“Worship is
not about music; worship is an expression of the heart. It’s an outward working
of an inward stance” Dennis Merry.
We parked on the M25 yesterday, a lorry had broken down and so like the clogging of an
over worked artery part of greater London was forced to grind to a halt as breakdown services were
called. As we approached the flashing signs and gradually slowed to a standstill
Elton John’s ‘Our Song’ came on the radio. The words describe how a lover would
use their talents to show their love and this got me thinking about my own expression
of love to my first love – Jesus. Traffic
Jams are a great place to think deep thoughts, to reflect on life where you've been, what you’re doing and where you’re going. I was thinking about the
different ways us humans show love and how that out works on a personal level. I
wonder about that inner stance of my heart; I wonder because when all is said
and done it is this inner stance that will delight or grieve the Spirit.
I concluded
that real expressions of love cost. It costs because human beings are messy.
Relationships are complex and there’s a process, a journey in the working it
all out (ness) of it all. Something beautiful
is produced through the desire to connect deeply and cherish another person. We
are often so wrapped up in ourselves we fail to recognise the sacrifice of love or worse we gloss
over or belittle the cost another pays. If you've ever loved you’ll know the cost.. the searing vulnerability, the risk
taken to offer love in the hope it will be returned. Great masterpieces, entrancing poetry, captivating sculptures or
magnificent buildings take huge effort and resources willingly given. Freely given - energy,
money and time just to offer an insight, a hope an expression of love from the
depth of one soul to another and all without guarantee of love in return.
In psalm 42:7-8 ‘Deep calls to deep in the roar of your waterfalls; all your waves and breakers have swept over me. By day the Lord directs His love at night His song is with me I lift up a prayer to the God of my life’.
So how do we
worship? – Beloved we do whatever it takes. We overlook our frustrations, our misunderstanding,
our self-focus or our impatience with God. We press through all our junk because
we love. Helpless in gratitude because He first loved us. We chose to love
other’s because He first loved us.
Jesus this is my blog... and this one's for you.
Love Ruth x
Love this, Ruth - it's good to be reminded that real worship comes from the heart. It's far too easy to get caught up in debates about external expressions of worship, and forget who it's all for. Thanks, Fiona
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