Campfires and mountaintop views!
October 4th, 2009
We had a BONFIRE tonight! It was awesome. We almost burned the forest down (not really). Christian also gave a short like 5 minute teaching on the majesty of nature. He made what I thought was a great analogy between the view from a mountaintop and worship. He pointed out that when we climb a mountain, we’re awed and inspired by the view because we never see it. A person who LIVES on that mountain, on the other hand, sees the view every day, and thus is desensitized to it. The same can happen with worship. Because we go to church once a week and worship, it can become a ritual thing, rather than a chance to give back a little to the one who made us and revel in how great he is. Instead of being a celebration of God’s greatness, it can become an ordeal to be endured each week.
So how do you view worship? Is it a special experience each time, or do you have to work at it? When is worship most meaningful for you? How can we make worship more of a special experience rather than a repetition of the same thing we’ve done each Sunday for years?
October 5th, 2009 at 2:28 pm
Let me just say the obvious…I was soooo hyper.
It kinda depends with me. The worshiping that we do on Sunday nights is always a special time for me since I do that only once a week and getting into a deep place with God is easy. At times, when I feel distant from God or just not completely happy, I have to work harder. But if you count Quiet/Face/God times as part of worship, then it’s a whole different story. I have to work SUPER hard not to be like the person who lives on the mountain. Sometimes I try to force myself into having regular Quiet Times, but it always ends up feeling mandatory and boring.
My suggestion to having a new experience every time is to pray and ask God make it special. And then be ready and open because sometimes God’s way of making something special isn’t always keeping it easy.
October 6th, 2009 at 7:24 am
I have to agree with Taliah.
Its hard to make quiet times not an everyday boring thing and to add new and exciting stuff in…
My suggestion, is also change whats going on around you when your having a quiet time. I have mine: during a bath, on the roof, in my room, a closet, outside, at the church, pretty much anywhere i can be alone…
October 6th, 2009 at 6:22 pm
I agree with Taliah…it takes a lot of work for me not to be the person who lives on the mountain. I usually have to try and think outside of the box when it comes to my quiet times to keep them from becoming ordinary. Whenever I get stuck I go outside and pray in nature or I go for a run and ask God to speak to me.