This week's high five - a short, mid-week video to encourage us and keep us moving toward Jesus - comes from Rachel. She speaks about how she's been challenged in her personal worship, and encourages us to find ways we can worship and draw near to God in this difficult time.
A Season for Worship
Sunday’s message reminded us that we have the shield of faith as part of the armor that God’s given us through His Spirit. Part of the way we exercise that shield of faith is through worshipping God. When we engage in worship, we are putting Jesus between us and the enemy, and we are pulling Him close in our battles.
In this difficult season, personal, daily worship has been transformational for me in how I deal with stress, anxiousness, anger, and grief. Here are three ways I’ve found to worship God in the realness and rawness of all that I’m experiencing in this season.
1. Give yourself space to grieve
Give yourself space to grieve or lament over what you’re feeling or experiencing. Take it to God and let Him be with you in that space. Don’t allow your pain to drive you away from God. Moses grieved and complained to God. He got really angry with God and told God about it. Job did not mince words with God when he lost everything. David felt like God left and forgot about him. Paul experienced physical pain and begged God to take it from him. Jesus wept. But in all of those hurt, broken places, God responded.
Here are some ways you can grieve with God:
Read and pray through a Psalm. Here are a few to get you started: Psalm 4, 5, 13, 22, 40, 46, 57
Write your own prayer of sorrow or grief to God as a letter. Tell Him how you feel. Ask Him to be with you in what you are feeling. Then end the letter the same way that many of David’s Psalms end – commit to still trust and worship God.
Sing. Find songs that acknowledge the pain but also direct your words and thoughts to God. And the, actually sing out. If you feel awkward, ask God to help you overcome that awkwardness. And just do it! Check out this playlist if you need a place to start.
2. Express thankfulness or gratitude to God
Snap pictures or use a journal app to keep track of things you’re thankful for on a daily basis. They could be small things, like the way the sun streams in your windows, or bigger things. It doesn’t matter! God is praised and our hearts are encouraged when we are present in our days to thank God.
Keep a notebook of things and first thing in the morning, at the end of the day, or even throughout the day, write out things that remind you of all God’s good gifts—life, beauty, creation, provision, etc.
3. Celebrate!
Even in the wilderness, God gave feasts and celebrations like Passover to the Israelites, as a gift to be observed and celebrated, regardless of where they were. They remind us that we have been rescued from our lives of slavery through Jesus, that we have great hope both now and after this life. Choosing to honor these days keeps us grounded in the rhythms of life. Even though our worship gatherings are different right now, keep the weekly and yearly rhythms (Easter, Good Friday) of celebrating a priority.
Make sure you join us online Sundays at 10 a.m. Being present with each other in this moment of time is powerful.
Get ready to celebrate Easter with us! You can start listening now to these songs so you’re ready to sing with us.
written by Rachel Cowgur, Worship Arts Director