Worship

Well, this is my first "official" post, if you don't count the one where I introduced myself, that will be related to my life in a spiritual way.  I am excited to see what all you followers/readers have to say about what I read and what I say. So you know, some of my posts are going to be based off the things that I am learning in my class, but others are going to be ones that I just feel like posting.  This post is one of something that I am learning in my class.  For class we had to read a chapter on the spiritual discipline of worship, in the chapter they list 7 steps into worship (I have listed them below)

1. Learn to practice the presence of God daily
2. Have different experiences of worship
3. Find ways to really prepare for the gathered experience of worship
4. Have a willingness to be gathered in the power of the Lord
5. Cultivate holy dependency
6. Absorb distractions with gratitude
7. Learn to offer a sacrifice of worship

Looking over the chapter and thinking back over my last few days, I have realized that some of these steps were hard or steps that I have never done.  I found that #6 was somewhat easy for me to do because this past Sunday at church I was blessed to have a 3rd grade girl sit with me for the whole service because her dad was playing in the Brass for the service.  Most of the time when I am at church, I am completely focused, taking notes, listening intently, and making sure that I am comprehending the message.  This Sunday was different tho, I found it very hard to pay attention because I had this lovely little girl next to me asking me questions about communion, what we Pastor Kyle was talking about, and showing me her coloring that she was working on.  It wasn't until the very end of the service that I remembered what I read about absorbing distractions with gratitude that I took time to really thank God for the opportunity to experience a child like faith through that service.

Now I am going to be completely honest and say that the ones that I found exceptionally hard were #3, #4, and #5.  #3 says to find ways to prepare for the gathering of worship, but I find it hard to prepare Saturday night for what is going to happen Sunday; I look at what songs we are going to be singing and look that lesson but I don't put a full effort into it.  This something that I want to get better at but I know it will take time.  #4 is hard because it requires you (me) to forget my agenda and give everything over to God, to be submissive to God.  This is hard for me because I am always thinking about what I have to accomplish during the day and what I have accomplished if I did it right.  I know that this is something that I can get better at with time, but I think this is something that is going to be hard.  Lastly, #5 is hard for me because I am always doing all I can to get the things I need to succeed and survive on but in reality I need to be dependent on God and have faith in HIM!!!!  Like the others, this is going to take time to get better at but it is something that can be "fixed".  I look forward to the day when I am completely and utterly dependent on God and can rely on Him for everything.

Well that is all for now, thanks for reading and please comment or ask questions if you would like!!