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Worship Thoughts

Restoration and Worship
Restore us again, O God of our salvation,
   and put away your indignation toward us!
Will you be angry with us forever?
   Will you prolong your anger to all generations?
Will you not revive us again,
   that your people may rejoice in you? (Psalm 85:4-6, ESV)

Wow. When's the last time we sang something this powerful, this emotional, this desperate in a church worship service? I dare say we've never known this kind of sheer desperation for God to act on behalf of his people and that because of that, we have probably never seen this kind of longing in a worship song or hymn. Besides, that kind of display has no place in a formal, organized and tidy service, does it?

Bah. Yeah, you heard me. Bah.

To the Jewish people, God was real, very real, so real in fact that he was just the type of King they could complain to like we might complain to a local political leader or educational beuracrat when we don't like something going on in our children's schools.

Equally real was their sin and the depths and punishment they faced because of it. Experiencing political and geographical slavery served as a rather intense reminder or how serious God was in dealing with sin. In our post-Jesus'-death-and-ressurrection age, I think we may take that more lightly than serious. And the current sermon series will, I hope, cause us to reflect more on the effects sin can have on our ability to have a close relationship with God and thereby to really, honestly, truthfully worship him.
Maybe we need more of this attitude in us when we worship, the kind of desperation that would plead with God to restore and revive us, that we may rejoice in Him.

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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.