Adoration & Worship - Brother Mike Densmore
/Worship & Adoration
"O worship the King, all glorious above, O gratefully sing God's power & God's love." (oops, you caught me singing)…
I love the church, always have and pray, I always will. From the time I was a little boy, the church has been a happy place, a place for fellowship and singing, a place for searching and learning new things. I've been blessed to be a part of over twenty different churches over the years, ranging in membership from 14 to >6000. The interesting thing about all of them, all different and, yet, in some amazing way, they were all alike. All came together in worship & adoration of our Lord Jesus Christ. All found ways to "Lift their hearts to God."
From Shady Grove in Clay County, I still remember the all-day singings on-the-ground, the Gospel singings, and the Baptisms on Easter Sunday. I remember when the confirmands would walk to their baptisms singing only the verses of "On Jordan's Stormy Banks I Stand" and, after their baptisms, the whole church (all 20 of them) would explode with the chorus, "I am bound for the promised land, I am bound for the promised land. O, who will come and go with me? I am bound for the promised land."
Here, in Alex City, I can remember great cantatas, gospel groups, marvelous Vacation Bible Schools, drama presentations, and singing on the Russell "Good-Will Hour." We sang everything from classical to bluegrass and, through it all, we "Lifted our hearts to God" and entered into "communion" with God and warm fellowship with each other.
North & south of the Mason-Dixon, east & west of the Mississippi, I've witnessed the faithful as they "practiced the presence of God" and expressed their hope with joy and thanksgiving.
Today, I worship at ACFUMC, where we have three distinctly different styles of worship services, and almost everyone thinks their particular service is the best. The truth is that God is pleased with all true worship when people "come together, seek His face, humble themselves, pray, and lift their hearts to God." The shawl I am wearing was knit for me by one of our saints at ACFUMC, and I wear it during special times of prayer and, at times in my office, when I am seeking direction and clarity concerning an appropriate word for our worship services on Sundays.
We can all share experiences of worship in many ways, in different places, at different times. This Lenten season, I invite you to look for ways to experience an encounter with God. I assure you God is already looking for an encounter with you.
1st Peter 2:9 says that "We are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God so that we might declare the praises of God who called us out of the darkness into his wonderful light." I have not met many people who did not want to bask in the light of God's love, to remain faithful and true to God's call upon our lives, and to do good and seek that which is best for others. But, sometimes our lamps tend to run out of oil, our matches get wet, the darkness begins to creep in and, with it, the distractions of the world.
Well, do not be afraid. We are in good company. The Saints who have gone before us struggled with the same issues. How do we abide in the light of God's grace when grace is a gift of God and not something we can claim by merit? How can we "lift our hearts to God" and stand in the way of God's grace as God continually works to reclaim us, restore us, and renew us?
The answer is through "Adoration & Worship." Throughout the centuries, the church has turned to the scriptures, studied the teachings of Jesus, and adopted certain practices (or disciplines) through which we claim God's offer of grace and stand faithfully in the light of God's grace as we grow deeper in love with Him and with the people in the world. These practices form our approach to "Adoration & Worship" as we seek to give thanksgiving to God for the blessings of our lives and worship God in spirit and in truth. In our worship and devotional life, we are seeking an encounter with the Living Christ through the power of the Holy Spirit.
Adoration & worship are our means to those encounters.
Let's talk about these a little:
Adoration comes from a Greek word that means "a reverence and respect directed only to the Holy Trinity and The Eucharist." Adoration occurs in those times when we are, spiritually, at-one with the Holy Spirit in such an embrace that praise & thanksgiving are pulled forth from us into the very presence of God.
To worship has a double meaning. It means to "Bow Down in humility before the holiness of God" and, it also means to "Lift up our hearts to God" as we allow God to recreate our hearts in the fashion of God's own.
And so, the church gathers for worship, where everything is rooted in the scriptures, liturgy, and traditions of the Saints who have gone before us. We are truly, "one with Christ, one with each other, and one in service to God's world." We proclaim the Living Word of God in a relevant way with Biblical, historical, and theological integrity for the people of God. We hear as the message is proclaimed, and we discern God's Word for us today in a way that brings a sense of unity into the diverseness of the world. In our finest hour, we experience an encounter with the Risen Christ through the power of the Holy Spirit. Songs are sung; the Word is proclaimed; prayers are shared; offerings are made of our resources and our lives, and the sacraments of Baptism & Communion are celebrated, as God hosts us into God's sanctuaries of healing, hope, restoration, and new life.
We come into the fellowship of God's worship. We listen as the Holy Spirit opens to us the Word of truth. We sing the songs of praise & thanksgiving. We pray for God to heal our sick, guide our lives, and strengthen us in the land of our living. We hope that mercy and grace will bring peace to our world as we repent of our sins and claim the promises of God. We "Lift our hearts to God" as we take the bread, drink the cup, and allow our hearts to be renewed in the presence of the Holy.
God is calling you, and God is calling me into a life of "Adoration & Worship," into a life of intentionally "practicing the presence of God" that leads us out of the darkness and into the light of his grace. It is in worship we remember, "Christ has died, Christ is risen, & Christ will come again," and we rise with the assurance that where Christ is, we shall be one day. We rise from true worship to go forth into the world to share the love of God with all we meet, "seeking justice, loving mercy, and living humbly."… One day at a time.
The call of God upon our hearts is to "lift our hearts to God" in worship as we "love God with all our heart, mind, soul, and strength." And "love others as we love ourselves." O gracious God, teach us to worship in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Amen.
"Frail children of dust, and feeble as frail, in thee do we trust, nor find thee to fail; thy mercies how tender, how firm to the end, our Maker, Defender, Redeemer, and Friend…"
Worship is practicing the presence of God! Worship is loving God & loving you, Bro Mike
Note: In the message above, several phrases are in quotations. This is to acknowledge they are either from the scriptures or saints who have gone before us and are not original to me. MLD