You can't control Him

I am reading a book for school entitled, Shaped By God's Heart, written by Milfred Minatrea. It is turning out to be a book full of rich guidance for building a missional church rather than a mission-minded church; in other words, an action-oriented Christian community rather than a Christian community that says a lot but never acts. I am currently on a chapter about worship. It's really fresh to me because God has been doing a lot of deep stuff in my heart concerning my worship to Him; life-worship, and corporate/musical worship. Both are essential, and the latter's expression is birthed out of a life of worship. It's beautiful really. I love music, it's something that really moves me. For that reason, worship through the arts is such a gift from God for me.

In the chapter concerning worship the author states a simple truth, "He can be encountered, but not controlled." (page 66). I highly appreciate this truth. It challenged me to think about times of worship I am a part of, especially being in Bible College. I felt the Lord challenge me: "How are you trying to control times of worship?", "Are you fully focused on simply encountering me - even if it stretches beyond your comfort zone?"...and so forth. I have to say, in having many opportunities to participate in corporate worship, it truly saddens me when I see fellow Christians so unaware of the freedom that is available in worship, and I am guilty myself at time . We love to control, we love to stay in our zone of contentment. There is nothing more powerful than an encounter with God - we are in such a humbling position to enter the courts of God in praise and worship; there is such reality in a place of worship that is easily missed because we can be so spiritually inapt.  I have experienced worship where it's like I was lifted into a whole other realm. And I have observed that such an encounter with God always occurs when  there is an attitude of abandonment. I am not labeling what a God encounter should look like; they are always genuinely unique. But I am calling out the attitudes in which our hearts are often restricted when approaching worship together.   

God has been stirring my heart concerning these things. Bill Johnson has often said, "You will always reflect the world you are most aware of." I love that quote. It challenges me every day to check what I am most aware of; sports? T.V? Food? How I look? The list can be endless.I desire to be most aware of the Kingdom of God. I find when I authentically become most aware of God's Kingdom in my daily life, both my life-worship, and corporate worship are greatly enhanced.

I just want to put this out there: As God's children, being co-heirs with Christ, we must accept the incredible grace we have in communing with Him - especially when we gather corporately. Grace means that we receive what we do not deserve. For a follower of Christ, a dimension of that Grace is being in God's presence, and personally I am so done with treating this with nonchalance. God LOVES LOVES LOVES to encounter us in corporate worship, often times more than we care to passionately pursue Him in it.

Some may read this and think, "A little extreme, Nick", "oh he's just on some high", or "oh he's just being real left field in his opinion". Well, think what you may. But I know for myself, this is about experiencing my Father, because the power of worship can be experienced in any high or low season of life. I am tired of not engaging with Him. I no longer want to miss the opportunity of overflowing love. Because, for myself I can identify that my life-worship and corporate worship affect each other; your life-worship will determine the authenticity and freedom in corporate worship, and your corporate worship has the potential to further transform your life-worship.

I've said a lot here; I just had to get it out of my mind. So I hope something in it challenges you, or encourages you on some level.

Be blessed,

Nick B.