Here I Am To "Worship"

This weekend went by way too fast. But, what weekend doesn't do that around here? I managed to get nothing done. haha. I managed to recruit Sam, Ashley and MEredith to work out with me. But, SAm is currently sick with a 102 temperature that hasn't gone away for about four days now. So, on Friday me, Meredith and Ashley went to the YMCA and worked out for a while. Then we went and ate dinner at Taco Bell. haha. RIGHT. We decided to come back and watch Father of the Bride. Which, in my opinion is a classic. After that me and MEredith went over to Jackie's house and caught up on some LOST since it is coming back this thursday with all new episodes!!! YAY! Saturday was just me sitting around the house for the most part.

yesterday was really good. I have to preface all of this with the fact that I am frustrated with most baptist churches in America. I realize when I do this most people will jump to the conclusion that I am going off the deep end and I am going to decide to join another denomination. Can I go ahead and clear that up now? I'm not going to! I'm still a southern baptist. Even though most southern baptist churches make me want to throw up with the reputation they are giving christianity. I agree with their doctrinal statement and their beliefs. But, not with the way most of the carry out church or the way the preachers preach. However,I realize there is a lot of the Word being watered down in every denomination these days. Not just the southern baptist. I went to church in Toccoa for a LONG time. And, I went and visited practically every Southern Baptist church here. I finally settled down at one and got involved with the ministry there. I ended up teaching the five year olds choir. It was nice being so involved in a church. But, the preaching was lacking, BIG TIME! The last thing going on there about the time I left was they were doing a series on Myspace. THey were relating the Bible to myspace. That kind of sent me over the top and sent me out of Toccoa to find a church. I couldn't sit through one more sermon entitled "Googling God" for the sake of making people want to be entertained. Everything is about what is entertaining. What will draw people in. I got kind of sick of it.

Anyways...I do have somewhere I am going with this. I was really missing my church back home. Because I feel like it was never so cheesy like all of the ones down here. Jonathan was invited by a fellow student to attend Covenant Presbyterian Church in Buford. He went and kept telling me about it. I initially just visited because I was like,"What has he gotten himself into?" So, I went to check it out. And, for once I felt like I was really listening to he WORD being preached. Not just milk or trying to give people what is comfortable for them to hear. But, REAL meat. I was so excited. It made me want to go back. But, I have to be honest, I didn't really know what the Presbyterians believed. And, this semester the pastor invited us to sit in on a new member's class they teach there every sunday to just get an idea of what they believe. I am not a member there. But, i want to know what they beieve. So far I agree with most everything they have said and I really appreciate a church like this one. It is so refreshing. This past Sunday we talked about worship.

I was really convicted about what we have made worship out to be so often. I was really struggling with this subject lately anways because of Toccoa. I remember last semester they opened a prayer room on campus and a student got up there and said,"This room isn't just for praying. It is about worshipping God. If you want to worship God through painting or singing, go ahead. However you want to worship God is welcomed in that room". I think Meredith jokingly made a comment like,"If I want to go draw a hand turkey on the wall in the name of Jesus is that worship?" I agree!
I am not so sure it is. It was a question I was wrestling with for a while now: what does true worship look like? Because as christians we have made it to look however we want. It can mean a skit, a dance, a raise of the hands, etc. I know you can take all of this to extremes. But, it was nice to hear the pastor talk about how God gives us a standard for what worship is in the scripture. We can't just come up with whatever we want in life and call it worship. I realize we can do everything to the glory of God. And maybe drawing a hand turkey on the wall could be pleasing to God when done in the right attitude. But, is it worship? There is a difference I believe. When we are in the context of a church service, is there a specific way worship is to be played out? I believe so! And, I believe we a lot of times make everything about an emotional high. If we "feel" close to God then we worshipped. But, I don't think this is the right way to worship Christ. And, I feel christians make it about things that have nothing to do with worshipping God so often.

I guess it is just something I am thinking about lately. And, It was so refreshing to hear the pastor talk about how there are preachers out there who are preaching on sunday mornings for 10 minutes and that they aren't getting into the bible at all, but they are just sharing inspirtation by way of experiences from their own lives. This is not worship. We are slowly getting so far away from what it really is and was supposed to be. Pastor Strevel gave the example of the president. If we are invited to meet the president there are certain codes of conduct we are to adhere to. We can't just go up and approach the president however we decide to. We can't run up and give him a give or run up and jump on him. This will get us shot. Because he is the president we must wait for him to come to us and give the first gesture. If he sticks out his hand to shake your hand THEN you can shake it. It is all about rank. He is superior to us so, we must follow his rules. It is the same with God. Tehre is a system of hierarchy. We can't just approach him however we want. He gives us specific instructions. he did this with the Israelites. He did it all throughout the Bible. And, when people didn't follow through he usually killed them on the spot. We have lost every sense of God's holiness. And, we are called to worship Him how he says we are supposed to do it. We can't just run naked screaming his name in circles and call it worship.

Sorry...I am really just in deep thought about this lately. I thought it was a good subject yesterday. ANd everyone has stopped reading by now! Lol. Anyways...Saturday everyone in my trailer is headed to Ikea together! That will be a LOT of fun! I am looking forward to this week even though mjy classes are boring me to DEATH!!! Seriously!!! I hate my classes, guys! Lol. But, I will make it through with the help of working out and hanging out with friends!