An Appropriate Response

"True worship will entail a response that is thoughtful, costly and worthy... of our all-gracious God."

- Ralph Martin


On Wednesday morning as I got home from working a shift in Boston, and getting out at 8am instead of 7, I knew I had a long day ahead of me. I knew that there was so much to be done to prepare for our evening of worship training, rehearsals and projects. I knew I needed to finish 4 chord charts. I knew I needed to prepare rooms for our gathering of 60 or more, a vocal clinic, choir rehearsal, and 3-4 band rehearsals. I knew I needed to set up and run cables in the Worship Center and Music Room for sound. I knew I needed to pray. I knew I needed to connect with Byron about all the tech projects going on. I knew I needed to meet a friend for lunch who was struggling in his marriage. And I knew I had only 10 hrs to get it all done.

But I also knew that it had snowed, it was now raining and my dad, who just had hip replacement surgery, couldn't possibly snow blow his driveway.

Nothing in me wanted to go spend an hour in the freezing cold rain, snow blowing slush. Everything in me wanted to let my mom do it instead. Nothing in me was ready for the little worship lesson God was about to give me. Everything me was ready to go my own way.

So then comes the "Call to Worship" and the anthem in my head went something like this...

Baird, are you going to worship me today?
Jesus, I want to worship You today with all my heart, my soul and my strength
Baird, are you going to worship me today?
Jesus, I know that to love You is to keep Your commands.
Baird, are you going to worship me today?
Jesus, I know that Your commands are written on my heart
Baird, are you going to worship me today?
Jesus, You want me to honor my parents, don't You?
Baird, are you going to worship me today?
Jesus, can't I just spend some time in prayer instead?
Baird, are you going to worship me today?
Jesus, can't I worship You when I am putting those chord charts together?
Jesus, I'll even play them just for you after I am done.
Baird, are you going to worship me today?
Jesus, but I don't want to worship You with a shovel...

So after an hour...
As I walked home I chatted with God and I told Him that I was really glad I had taken the time to clear my dad's driveway. He reminded me that if I want to really worship Him it needs to be an everyday, all day, even in the little things type of worship. It won't always be a song or a service. Most of the time it is going to be in how I live. I thanked Him for reminding me.

We don't value obedience until after we are obedient. And sometimes we don't value worship in unexpected places.... like on a slush covered driveway in the freezing rain until after the work is done.

Jesus, thanks for being gracious to us.

Some suggestions to help you deepen your worship:

Book - The Worship of God by Ralph Martin
----------one of the first books Pastor Mike had me read as a new worship leader
CD - Beautiful News by Matt Redman
----------I really like the song "You Never Let Go"
Podcast - Baldworshipleader.com (iTunes) by Phil Ayres
----------This podcast focuses on the tech side of worship

The Space Between

"If we are going to worship in Spirit,
we must develop a spirit of worship."
- Michael Catt




I need to think in pictures sometimes. Especially when I am trying to understand complex ideas. And when I am trying to wrestle with truths about worship, pictures or models bring clarity when words can sometimes fall short for me.

This is why I find discussions about worship so difficult. The word worship is so far-reaching in meaning it can be elusive. When I say "worship" are you thinking about music, a Sunday service, a lifestyle, prayer, a private moment with Christ, obedience, caring for widows and orphans...? The list can be endless. So our discussions about worship can often seem like speaking different languages.

So here is how I picture worship services, private moments of worship and the worship lifestyle co-existing in one picture.

Take any solid object. You can touch it, it has mass, form, color, texture... it's real. And yet science tells us that it is mostly space. There is space between the molecules, space between the atoms within the molecules, even space between the subatomic particles. All that space adds up. So much so that I suppose that in an ideal situation, if all the space lined up perfectly, 2 objects could pass through each other without even touching... but it never happens. I think there is some beauty in that (now I am drifting)

What does this have to do with worship?

Well, suppose that the totality of what worship is could be represented by a solid object. Its real, you can touch it, feel it, see it, hold it. Each molecule representing another experience of worship, a service, a song, a devotional, a scripture verse... the list goes on and on. And yet, that object is still mostly space. And it is the space that makes it real. The molecules could not coexist without the space between.

I think we focus so much on the molecules of worship, we fail to see the object of worship. If we could give value to the space between, that day-in and day-out living in the presence of God reality, our worship would not just be a collection of molecules. It would take shape. And it wouldn't be so hard to talk about or describe. We wouldn't argue about musical styles or Bible translations. We would find worship moments throughout a Sunday Service. And we wouldn't need to wait for a Sunday morning to experience worship. We would encounter Christ in every moment of every day.

Some suggestions to deepen your worship:
1. Book - Exploring the Worship Spectrum
by Paul Engle & Paul Basden
2. Audio Tapes - Worship: As a Way of Life
by Louie Giglio
3. Podcast - The Worship Leader Podcast (iTunes)