I love to get lost.
You know the rush you get when directions don’t work out, nothing looks familiar, and you’re behind schedule? Nothing like it in all the world.
The truth is, I hate it. Getting lost is one of my least favorite things. Why? Because I have a schedule. I have a reputation to maintain.
But if you want to worship God with all you are, you need to familiarize yourself with getting lost.
I was at a church leaders conference recently. Yes, I should have been worshiping God. What was I doing? Let me describe it like this:
- I could lead so much better than that guy.
- Crap, I sound like poop compared to him.
- My team isn’t this good.
- This worship is so fake.
- If only I could be discovered.
Rather than engaging, I was observing, critiquing, watching. Essentially, I was worshiping my pride – elevating myself and my opinions above others.
While the presence of a Holy God filled the room, I was too preoccupied to notice.
I realized something that night. My heart was on a slow drift away from God.
The Call To Criticize?
Too many of us are content with observing. We watch what others do and we critique it. Rather than diving headfirst into worship, we critique the room.
The only problem with being a critic is that it’s toxic. Not all critiquing is wrong, of course, but if that’s all you do, you slowly lose your tender heart before God.
And life is all about keeping a tender heart.
God hasn’t commissioned me to be on the church police squad. It’s not my job to make sure everyone is doing church right. I’m responsible for me. It’s my duty and my joy to get lost in worship.
The Difference Between Observing and Doing
You see, in all spheres of life there’s a difference between those who talk about something and those who do something.
A lot of people talk about football. A few people play football.
Some people talk about music. Others play music.
Some people talk about worship, teach worship, and listen to worship music. Others, get lost. They are lost in their pursuit of God. They’re not interested in being found, collected, professional. Jesus is worth their crazy passion.
What about you?
Question: Do you get lost in worship? What keeps you from doing so? You can leave a comment by clicking here.
Good stuff David. Definitely been there myself. Keep up the great work!
Thanks Jeff!
Thanks so much for championing this…simple love and pure devotion to Jesus. Since Kent Henry said that what’s most lacking in worship today (circa 1992) is simple devotion to Jesus, I’ve been drawn back to that as a staple of my life.
Here are three things echoing this (one even has lots of road pics!)
http://conta.cc/w4a1uV
http://adlibmusic247.blogspot.com/2009/07/weekly-fertilizer-simple-worshipper.html
http://adlibmusic247.blogspot.com/2011/04/when-was-last-time.html
Love Kent Henry! I did an interview with him here: http://www.robstill.com/kent-henry-interview-raising-up-next-generation-worshipers/
stepped on all my toes this morning.
I’m sorry, Ray. How can I make it up to you? 😉
“What keeps you from doing so?” Read your last blog post. If one did the opposite, it might keep some folks from doing so!
Look out, folks. He’s preaching now!
“Some people talk about worship, teach worship, and listen to worship music. Others, get lost.”
That noise you hear is me getting smacked in the face.
To be honest, it’s hard as a worship leader/pastor to keep worship from becoming a routine. Full time ministry is busy, and I’m constantly having to remind myself to spend more time worshiping and less time doing everything else 🙂
It’s convicting. Sometimes I’d rather go about the “business” of worship than actually worship.
Convicting, and that’s a good thing. After a while, or maybe just by the grace of the Holy Spirit, we can get over the need for comparison and one-up-manship. I love your diligence to keep it real David!
You as well, Rob. Keep keepin it real!
Super encouraging, David. I was leading at my YWAM base on Tuesday night and managed to get through two songs in 45 minutes.. it was definitely one of those nights where the Holy Spirit changed my plans!
I totally identify with the criticism bit. Growing up in Nashville gifted me with a certain standard when it comes to music and I often catch myself thinking those same thoughts. Just gotta be quick to catch the foxes and get my eyes back on Jesus! Things are better that way.
Cameron, sounds like it was an awesome worship time.
I’m trying to manage the times I critique. When I’m in church and it’s time to worship, I need to lay it aside. But when I’m listening to music, I can critique like crazy 🙂
David, I would agree that it can be easy to critique when we should be worshiping. Do you think that it is ever ok to just “observe” worship? I find myself doing this mostly when visiting other churches and looking for stuff they do different that might work at my church.
I think that can be OK at certain times, but my tendency is to do it ALL THE TIME. I watch and pick apart worship services 🙂 If there’s a way you can plan services to “watch” and the others to “lose yourself”, I think that’s best. Make sense?
For me, it isn’t who sings better but worse. I have been in a service where I am like, “this person cannot sing next to me, they should not be singing.” I have slowly found out this is a problem within me, not them at all. My heart was not right.
I love Psalm 150 as it relates to worship. It tells us where, why, with what, and who (everyone).
I also love Isaiah 29:13 where the Lord says, “These people come near to me with their mouth and honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. Their worship of me is based on merely human rules they have been taught.”
I think some hesitation for true worship is in we are caught up in selfishness and/or wondering what others will think instead of just worshipping.
“Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.” (Eph. 5:19-20)
Great Scriptures, Christian. Thanks for sharing those.
What a great idea! Critique recorded services and do your best to get lost in live ones you’re present in. Love that!
Heard this phrase for the first time today… “Get lost in Worship.”
Where does this come from?
What passage(s) in the Bible instructs us to get lost in worship?
Are there any instances in the Bible of Worshippers getting lost in worship? Specifically where that terminology is used?
Can you point me to it? Thanks