Different Kind Of Worship
Tuesday
Oct 27, 2009
A simple act of worship.
Have you ever tried to make someone worship “your way?”
Raise your hand if you’re guilty like me.
Wow. That’s a lot of you.
I grew up going to concerts and heading straight for the mosh pit area. We’d jump and push each other around and sing and have a great time. To this day, I enjoy a song that just compels me to jump. I’m not much for raising my hands in the air. I’ll clap sometimes, but you’re far more likely to find me using my hands to drum on something (once a drummer always a drummer).
Really though, sometimes worship is an act of getting down and dirty with God. Fred McKinnon recalls a story…
I will never forget this time I was at a Hillsongs concert in Jacksonville, Florida. It was several years ago and I was with a group of friends … we were down on the 4th or 5th row. Darlene Zschech was leading that fun song, “You Have Turned My Mourning into Dancing” … you know, the one where everybody is standing, spinning around, hands in the air, dancing, carrying on in radical praise …
And I was sitting. Bent over, face in my hands, elbows propped on my knees … having an encounter with the God of the Universe. I forget exactly what we were talking about, but it was a more serious encounter where we were “having words”. In the midst of this time, I remember it was like God called a “sidebar” … we’re just having dialog back and forth, and then totally non-related to our conversation, He calls it out …
Isn’t that really what it’s all about? Worship is like a conversation with God. Sometimes we’re just hanging out, having fun. Other times we go through some serious stuff, even as the world goes crazy around us.
Next time you’re worshiping, go ahead and do what you’ve gotta do. I may forget everything I just typed, but that’s my problem. Don’t let people like me stop you from getting real.
What If… U2 Did Worship?
Monday
Oct 26, 2009
U2 just finished performing an epic concert at the Rose Bowl, which was also broadcast live on YouTube. Known for sonic excellence, U2 has been cranking out hit songs for nearly 30 years. Few bands can rival the fan following that they have, and Bono is renowned for his efforts to help third world nations.
Their current tour features a dream they’ve had for 2 decades, a 360° concert. I have several friends who journeyed to Chicago to watch them perform, and every one of them is still raving about it. An incredible amount of planning was put into this show, and has only recently become technologically possible.
U2 at the Rose Bowl (photo by Mark Krynsky)
Tonight’s show featured Bono leading the crowd in a portion of Amazing Grace. U2 has many songs featuring Christian themes, and in their early years, Bono and The Edge even took time away from the band because they were conflicted about rock and roll and God. Despite their familiarity with God though, they are still a secular rock group, and sometimes make choices reflecting that (includes pics of girls in bikinis).
But we all make mistakes, and U2 still plays amazing music. What if somebody was able to get through to the band, and help them get convicted, to understand all that God is, and start making worship music? What if U2 started playing to crowds approaching 6 digits, and leading them in the same music you sing Sunday mornings? What if Bono not only did all he does for third world nations, but did it in the name of God?
