Worship class is over. It has been a pretty long week. The class was good, not great. The best part was the discussions in class. There was also an interesting guest speaker, who has a great website with free media for worship powerpoint and video presentations, www.writeclik.com. Since class is now over, I am going to try to make my posts about personal worship experiences from that day. Feel free to comment if you have any compelling worship experiences you would like to share.

Me and my wife 

Bad worship services...Is there such a thing?

It sounds sinful to say yes, but if honest, I think most people would say that they experienced a few bad worship service in their life.

A worship leader is given a certain amount of responsibility and has an obligation to come prepared to lead. I have sat in services, where the drummer wasn't on beat with the guitar player, who wasn't on beat with the vocalists and the result was a very distracting ordeal that made worship to God very difficult. There is a certain amount of excellence that should be given to leading worship. And in the above case, the excellence was not there. I guess the point I'm trying to make is that God calls certain people to certain positions in the church. Those who have been given the God given gifts, should use them to the glory of God and the edification of the saints.

As mentioned the leader has an obligation to lead well. At the same time, those worshiping have an obligation to do so unto God. I have also been in worship services where I, myself, was the biggest hindrance to worshiping God.

I went to an ecumenical healing service last night and had a different, but enjoyable experience. An older saint (in his 80s) gave a short sermon. What impressed me most, was the experience and wisdom that came from his lips. He spoke as one who had walked with the Lord for many years. His faith was genuine and powerful. We knelt during prayers, most of which were liturgical. There was some difficulty praying this way, but there was also some rich insights and prayers that came out of this time.

I was struck by the great number of people that were specifically lifted up in prayer. At first, it made me sad that there were so many people aching in pain. But at the same time, I was comforted and thankful that these people were being lifted up. We celebrated communion. The table was not fenced, which upset me slightly, but it was administered in my favorite way, by actually drinking real wine from the cup. Upon drinking, the wine heats up the chest creating greater awareness of the sacrifice, which Christ made at the cross. Immediately after communion, the priest anointed my forehead with oil (someone said it was rosemary). What a beautiful smell, very comforting. The whole car ride back home, I continually caught whiffs of the sweet fragrance. Overall, the experience was great. I would like to take my wife with me some week and see what she thinks.

This is my entrance into the world of blogging. It was motivated by an assignment for a worship class at seminary. My goal for the next 30 days is to keep a log about worship topics such as personal devotion, corporate worship, and a definition of worship. And who knows, after I finish the class, I may continue to publish thoughts and updates concerning the whole of my life. To anyone who reads this, whether it be friend, family, or an anonymous user, feel free to comment.

With the upfront details out of the way, I will now embark with my first post. During the first few hours of class, I was asked to form a definition of worship. I came up with the following,

"The deepest form of expression a creature can make to the Triune God. This expression, which demonstrates the creature’s utmost love and devotion, can take on a variety of forms including, but not limited to prayer, song, meditation, action, evangelism, reading of Scripture, and sacrifice."

Upon completion of the worship course, I plan on posting any changes my definition might undergo.