Richard Foster, in his usual way, which just so happens to mirror RockHarbor's recent messages, highlights the significance of the heart in matters just as much as the pattern of repetition. In relation to Worship he says, "Service flows out of worship. Service as a substitute for worship is idolatry. Activity is the enemy of adoration." RockHarbor has been going over the counter-cultural ways of the beattitudes; JESUS contradicted the religious leaders by demanding an honest placement of the heart not just a fluffy exterior behavior. I have a bad habit of getting so caught up in projects, people, and places and neglecting my heart. I begin to perform instead of learn; in essence I try to step out of my student's chair into the teacher's shoes. Foster quotes Frank Laubach, "Of all today's miracles the greatest is this: to know that I find Thee best when I work listening...Thank Thee, too, that the habit of constant conversation grows easier each day. I really do believe all thought can be conversations with Thee."
What if I lived this way...what if I was always listening for GOD's voice or HIS silence. Instead of being submissive to my American culture of "critical clothing/style/possesion judge" why don't I chose to listen more..? Instead of putting up rules, like the Pharoses, to avoid breaking the "BIG 10," why don't I pay more attention to what JESUS was actually getting at. The placement of one's heart in murder and shouting are the same: anger...so practice patience. The status of adultry and lust are the same...so decide to value purity of mind, body, and soul.
"To still the activity of the flesh so that the activity of the HOLY SPIRIT dominates the way we live will affect and inform public worship. Sometimes it will take the form of absolute silence. Certainly it is more fitting to come in reverential silence and awe before the HOLY ONE of eternity than to rush into HIS presence with hearts and minds askew and tongues full of words."
WOW...how smashingly brilliant. First of all, when was the last time I experienced this, and why was it so long ago. No matter...why did it leave..? I know the answer...I became busy. I seem to be getting hammered lately with these messages from GOD; like HE puts sticky notes all over my life: "S-L-O-W D-O-W-N," "F-I-N-D M-E," "S-I-T S-T-I-L-L."
Foster makes a list of things that occur as you grow in your ability to worship "without ceasing." One of the things on that list is to" absorb distractions with gratitude. If there is noise or distraction, rather than fussing and fuming about it, learn to take it in and conquer it. If little children are running about, bless them. Thank GOD that they are alive and that they have energy. Become willing to relax with distractions, they may be a message from the LORD."
I wonder what kind of person I would be if I didn't get so frustrated by broken plans. This weekend a meeting I scheduled completely fell through...in the worst way, no one from the other organziation showed up. My poor boyfriend, in his naturally flexible shoes, must have been fretting as I boiled in my brain for a while. What kind of person would I be if I could just dismissed that as a blessing from GOD, recognizing that we all needed to laugh as an ADORABLE toddler climbed all over everyone and under the table surprising us during lunch. Again, I ask myself, when was the last time this was true of me...and shockingly the answer is prior to my schedule growing too fat for me.
In a brilliant conclusion Foster simply says, "To worship is to change." I have come to this place in life many times, and each time I find the same results: I need to change. But change what..? Last night I had the priviledge of talking with two men from Uganda. One of which is a dear friend who was once my boss...we talked about lots of things, and we compared and contrasted American to Uganda many times. One man mentioned how much he liked the efficiency of America, our ability to get things done; this is very hard in Uganda because punctuality is more a guideline than a rule (like "The Code" in Pirates) and you can never refuse guests in your home or ever ask them to leave. I agreed the America's efficiency is matched by few, but I also noted that Uganda's concern for relationships far exceeds America's. I explained that if an individual moved out for college, lost touch with their family and friends at home, got wrapped up in a big Who-Haw job after school, and developed a life that never stopped...it is possible for that individual to die or become ill without his family knowing a thing. My Ugandan friend looked at me in SHOCK...this would never happen in Uganda because even villages know what goes on. They spend HOURS talking, at the expense of everything.
I can't help but wonder...what if I was constantly in conversation with GOD, willing to do so at the expense of everything.
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