What if you couldn't speak?

What would our worship look like if we couldn't speak? Would it be more genuine? Would we stop all together? Would we be more contemplative about the offerings we would give God? Would we feel like our offerings were less worthy?

I just re-read the discussion Jesus has with some people who are asking his opinion on the greatest commandment. Most of us know his response, "Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your mind and with all your strength...love your neighbor as yourself." Then Jesus basically says, everything hinges on these, there is nothing better you can do. These are the fuel for your life. One of the New Testament writers says, let us not simply love with our words but with our actions.

Most of the time I feel like my worship hinges on my words. Words are important, but they aren't everything. Our words, should be the result of our experience, our inter-action with God.

What is worship from an unchurched perspective?

So today I was asked, "If your only frame of reference for worship came from reading the Bible (you have never been in a church, never heard worship music on the radio)what would be your idea of worship?" It's a great question and I'm still pondering an answer.

I'm reading this book called, "Reaching Out Without Dumbing Down" by Marva Dawn. It's a great book to help you think more about worship, the purpose, a bit of history, etc. Anyway, one thing Marva says that has stuck with me is this, "True worship arises because God calls us. As an echo, our worship directed to God is a gift in response to his gifts. As C. Welton Gaddy details, 'Worship is a gift between lovers who keep on giving to each other.'"(p. 76)

Can we worship what we don't love? No. Our worship, the outflow of our life in response to who God has been, is, and will be, is the gauge of our love.