Worshippers

Last week, my lovely husband invited me to come speak to the youth group about worship. They just started a series on spiritual disciplines and decided to ask me to talk about the very thing I'm most passionate about. I spend every day talking in front of teenagers, so that wasn't a big deal to me at all. I was just so excited to talk about worship! Chad told me that a number of the kids who attend the youth group are uncomfortable during the worship time on Wednesday nights. They feel weird raising their hands, closing their eyes, etc. Because of these discomforts, they feel weird about worship (gasp!). I wanted to confront some of those fears and weird feelings and break down worship in a way that they could understand. Since I spoke to them, I've come to the realization that there are many adults who don't understand worship or what it's supposed to look like or what they're supposed to "get" out of it (which, it's actually something that we give, so...). So, these are my thoughts on the whole thing.

I think we are quick to jump to the conclusion that worship is only music. Music is one of the many ways that we worship. It's like the whole "every toad is a frog but not every frog is a toad" (or whatever that saying is) thing. Music speaks to me. Jesus speaks to me through music and through intimate times of worship. I think it's important to worship Him through music, but I think it's equally as important to worship Him with who we are.

My absolute favorite verse in the Bible regarding worship is John 4:24...you know, the one where it talks about worshiping Him in spirit and in truth. I have been on a kick with this verse for the last few months. I think the version of it from The Message is incredibly profound and articulates worship perfectly. It says:

"It's who you are and the way you live that count before God. Your worship must engage your spirit in the pursuit of truth. That's the kind of people the Father is out looking for: those who are simply and honestly themselves before him in their worship. God is sheer being itself- spirit. Those who worship Him must do it out of their very being, their spirits, their true selves, in adoration."

John 4:24 MSG

I just love that! "Your worship must engage your spirit in the pursuit of truth." After all, that's why we worship, right? Because we want to know Him more! We're seeking His truth. That old song that says "the more I seek You, the more I find You" is precisely what worship is all about. While we do get the warm fuzzies and sometimes want to jump around and sometimes can't help but kneel before the Lord during our musical worship times, there are other ways of worshipping that have ignited that fire within us. Some of you aren't there yet. And that's okay. There are ways to pursue God in our daily lives that will revolutionize your musical worship times and the hunger you have to know Him more. Confused? Let's break it down. 

Romans 12:1 says "give your bodies to God because of all He has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice- the kind He will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship Him."

Give our bodies? Umm...

This means to give your life. Every minute of every day...every thought, every breath, every action- give it to God as an offering. We worship Him by giving ourselves completely to Him. Not just by singing pretty songs on Sunday mornings. 

Demonstrating a life of worship & sacrifice has to be very intentional. Once you take the steps to worship Him in your daily life, the traditional "worship" on Sunday mornings will engage your spirit and will hook you almost immediately. Here's what a "life of worship" looks like:

-Communion. Remember His sacrifice.

-Prayer. Talk to Him! Keep Him at the center of all that you are. 

-Read the Bible. Hear His word. Get to know Him more. 

-Obey Him. Respond to others. Serve others. Serve Him. Love like you've never loved before.

So there you have it. Worship Him in all that you are, and you'll find yourself honestly seeking Him in spirit and in truth. Once you're intentional about this stuff, you'll have completely different feelings and a different fire when you walk through the doors on Sunday mornings and hear that four on the floor. Your heart will be changed, and musical declarations of worship with come from a new place within you. His word says that this is the kind of person He's looking for. And we should all want to be exactly who He's created us to be.

xo,

Angie

Wednesday Worship

As a worship leader, my heart is always hungry for new worship songs. I'm constantly checking out new worship bands and new albums on Spotify. Most of the time, I find songs that are very...please don't be offended...cheesy (I'm not naming names...). I could go on and on about Hillsong and how much I love everything that comes out of that place...I mean, "Oceans" has totally replaced "Hosanna" as my new jam. But- everyone knows Hillsong. In fact, our entire set list last weekend was penned by Joel Houston and his friends. I'm not complaining...they're my favorite! I just always want to find new stuff (see, I used that word a lot in this post for a reason...). Most Wednesdays, I'll offer a little bit of something new in worship that I'm discovering. Whether it be an entire record or just a simple song, I want to share it with you! I hope each one blesses you as much as it has blessed me.

I'm a part of a fantastic community of women who lead worship here in the Twin Cities. We love to share songs with each other and at our last meeting my sweet friend (and old roommate!) Anna shared a song called "He is All We Need" by Highlands Worship. I've pretty much had it on repeat for the last 3 weeks. In fact, the whole record is pretty great...definitely worth it for you to check out! It's on Spotify, so you've got nothing to lose! This entire song is incredible. It's got an empowering, encouraging message that reignites some fire for Jesus deep within you. Super inspirational. My absolute favorite part is the huge bridge. The lyrics are:

Jesus, Savior has come
We believe the savior has come
We know that,
Victory's been won
Because Jesus, the Savior has come

Simple, yet so beautiful. I could just sing it all day long! I've posted the video here so you can check it out if you're inclined. I hope you all enjoy it as much as I do! Please check out more of Highlands Worship's stuff here. I can never get enough of anointed worship!

xo,

Angie