The Church Universal

"Sing to him a new song, play skillfully, and shout for joy."
--Psalm 33:3

"This is a true story: At the end of the Palm Sunday worship service, a digruntled parishioner came up to the organist and said, 'This is the eighth year in a row we have had to sing that unfamiliar hymn.'

"When I finished laughing at this story, I reflected on how unwilling we can be to learn a 'new song' to sing to the Lord. We can get so set in our ways as far as what is or is not 'church music,' if there should be formal liturgy or not, if there should be silence or singing during Communion, and if there is singing, does the choir or the congregation do it, etc. We can be so busy worshipping worship styles that we forget we are there to worship God.

"We need to remember that Jesus is alive today and at work among his people, just as he has been since the Day of Pentecost (see Acts 2). Therefore the music we use in worship needs to reflect the church universal in all places and times. We need to include old and new hymns, traditional and modern liturgies, chant and ethnic music.

"In short, we need to open ourselves up to God at work everywhere and reflect that in our worship."
--Valerie Hess, "Spiritual Disciplines Devotional"

What do you love most about worship? What piece of music, liturgy, act of worship, prayer, etc?

Worship in Daily Life

"The time of business does not with me differ from the time of prayer, and in the noise and clatter of my kitchen, while several persons are at the same time calling for different things, I possess God in as great tranquility as if I were upon my knees at the blessed sacrament."
--Brother Lawrence

Life gets busy, hectic, crazy and full of distractions... Are you able to see God in the chaos? Are you able to say "thank you" for small blessings, "help" in moments of challenge and despair? Do you see the beauty of sunsets, flowers, flowing streams, a child's giggle, a yummy morsel? All of these are moments of worship - worship of the God who made it all!

Take a small moment today... And take notice of how God surrounds you. It's such a blessing.

A Challenge

"Make a commitment to attend church every week. If Sunday morning sporting events and birthday parties have been regular obstacles to going to church, this will take some time to change, but it will ultimately reap rich rewards in your life and your family."
--Valerie Hess, "Spiritual Disciplines Devotional"

Consider all the ways attending worship on a regular basis could benefit you and your family... A peaceful, calm hour in a hectic week. A moment of intimacy with God. A connection with a community that loves and cares for you and your family. A way to be connected to something bigger than you. Something spiritual. A coming "home."

Will you consider a weekly commitment to worship?

A Prayer of Worship

"Grant, O Lord,
that what has been said with our lips we
may believe with our hearts,
and that what we believe in our hearts
we may practice in our lives;
through Jesus Christ our Lord, Amen."
--John Hunter

May this be all our prayers this week... as we journey through this life with worship in our hearts.

Sunday at SPUMC - Jan. 3, 2010

Happy New Year!

We had a beautiful service of communion and blessing today! Pastor Penny "set" the communion table in a beautiful way, explaining the pieces of the service and the celebration involved!

Then the congregation was invited to come forward and serve themselves communion, and come to Pastor Penny, Pastor Terry Steeden, or Megan for a blessing. We were able to pray with, bless, hug, and support so many people from the church - and a few visitors as well. Tears were shed, smiles were shared - it was wonder-filled and refreshing, a perfect way to start a new year in worship!

May the Lord bless you this year with:
A few friends who understand;
A work to do which has real value, without which the world would be the poorer;
A mind unafraid to travel, even though the trail be not blazed;
An understanding heart;
A sense of humor;
Time for quiet, silent meditation;
A feeling of the presence of God;
The patience to wait for the coming of these things,
with the wisdom to recognize them when they come.
Amen.

Discipline of Worship

"Worship is meant to be the highlight of our week, but sometimes it can become a burden in an already full schedule. Too often worship is not the refreshment to our weary souls that it is designed to be. Jesus says, 'Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest' (Matthew 11:28). Do you associate that verse with coming to weekly worship? Do you find yourself refreshed and rested after worship? Unfortunately, many of us answer no to these questions too many times...

"The reason worship is considered one of the spiritual disciplines, or habits, is because many times we don't feel uplifted or joyful when we think of coming to church, so we need to have the discipline of going anyway. God promises that he will be there at that worship service and that he will meet us in the community of our brothers and sisters in Christ to help all of us rise to a new perspective on our lives and the things of this world. The question this discipline asks is, will we be there?"
--Valerie Hess

Worship

A month of WORSHIP? Isn’t every month a month of Worship?

Yes… But:

“Life happens, and we need worship to deal with it. Worship is meant to give us hope and a sense of perspective. Worship is meant to give us, as a community, the chance to praise and thank God as well as mourn for the hard things that happened in the past week. Worship is meant to lift our eyes to the God who made us and loves us unconditionally. Worship is meant to give us language for responding to that God, a language we use not only in worship, but in everyday life.”
—Valerie Hess, “Spiritual Disciplines Devotional”

As we’re journeying forward to a life of Passionate Spirituality, we’re making a new stop every month, taking the time to explore a new Spiritual Habit. We started with Generosity and Thankfulness—how thanking God for blessings in our life helps us to realize how much we have to GIVE and serve those around us, thus doing God’s work in our world. In December, we took time out of our busy schedules to recognize the habit of Simplicity. We took notice of how we use our time, money, and energy—not just to satisfy the consumerism of the holidays, but to notice God, Jesus, family, tradition, and all the ways we connect to our faith without the peer pressure of our society.

And so, this month we move into the habit of Worship. One more way to “join the dance and learn the basic rhythms and steps that help us respond to God.”

Welcome to the New Year - and New Beginnings!