Worship

The music begins softly and as the life of the Spirit fills the room the melody swells and the worshipers begin singing with more heartfelt fervor and begin to clap in time with whatever tune the performers on the stage share in their own worship experience. Several members of the audience walk to the front of the sanctuary. The woman in the row in front of me steps out and with arms lifted, sways back and forth, and that's worship. A bald black man in his forties sits still with his head lifted up and tears streaming down his face, and that's worship. A petite curly-haired woman in her early sixties walks to the front and with her hands shaking back and forth the bracelets on her wrist rattle in praise, and that's worship. A little girl, probably about 7, sits strapped into a reclining wheelchair with her gaze looking at nothing really but it's easy to see, she's worshiping. An elderly pastor's wife with serious health problems shuffles in a slow gate with her walker and makes her way to the front; several gather around her, laying hands on her in prayer, and that's worship. Another group of men gather in prayer around a friend who had cancer and is pleading for healing, and that's worship. A woman in her early thirties stands off to the side of the altar with arms straight out to her side praying and then lifts her voice praying in tongues, and that's worship. The music softens as the whole community of believers wait in anticipation of the interpretation of the tongues prayer, and when it comes from an elderly pastor in the middle of the room a shout of praise rises and the praise music swells again, and that's worship. As I sit in my pew, observing all these different ways to worship my eye spies two little children, probably about three or four, standing next to their mother who's eyes are closed in prayer. All around them are very serious and focused on their own worship time. The little boy grabs the hand of the little girl and I see him try to tell her to twirl under his arm. She does and they take each other's hands in a "ring around the rosie" dance, begin to hop and laugh and are finding joy within the music, totally oblivious to those around them. No one stops them or shushes them into submission. They are just free to worship in innocence and unfettered joy. As I watch a smile forms on my lips and I can feel our heavenly Father smiling down on them, looking over his shoulder and saying, "Hey, Jesus, would you look at that? Isn't that so very cool? Let's go down and dance with those two." I picture Jesus taking both their hands and with child-like laughter joining in his own boisterous laugh, and with glee they dance in the very presence and joy of their Father, and that's worship Thank you Father. Thank you, thank you, thank you for your joy, your peace, your very presence in our lives whether we're sad, sick, hurting, happy, jubilant or yes, even worshiping.