The Heart of Worship

Something really amazing happens when our Leadership Council gets together. We always start our meeting with a prayer time, but even after we say “Amen”, the prayer just keeps going. We are talking amongst one another, but because Holy Spirit is there with us, our conversation is a continual, cooperate prayer as we bring attention to issues and needs and discuss them together. What may seem to an outsider as a brainstorming session, is actually all of us being present in heart, mind and body; we are becoming united as we recognize the Kingdom and collectively align ourselves to His movement. Through diverse ideas and discussion, something emerges that all of us feel drawn to. It’s Jesus.

Last time we were together we talked/prayed about bringing the act of giving back into the wholistic participation of a “Worship Service” for our church family. Giving is an opportunity to respond in the same way we pause in a service to confess, forgive, listen and receive, sing, and pray together. Think of Still Life and the directive to interact with the Word as your heart is inspired, through various avenues (write, create, move).

Drew’s message this week was a beautiful expression of that truth. The sons’ inheritance was not a pile of money as we often think of today, but a life built with a family. When either son attempted to divide life from relationship, it began to crumble. The Father runs to us (Luke 15:20) and pleads with us (Luke 15:28) to remain fully connected in all parts of this relationship.

As a prayer team, please join us in asking God to unify giving with relationship, individually and as a family. We confess the separation that has happened, keeping giving isolated from other forms of worship, and we can see God running to us, pleading for our whole selves to be connected to Him in relationship. We are praying for the expression and response of our hearts to echo the words of the Father in saying, “You are always with me, and everything I have is yours.” (Luke 15:31)

Often as I pray over things, God reminds me of a song from my youth group days, and I have this picture of myself with complete abandon belting out song lyrics with a child like freedom. After our last council meeting, this song came to my mind and I have let it become the worship and prayer of my heart every time I find the tune in my head…

When the music fades, all is stripped away, and I simply come.
Longing just to bring, something that’s of worth, that would bless your heart.
I’ll bring you more than a song, for a song in itself, is not what you have required.
You search much deeper within, through the way things appear, You’re looking into my heart.

I’m coming back to the heart of worship, and it’s all about you, it’s all about you, Jesus.
I’m sorry, Lord, for the thing I’ve made it, when it’s all about you, it’s all about you, Jesus.

King of endless worth, no one could express, how much You deserve.
Though I’m weak and poor, all I have is yours, every single breath.
I’ll bring you more than a song, for a song in itself, is not what you have required.
You search much deeper within, through the way things appear, You’re looking into my heart.

Heart of Worship, Matt Redman

As a family, we long to bring ‘every single breath’ into our heart of worship, inhaling His presence and exhaling the expression of His Kingdom in prayer, song, action, generosity, and relationship…all with the wild freedom of knowing he is looking into our hearts. Thank you for praying with us!

Sommer