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Worship Thoughts

Kissing, Bowing and Telling It Like It Is
Then the disciples in the boat worshiped Jesus. "Truly you are the Son of God!" they exclaimed. (Matthew 14:33, Good News Bible)

Worship. The principal Old Testament word for it (Shah ah) means to bow down or be prostrate. The principal New Testament word for it (proskune´o) literally means to "kiss toward" -- a tender and intimate notion that goes deeper than just the contemporary "experience" of worship all wrapped up in music and tied with a bow of calm and/or peaceful feelings derived from that music, or perhaps even the combination of music and lyrics.

Both words tell us that worship is something more than just feelings we get from songs and sermons. They tell us that worship is more of an attitude combined with the natural actions that play out from that attitude. Whether we bow down and acknowledge our submission to a holy God or if we kiss toward our loving Savior with affection and adoration, our worship is best seen to be true in the light of our responsive action.

Still, even in with all that being true, I think the disciples did a wonderful job of summing up the very basic nature of worship when in Matthew 14:33 they said, "Truly you are the Son of God!"

To me, this is where all worship begins and ends, with us simply acknowledging Christ as the Son of God, as God himself. I think that should be one of our driving forces, if not THE driving force, behind our approach to worship here as the Lakeland Community Church praise band, simply declaring to our congregation and our community that Christ is the Son of God. Then we set the stage for the responsiveness to follow, each following the dictates of his or her own heart and own relationship with that Christ. Some will bow. Some will kiss toward. Some will worship in quietness. And some will sing and dance. That's not our concern, though. We just have to make it known, like the disciples, that "Truly you are the Son of God!"

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We've sinned and   
kept at it so long!  
   Is there any hope for us?   
Can we be saved?   
We're all sin-infected,   
sin-contaminated.  
   Our best efforts are   
grease-stained rags.   
-- Isaiah 64:6,   
The Message  

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Going through the  
motions doesn't please you,  
      a flawless performance  
is nothing to you.  
   I learned God-worship  
      when my pride was shattered.  
   Heart-shattered lives ready  
for love don't for a   
moment escape God's notice.
-- Psalm 51:16-17,  
The Message   

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I can't wait to hear what  
he'll say. God's about to  
pronounce his people well,  
the holy people he loves  
so much, so they'll never  
again live like fools.  
-- Psalm 85:8,  
 The Message   

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Unless otherwise noted, this page and all contents are
©  Jeff Gordon, Sean Taylor, Shawn Loud, Lee Henson.
All photography is © Lee Henson, unless otherwise noted.
Cross on Guitar photo is © Sean Taylor.
Do not re-use without written permission.