I’ve been thinking about Worship Symbols

“For: The Essentials Red Online Worship History Course with Dan Wilt”

The thing that stands out from this week’s readings is how important it is for us to partake in remembering what Jesus did for us and involve all of our senses.

Immediately, I think of the rugged cross which is a symbol for all of us to recognize that our saviour died the death of a sinner and definitely without the glory you may expect for its King.  Part of me wants to run my hands on that cross, even at the risk of getting a splinter for He laid his whole life down on it for me.  However, I also want to turn and run in the other direction, knowing full well that someone should not have to go through this type of torture for me.  Similarly, Jesus’ disciples did not want Him to wash their feet nor did John want to Baptise Jesus. They wanted to take that place of the servant and felt ashamed of their pride that struggled to allow Jesus to humble himself before them.

These symbolic acts can be so powerful when taken in and re-enacted. I would love to see foot washing ceremonies in our church. I think these would be done well in a Home Group Setting and would take some organization for a whole church to manage. If it could be done it may have even more of an impact especially if it was the leaders washing the feet of the congregation.

With the Eucharist I feel there needs to be a time of contemplation about the fact that this act needs to be done in a worthy manner (1 Cor. 11:27-32). This may mean taking some time of careful reflection before receiving the emblems. This time may focus on those people we may have offended in the church and there would be a time to make things right and seek forgiveness.

Another idea may be sharing out the bread and wine with each other and reaffirming the commitment we’ve made to our Lord Jesus by asking questions like these for the bread: “Do you accept the sacrifice of His body and are you willing to lay down your life as He did for you?” And for the wine: “ Do you accept the sacrifice of blood spilled for you and are you willing to pour out your life and drink the cup as He drank it for you?”

I’ve been thinking about the Languages of Worship (Essentials RED)

“For: The Essentials Red Online Worship History Course with Dan Wilt”

Time

I was brought up in a Catholic Church where church was a once a week, token hour that was to appease God. I lived a relatively carefree childhood and enjoyed just being a kid and having limited responsibilities. I enjoyed time with family and friends so much and especially enjoyed when our relatives came together for Christmas or Easter.

Although, I wouldn’t say that I knew God when I was young I definitely recall moments of my childhood where I could feel the security and love of my Father.

I have a photo which captures a time where I felt the love and humility of God. It’s a photo of me nursing a lamb on a farm. It was a cool morning on this farm and I remember the lamb being quite content to lay in my lap, humbling itself to be held by a boy that was smaller than he was. One day God reminded me of this picture and this moment in time. He showed me that just as this lamb was able to humble himself too be held by a boy, Jesus, the lamb of God, humbled himself to the point of death. He trusted himself into the very hands of His betrayers, for their sake. This moment in time causes me to remember that He trusts me with His life and that I am worthy to serve the King of Kings.

In further reflection, the way the lamb felt so safe with me might have had something to do with my long blonde curls and he  probably just thought I was one of the herd.

Space

When my brother became a teenager his room became a place that I was to enter at my own risk. It was a no-go zone most of the time. So, for this space to be the place that I gave my heart to Jesus meant that God had changed the atmosphere of that room and I remember that it even smelled different. This maybe because he was burning a candle at the time but, I’m sure, the space had become Holy ground. God had transformed my brother enough that night to get my attention and to listen to what he had to say about the salvation that Jesus offered me from the pit of hell. I will never forget that space and I will never forget the space in my own bedroom, soon after that moment, where He came and changed the atmosphere in there too.