worry or fear of what others say or think!!
Love ya Jennifer
Awesome! I agree with you! And, with your indulgence, might I add one more thing? It's not about the time on the clock, either! 🙂
Great post!
I love corporate worship, but I feel closest to God when I've worshiped in my everyday live throughout the week. Those little acts of worship add up to an overall attitude. Thanks for sharing!
Jennifer, I've just started following your blog. This particular post was a nudge from God for me in particular. You see, I've been writing this Bible study for women. . .and today, even though my husband cleared the house to give me space and time to write, I let the enemy steal that opportunity from me. I believed his lies about my writing and this task God has given me.
The title of the Bible study?
"True Worship = Your Sunday Best?"
Thank you for being His mouthpiece. And thanks for visiting my blog the other day. I'm so glad to meet you!
I love how you intentionally praise Him throughout your day.
I love the insgights that you share from Genesis about how they got down.
I love how you crafted this post.
I love Him, too.
Plan to do a little getting down with Him tonight.
Thanks!
Amen! I needed that first part especially today, Jennifer. Worshiping in a church that is still divided over styles of worship can make me lose sight of Him sometimes.
You inspire…
What precious and profound words. Thank you for this reminder of WHO is of importance.
Have a blessed day!
Stacy
How will I worship the other 167 hours in the week?
I will trust Him when my children leave the house.
I will look to Him when I am frustrated instead of the one I am frustrated with.
I will enjoy the life that He has given to me.
I will recognize the little things in my every day that make me smile and remember He is smiling with me.
I will let His love for me empower love in me towards others.
I will bow low!
For I am getting down!
This was so great Jennifer!
Amen!!!
Hugs!
Susan
It's so easy to make one hour of every week our "personal relationship with God." But I spend much more time than 1 hour with my wife, my bride. Christ spends 24/7 with His bride too–I just don't always notice.
God has been slowly tapping a nail home into this building of my life, through His own words to me, and through the steady and true taps of His people who cross paths with me. You, dear friend, just drove the nail home.
I've been discouraged about sunday worship service for some time. The comedian like comments of worship leaders that detract rather than lead me into worship, the interruptions to a worship "set" in order to fit in all elements of the "program"… the distractions, distractions, distractions…
But God has been speaking to me and telling me to lower my expectations of "that" part of Church. Really, what can we expect of such a large gathering of diverse people. I do believe we should be able to expect more, but at the same time, I recognize it's hard.
So His message to me has been to BE church. To make my desires a reality MYSELF. I miss the Lord's Table that is only offered every six weeks or more? Set up the Lord's table and share it in small group. I long for a less stodgy, more patient and reflective corporate prayer time that gets to the heart of real struggles in lives and our world? Pick up the phone, call a select few who have the same desire, and have a prayer meeting.
Heavens, I am so anti-institutional, and yet, here in this culture even I have come to expect that since we HAVE an institution, since we pay people to RUN this institution, they jolly well should be making things happen.
No! Who cares if they are paid, and what their job descriptions are. We are the church. I am the church. My worship and fellowship and ministry experience will be what *I* make it.
Amen.
Funny thing is that when I take ownership of my experience, the discouragement and deflation flees and I am left with feelings of hope and excitement about what God has in store.
You are a true sister in the faith and I KNOW that when I come here I am going to be exhorted, encouraged and refreshed. THANK YOU.