Worship

I went to a new church today with some friends from work. It is called Imago Dei and meets in a high school in Northeast Portland.

It reminded me of my church back in Prosser - PCC - because of the worship and the way the pastor delivered his sermon. His sermon really struck me this week and made me think about why I do some of the things I do. What is the motivation of my heart?

The sermon was based off of Genesis 2:7 - "the Lord God formed the man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being." I won't try to explain the entire sermon to you because I would get it wrong and you would be reading all day but one of the major points was that God has breathed life into each one of us. If he did not do that, we would all be lifeless and not able to do anything.

He went on to expound on that fact and explain that everything we do should be for the glory of God because he gave us our breath. To often I, and probably many people, think that how we worship God is by going to a church service, singing some songs, listening to a sermon and then repeating it the next week. But worship can be so much more - it should be resonating throughout all of the parts of our lives.

The other point that really hit me was the fact that worship is a response to what God has done. I have known this in the back of my mind, in my head really, but for the past few months have not felt it in my heart. I was doing "religious" things - praying, reading my Bible, going to church to try and draw closer to God, to try and feel like He was closer and to try and make Him come closer to me. But really, He is close all of the time and it is me that draws away when I start to think that I have to DO things to get to Him and to please Him. I have been saved by grace, not works, and I should do these things out of a desire to know God better and develop intimacy with Him.

All in all, it was a good reminder for my heart and a chance to once again come face to face with God's love, mercy, grace, and acceptance.