About Me

My photo
I am a pastor and a clinical psychotherapist. My life's passion is defining healthiness from a human perspective and paralleling it to the holiness of God, divine perspective. Shifting perspectives creates a paradigm that is alongside of rather than over and against. The parakalein of God and the paradoxes of humanity are redefined. Humanity is all about winning and yet we are losing ground everywhere. Divinity is all about letting go of the desire to win and the fear of loss. The Divine embraces the world with loving care regardless of anything.

Search This Blog

Moving Worship

Posted by Don Paine

Rev. Anthony Robinson told the story of being in a church as a worshipper.  During the opening hymn a 7 year old girl named grace was dancing and twirling to the music, while the rest of the congregation sang with a stiffness that was accentuated by her movement.  She was lost in "wonder and praise" which is just what worship really is.  Getting lost in the wonder of God's love twirling to the delight of the rhythm of the soul and the moving of the spirit.

Later in the service the pastor came forward to do the children's sermon and there were, as he scanned the whole congregation, no children.  Here is where a part of me is triggered and I want to respectfully and responsibly note those parts without e parts in others that might take my words as being critical or judgmental.  So let me try to speak with love and grace the truth that is in me without implying that it is "the truth" or the only way to see this.

What an opportunity to let the little girls movement be the children's sermon.  To talk about "inhibitions that restrict the free worship of God."  I was triggered to recall a moment in an interview for ministry in a church as their senior pastor in which the following question was posed:  We have some concern that some of our people are raising their hands in worship in an effort to show off which makes others uncomfortable.  How would you handle this?"

My response:  First let me say that Worship is by definition freedom for all to worship in the way they are best drawn into the presence of the living God.  Second, when I am in a church and no one is moving or raising their hands, I know two things:  1) that some have it the way they want it and 2) others are sitting on their hands and crossing their feet restricting their souls need to move.  We need to create space for people to be free to do what is in their heart and in their body that is part of their worship.  We especially should not judge others as "showing off" in worship when Worship is "showing up".  Grace the little girls name is the key.  Having grace toward all invites all to Worship in the multitude of ways that people can and do worship without being inhibited by "we do not Worships that away here" meta message.  Maybe the 7 year old was the message that say but because she was not seen as the messenger her message was missed.

Look around for a message form a 7 year old when you are in church or synagogue or temple or mosque this Sunday.  Maybe the reason children are not present in many of our church is that our welcome is not wide enough for them to feel welcome.  Let's widen our welcome by broadening our thinking.  We may be old but our thinking need not be.

May grace abound in our WORSHIP!  May children lead us to be free in Worship!

0 comments:

Post a Comment