Worship is Weird--Good Weird: Three Elements of Worship and Its Blessings

As I get older, I have moments when I begin to realize that it's time to grow. Does anyone else have these moments? It's like a switch in my heart and my head that lights up and says "Ally, I think you need to mature here". I think that everyone has this little voice, but perhaps not everyone allows the volume of this voice to be turned up loud enough to hear. I get it, this voice can be a pain in the butt--a real annoyance when you don't particularly feel like you want to listen to it. That's because growing and making changes is hard. 

There are many areas that everyone may have a hard time allowing themselves to grow in, however, in this particular post I want to address growth in the area of worship. I'm addressing this because lately, this is the growth switch that has lit up in me. 

For the past 3 or so years, I have been a part of my church's worship team. I have gotten up on a stage and allowed myself to sing "Jesus" music in front of family, friends, and strangers. This is a feat in itself--letting other people know that I love Jesus enough to sing about Him in front of everyone. It's a bit like public speaking...but after three years I have begun to think, or rather hear the little voice, and it's been saying "there's more". 

I go to an Assemblies of God church--I have my whole life and I still get weirded out when people start raising their hands in the air. It scares me and it even embarrasses me sometimes. Lately, however, I've begun to realize that I'm upset with my discomfort. I want this abandon that people have when they worship--there has to be a reason why people do this---a special place they go when they close their eyes and raise their hands. 

I believe that this voice in my heart and head telling me to grow is God. And as I have listened to His reason on why I should grow in worship, this is what I've learned. 

Worship Is This: 

Worship is OBEDIENCE

Worship is DESIRE

Worship is TRUST

Worship Is Scary:

To obey is to give power

To desire is to crave connection

To trust is to believe you won’t be let down 

How Do We Get Over Our Fears?:

Think of Peter when he met Jesus on the water. Peter desired to be with Jesus, so without a thought, he ran out onto the water--he trusted that Jesus wouldn't let him sink. And by keeping his head up and his eyes only on Jesus he was able to receive Jesus's power to walk beside him in a place that is normally humanly impossible. In order for us to receive Jesus's power and make a connection with Him like Peter did, we must desire God in the same way. We must trust that God won’t let us sink. We must obey God by keeping our eyes on Him and not our own feet. 

That’s Why Worship Looks Like This:

Abandonment of self...reaching out for God...Hands raised. Closed eyes...God is more than what we physically see. And allowing ourselves to physically open ourselves up to receive the Holy Spirit, because it is through Him that we connect with Jesus and feel His love and His power.

Yes, worship is scary, but it is worth forcing yourself to grow in. Worship is a rich encounter and deepening of your relationship with God.

Worship isn’t about anyone around you. It’s about your connection with God.

Peter's Story can be found here: 

Matthew 14:22-34

To All the Boys I’ve “Loved” Before: I’ve Found Prince Charming—Farewell!

To All the Boys I’ve “Loved” Before: I Found Prince Charming—Farewell!

As my wedding approaches, I swear to you that just like Ebenezer Scrooge, I’ve been visited in my dreams from Ghosts of my past—but Ghosts of boyfriends past. And to be clear, I doubt these dreams are here to encourage repentance, rather they seem to just make me smile more when I wake up and realize how grateful I am for my soon to be husband. Yes, the dreams might draw a smile out of me, a laugh—maybe a sigh...but because of all of this I think it’s finally time to say goodbye.

So, to all you boys I’ve “loved” before, I want to write you a farewell message; because I simply don’t have room for you in my heart anymore...

To boyfriend number one, thank you for being the first boy I held hands with. Thank you for dumping me(over text) for a chance to get back with your first girlfriend. You taught me that I’m worth choosing first. 

To boyfriend number two (whom I told I considered to be my first boyfriend), thank you for being my first kiss. Thanks for telling me how special you thought I was, even though I know better now. Thank you for dumping me without warning, right after school in the middle of a crowded hallway. That kind of humiliation/devastation never leaves a person's memory. You taught me that saying goodbye to someone you care about should never be easy. 

And finally, to boyfriend number three, whom I thought was “the one”, thanks for everything else. Ultimately, thanks for being the one that forced me to decide what was important—what was nonnegotiable in love. You taught me that love is give and take—not one-sided.

Goodbye to you all, I truly wish you the best. Thanks for everything and for helping mold me in order to prepare me for whom I’d belong to best. 

And to the Man I love now, to the only one for whom there is space in my heart—thank you for giving me a love that is true, and thank you for wanting to give it only to me for forever ❤️ You’re a blessing and a gift from God and I will forever treasure you. 

Song of Solomon 3:4 

I have found the one whom my soul loves