I believe all Christians are called to be worshipers.  It’s not the realm of the few, the privileged or the musically-inclined. In fact, I believe God shaped the entire human existence to create a sharp thirst for the things of God, even if people can’t identify that their deepest longings are for the true God.  And these longings are ultimately satisfied only in the experience known as worship.

How it breaks my heart that so many Christians hold such an shallow view of worship. Say “worship” and the discussion almost always turns only to singing songs and the church hour on Sunday morning.  Or, after talking about it for a while, perhaps we end up generically labeling every kind of religious activity as “worship” simply because we realize we’ve had too narrow a definition.

Very rarely does the conversation seem to turn toward simply engaging with God, treasuring him or delighting in his glory.  But what a treasure it is, indeed, to taste and see the goodness of God in this way.  Christians, we’re called to engage with God, to treasure him above everything else, and to find our greatest delight in seeing Jesus glorified.

I guess in a nutshell, that’s what I consider a worshiper to be: someone who lives a lifestyle of engaging with God, treasuring him above everything else, and delighting to see him glorified in your life or someone else’s.

I’ll be commenting on these three facets of a worshiper and their implications, but that’s the elusive definition I think so many of us need to hear.

*This post originally appeared on Chris’ personal blog, Sing Louder Musings.

Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me... He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. (Revelation 3:20,22 (ESV))

This verse has always made me a little nervous.  It’s a word to the Laodicean church, who was “neither cold nor hot.”  They were successful in their own eyes, but Jesus clearly tells them otherwise. His instructions to this lukewarm, self-sufficient church were, in part, to “be zealous and repent” (verse 19).

The next thing Jesus says is generous and humble: “Behold, I stand at the door and knock…”  The King stands outside and knocks.  He offers to bring all His royal abundance into that home and more. The language He uses is outrageously lavish.

The thing that gets me is that He’s asking if He can come into His own church! What?! How does the church (built by Jesus, bought by Jesus, etc.) get to a place where the Savior is asking if He can come in? The church at Laodicea thought it was successful and strong, but Jesus said they were naked, blind and totally missing the point. They were missing Him. That’s scary.

zealously dependent

I’m busier than I’ve been in a long time. It’s all (or mostly) Jesus-stuff.  But in the middle of that, I’m hearing this warning, “be zealous and repent.”  Repent of my self-sufficiency. Repent of complacency. Be careful with my goals and my plans and a superficial, or even worldly, estimation of “success.” Keep Jesus front and center. Stay zealously dependent on Him. I’m hearing it.

I’m hearing the promise too: “And I will be with you.”  The entire English language can’t say it any better.  Meditate on that for a second: He will be with me.  Whoa… Selah.

They didn’t know they had left Jesus out in the cold.  Would we?

How do you think we’d know if Jesus were standing out there, knocking on OUR door?