Recognizing Worship

A Sabbath day break, the rest of Shabbat, is the perfect time to reflect on worship and the many forms I have seen it take this week.  Some of it took the form of simple acts and some more complex:

a child racing to hold the door for someone with full hands, picking up something and bringing it because you know it would be needed, as well as sharing a meal and time to enjoy the company of friends,  the guitars played and songs sung in worship today, (I could have listened for much longer), were another form of worship, celebrating the robins that are showing themselves with the approach of spring, and recognizing Him who created them and sent them, an encouraging word offered, a helping hand reached out, praising God over the beauty of the stars and sky and little green plants starting to awaken from their winter’s sleep… 

The list here is brief and yet could go on and on.  But regardless of the form it took, I wanted to take a moment to just recognize the importance of worship.  A facebook post earlier in the week was wondering about the state of the Church and why it seemed as if it was paralyzed.  I thought of David and how he worshipped with abandon.  In 2 Samuel 6: 16, David is said to be “leaping and dancing before the Lord.” 

So, why our shyness or reluctance now to so publicly praise as David did?  Perhaps for the same reason as David experienced then.  The rest of 2 Samuel 6:16 says that when David’s wife sees him worshipping, she “despised him in her heart.”  Why would Michal despise her husband for worshipping God?  Perhaps she was embarrassed.  This was certainly not the most dignified kingly moment David had demonstrated.  Perhaps she is comparing him to her father and how she thinks that dad would have reacted.  Regardless, she rebukes him.  David doesn’t back down, and if this was the wedge that hurt their marriage in a final sense or the sledge hammer, I don’t know.  But, it seems that damage was definitely done.  I’m not a huge fan of hurting relationships intentionally.  And yet, I must praise David for choosing God and worship regardless of the reaction from those around him. 

To take these two lines of thoughts and tie them up in a neat bow, I need to think about how I worship and if I am faltering in this due to the appearance of what might be embarrassing or inconvenient.  It’s a challenge that I will continue to think through and intentionally seek to worship the Lord this week.