The keys of the piano are gently played, the
guitar begins to twang, the worship ‘leader’ speaks… ‘now is the time to
worship’. So often we have been blessed
in gathered worship. In fact, many of
the key moments of coming face to face with God has come during gathered
worship. I could tell you stories of how
I wept in the Spirit, whilst holding a 6-inch nail at Spring Harvest, or the
time I collapsed in the Spirit at Soul Survivor – I could even tell you about
the time I danced like a lunatic filled with the Spirit at a traditional church
gathering. So often we have been blessed
by gathered worship. Its not a
surprise. The leader has prayed about
this hour on Sunday all week, hours spent sweating over a 20-minute talk. The worship band have prayed and
practiced. Prayer meetings before the
service. Even the punters have come
prepared for this is the moment we bring all our worship to God. I have even been invited to preach with the
words, ‘we have now had our worship – Ben’s going to speak to us now’! Gathered worship is great! But…
If that hour a week is all we give in worship
something big has gone wrong. I can hear
Amos now declaring the word of the Lord, ‘I hate, I despise your religious
festivals; your assemblies are a stench to me.
Even though you bring me burnt offerings and grain offerings, I will not
accept them. Though you bring choice
offerings, I will have no regard for them.
Away with the noise of your songs!
I will not listen to the music of your harps. But let justice roll on like a river,
righteousness like a never-falling stream.’
Worship is looking at God face to face – and
when we do, like Moses we shine – like Jesus on the mountain we are transfigured
– looking like the best version of ourselves.
But if we are only doing this for an hour a week, our worship is
ignored. So, Paul encourages us to look
to God in our everyday life. He writes
to the church in Rome:
‘So,
here’s what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary
life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it
before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing
you can do for him. Don’t become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit
into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You’ll be
changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what he wants from you, and
quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down
to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops
well-formed maturity in you.’
Every moment of every day we can look to God
face to face and we can be metamorphosised into his likeness. By choosing to wake up and pray, rather than
fill ourselves with the anxiety of the news or social media – we look to
God. In the shops, what we buy – and
whether we queue for human relationship or slip out quickly with the computerised
till – we can look to God. When watching
latest TV, or listening to music – we can judge and critique – or we can learn
about the world and how we might reach it with God’s love. The way we use our belongings, the food we
eat, the clothes we buy, the way we treat our bodies – every aspect of our
lives – is a calling to worship – to look to God – and thus, is an opportunity
to be transformed into His likeness.
Nicodemus and Jesus share a late night
conversation where we are all instructed to be ‘born again’. I wonder when the apostle Peter was born
again? When he left the family business
and followed Jesus? When he witnessed
healings? When he saw Jesus
transfigured? When he saw the blood drip
from Jesus’ forehead at Gethsemane? When
he denied Jesus three times? When he was
beautifully recommissioned at the beach?
At Pentecost when he preached and converted thousands? When he went to
the ‘other’, Cornelius’ house, and shared the Gospel? I think Peter would say, ‘every single
time’. You see, we are not called to be
born again the once like a butterfly – but to be constantly born again like a
snake – always shedding skin as we grow and direct our lives in 24/7 worship to
the one who gave it all.
So, this week, and the weeks ahead – enjoy
gathered worship. But also, in every
area of your life offer it to God – worship Him – look at Him face to
face. And may every single time you know
that you are being transformed into His likeness. Be a snake not a butterfly, be born again
loads this week.
