Ash Wednesday

Hmmm, not quite sure what happened to the last month. I'd like to say normal service will be resumed shortly but looking at my post intervals it would probably be better to say a better service will be along shortly!

Anyway, it was only after cooking and consuming the pancakes for the family last night that I remembered that the whole point of Shrove Tuesday is that Ash Wednesday follows it. Just incidentally these were definitely the best pancakes I've ever made. The secret to success seems to be an extra egg, some caster sugar, and a non-stick pan. Also, for any Americans out there, instead of pancake think 'slightly thicker than normal crepe'.

So what's Ash Wednesday about?
This article on the bbc website gives some explanation of what it's all about. Mainly for me it brings back memories of a special chapel service at school where the priest would pray and rub some dirt on your forehead but, apart from that, Ash Wednesday is a day of penitence and repentance to mark the beginning of Lent. It is a time to remember that we're sinful and need Jesus. The modern catholic tradition is apparently for the priest to say something like 'Turn away from sin and believe the gospel'. Now there's much about the catholic tradition I don't agree with, but I'm fully with them on this one.

And worship encounters?
So what does this really have to do with worship, or encountering God? Well as you've probably realized, I believe worship is far more than singing some songs to a remote God. Worship involves an intimacy with God, and a knowledge of His presence with us, as we worship Him. What is the foundation for this to happen? Surely it's to 'Turn away from sin and believe the gospel'! Or, as the author of Hebrews puts it:

'Therefore, brethren, having boldness to enter the Holiest by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way which He consecrated for us, through the veil, that is, His flesh, and having a High Priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.' Heb. 10:19-22

So, if you want to know more of God's presence, why not spend some time with Him and ask Him to 'search my heart and see if there is any wicked way in me'. After all, Jesus said Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God' (Matthew 5:8).

I pray you will have some awesome encounters with an awesome God.

The Father seeks worshippers, pt.2

Harking back to the earlier post, I just had to pass on this quote I came across in my Worship Bible:

"The Father is looking for worshippers. So if you are looking for God and you just can't seem to find him, then stop doing what you are doing and worship Him - and He will come and find you."
Joseph Garlington (1939- )

Worship starts with seeing Him

One of the songs which has spoken a lot to me and helped shape my worship leading over the last year or so is Matt Redman's song 'Worship starts with seeing you', and in particular the lines 'no-one can sing of things they have not seen......Worship starts with seeing you...Our hearts respond to your revelation'

There is an awesome truth revealed in these lines that true worship is a response to God. Worship is not something which is simply stirred up or forced, it is the natural heartfelt response to an understanding of who God is and what He has done.

I think one of the biggest temptations when leading a congregation into worship is to focus on the response itself. There is a visible outworking when somebody worships God - whether it is being joyful, clapping our hands, shouting, being lost in awe and wonder, or simply smiling! However if we try through our own efforts, or our techniques, or even the way we play our music to simply produce a response we will either struggle or have times of worship that are empty and dry.

God wants more than a religious tradition or an inbred pattern of behaviour. God wants us to know Him. He wants us to know that His character and His nature - that He is an all-powerful, omnipotent God, a loving Father, and a merciful saviour who has set us free.

So, how can we have awesome worship? I don't claim to have all the answers but I think the following things all help:

• Have good songs which declare real biblical truth about God
• Make good use of scripture concerning who God is and His promises to us
• Give people reasons to respond rather than just instructing them to shout, clap, raise hands etc.
• Don't berate people if they're struggling to worship - teach them about God, encourage them to have faith in His word and respond with a joyful heart.
• Overflow - Know God personally, be joyful, and model what it means to let that joy overflow in our worship

Most importantly, let's be a people who seek earnestly after God and pray that we might know more of his life and presence in our churches.