How would you respond if someone asked you what “Wholehearted Worship” means? I could not give a good “elevator” response to this question. Can you?
When I experience “Wholehearted Worship,” I am touched with peace, or love, or a sense that God is with me, perhaps God challenging me to change. Perhaps I am aware that God is touching someone else.
I remembered a time when I sat still on a woodland trail – accompanied by some birds. I was feeling lonely, and that I didn’t belong in this retreat center. I looked at a mushroom that had been chewed by a something. As I sat looking, stroking the wound on the fungi, I admired the delicate colours, the texture. It was no longer perfect, and yet it was beautiful. As I continued to relax with this beautiful, injured piece of God’s creation, I sensed the Spirit saying, “you are not perfect, but you are lovable and loved by God, as you are”. I thanked God for this love. This is Wholehearted Worship.
I thought of a small Taize group that met mid week. Chants, candles, prayers, more chants – A small group of Christians, representing several different denominations, with rotating lay leadership. All participating experienced Wholehearted worship.
A very large cathedral in Montreal, with a large beautiful choir, the largest organ I have seen, a small orchestra that accompanied some of the hymns. L learned that many of the choir and musicians were professional musicians. The whole service flowed beautifully. As I left. I felt I had attended a wonderful concert, but I did not feel like wholehearted worship. I expect others did experience the love of God through the beauty, the grandeur of the setting and the service.
I have been in other services in large churches, with beautiful music, and have experienced wholehearted worship in them.
I have experienced wholehearted worship in homes, halls, and outdoors. I have experienced wholehearted worship in large churches with very skilled musicians; in smaller churches that have less skilled musicians; with a variety of instruments – organ, piano, guitar, recorder, taped music, drums, violin, etc.
For me, the most important things that must be present for wholehearted worship is an openness to receive what God wants to give; an openness to be challenged and surprised, an openness to listen to others attending a service, including those who are not like me. Often, a willingness to give to others, opens me up to listen and receive.
I believe that God gives all the talent and skills that a congregation needs for ongoing wholehearted worship. The worship may be framed in ways that are new to us – different music, or no music. Silence or words. Our challenge sometimes is to be open to trying different things. Change is often not easy. But God is asking us to change so new ways of worship can develop. The Creator made a world with many colours, textures, smells, tastes, sounds. Imagine a world with only red flowers. This is true with worship. What colours, silences, music, are part of services in your congregation?
Where and when have you experienced “Wholehearted Worship?”
