Listen:
“O come, let us worship and bow down, let us kneel before the Lord, our Maker!” (Psalm 95:6 NRSV)
“But an hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth. For the Father is seeking such as his worshipers. God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and in truth.” John 4:23-24: (Centenary Translation by Helen B. Montgomery (1st woman to ever have her own translation published professionally, 1924)
Reflect:
Worship has always left a question mark in my mind. What does it really look like for me to worship? I grew up thinking that it meant singing in church, but as I reached adulthood and desired to walk deeper with God I realized it must encompass so much more. How do I incorporate worship into my rhythm of life?
I was attending a church service with my son and his family this past January. During the sharing of the bread and wine I was blessed with a glimpse of what I think was heavenly worship. I had this view of the saints walking together in unity towards the bread and wine, but instead of partaking of the elements all were in one accord looking up. It was a very quick glimpse of seeing God’s glory and the people standing in awe before Him. Since that brief encounter I now have a different perspective of sharing communion with God’s people. This is part of worship, acknowledging together the sacrifice and love that happened when Jesus died on the cross for us.
In John, Jesus is talking to the woman at the well and teaching her that worship is a matter of the heart. It’s WHO we worship, not where. We can be singing, sitting still before God, drawing water from a well, or walking along the road, and be in awe of our God, His power, might, compassion, mercy, grace and love.
A “Rhythm of Life” reminds me of a steady sound, like a drumbeat in the background. I do not need to be in a certain country, or city, or in my “normal routine” to worship my Lord. This steady drumbeat of worship is one I can take with me wherever I am. It is a mindset I desire, just as I thirst for God’s Word, and as I need to lift my hands and heart in supplication, I also must kneel before the Lord my Maker, reflect on who he is, his creation and his goodness.
Prayer of Response:
“To the Lord who heals the broken-hearted, and binds up their wounds. To the Lord who determines the number of stars and gives to all of them their names. Great is our Lord and abundant in power; His understanding is beyond measure. We bow before you. Amen!”
— Submitted by Stephanie Edsall
Stephanie and her husband Mike are blessed with three children and seven grandchildren. They have served with the Navigators for 40 years working on college campuses and in Bratislava, Slovakia. They currently reside near Boston, MA and travel between Boston, Europe and Australia. Stephanie has been on the Lifesprings team for about 10 years and currently serves on the Conflict Transformation team and the Prayer Team.
ROL = Rhythm of Life. Our reflections for 2020 are themed around framing and forming a personal Rhythm (Rule) of Life as a Lifesprings community.
Leave a Reply