WORSHIP. Do we truly understand this word, this
concept, this experience, this command, this act? Worship is an invitation, an act of seeking,
a gift to our God. Just what do we make
of it? Is it a boring drudgery or a
joyous privilege? Someone has said, “Worship
renews the spirit as sleep renews the body” – which is true, and yet worship is
so much more than that. Because while
genuine worship blesses us, it is really all about the Lord Jesus Christ. Well, it is supposed to be! It is supposed to bless HIM! I love how we worship at Elevation
North! We enter into our worship of God
prayerfully and yet passionately. We
focus on who our God is and exalt Him for all He is. We lift our hearts in praise; we want Him to
know how much He means to us. We desire
His presence and hunger and thirst after more of Him in our lives. We offer Him our best in our worship … though
none of us are professionals when it comes to praying or seeking or singing or playing
instruments. Which perhaps is a good
thing – not that all professionals transform worship into entertainment … but
that’s what happens in many churches.
And while worship should be the best that we have to offer, worship and
entertainment are two different things!
Worship is a heart thing; more than that, it’s a Kingdom thing. It is given with the thought of pleasing God,
the recipient of our worship. When you
go to buy a gift, do you just grab the first thing in sight – with the least
expensive price tag? Or do you take time
to put some thought into it and search until you find just the right gift –
sometimes at a sacrificial cost … all because you want to please the
recipient! That’s what should go into
our worship! Seeking and choosing to
present ourselves before our God with honor and respect – with devotion and
love – with joy and with focus and passion.
With a desire to come before our God cleansed and forgiven so that we
can worship Him without all of the dirt and baggage and distractions that can
so easily be drug into our time with Him.
That can pertain to church or to home or to wherever we find ourselves
offering worship to the One who made our very lives a breathing reality. We cannot have a divided heart and be in true
communion with anyone – much less our Creator!
When you are talking with someone and your heart and mind are a million
miles away, you might be saying words but they can tell you are not with them. What that says is that they are not important
enough for you to set everything and everyone else aside to just focus on them
and share one-on-one time with them. The
same goes for our Savior. When we
worship, if our heart is filled with anger and negativity and all we can think of
is a way to get even, or if we cannot lay down our burdens long enough to truly
trust God to handle them in the amazing ways He does … how can we call what we
give Him, worship? Perhaps we’re just
thinking about what we’re going to do next – or who we are going to hang out
with … whatever we are thinking about, we are definitely not WITH Him! That’s not worship. We miss out – and most of all, God misses
what we could have given Him! Worship,
though, cannot be forced. It’s a desire,
that of course takes a commitment to carry it through to the Giver of
Life! It’s an outward expression of what’s
inside. That’s why some people can
participate in the same time of praise and worship – and some will leave
feeling as if they didn’t experience a thing, and others will leave sensing a
tremendous blessing of having been with Jesus and being filled with His
presence and His power. One was a
non-participant, the other, choosing what was best, setting all else aside to
honor and glorify the King of kings, bringing the gift of true worship to
Him. Dear people, let’s be participants
in the worship of our Lord and God and bow in awe before His Throne! “If Shakespeare should come into this room we
would all rise; but if Jesus Christ should come in, we would all kneel.” ~
Charles Lamb. Yes, our God is worthy of
our worship … in every facet of our lives!
Will we offer it?
IN A NUTSHELL . . .
A SPECIAL WELCOME to Helen who worshipped with us this past
Sunday; may God bless you with His best!
OUR SPECIAL THANKS to those who have spent hours at the church
this past week for phase one of enlarging our sanctuary to create more
seating! And for those who have given
sacrificially for needed supplies and carpet, may God bless you richly!!!
ELEVATION
NORTH SPOTLIGHT!
We are enjoying our weekly mornings in Central
Park at our Elevation North table where all proceeds are going to Relay for
Life! Our table needs your home-baked items,
hand-made crafts, and home-grown plants or vegetables or fruits. Whatever it is that you can bake, create, or
grow … we’d love to have you get on board with us to share funds for the upcoming
Relay for Life walk that will take place at the fairgrounds in July! It’s a great time for fellowship with your
church friends and so many others who stop by to support us by making
purchases! See you at the park on
Saturday mornings the entire month of June from 7 a.m. to 12 noon! Our goal is to raise $1100.00 for the fight
against cancer. Questions? Please see Tina, Wayne, & Verla!
THIS SUNDAY, JUN 9th: CHILDREN'S SUNDAY
10:00 A.M. - PRAISE & WORSHIP / SPECIAL SERVICE honoring our tots and children today!
11:30 A.M. - LIGHT LUNCH for children and chaperones going to the Como Zoo today, leaving for the Cities right after lunch. Zoo closes at 6:00 p.m. See Wayne and Verla if you have any questions about the event!
SAT, JUN 15th:
7:00 A.M. - 12:00 NOON - RELAY FOR LIFE table at the Farmer's Market/Central Park
See the Spotlight above!
NEXT SUNDAY, JUN 16th: FATHER'S DAY
10:00 A.M. - PRAISE & WORSHIP / SPECIAL SERVICE honoring our fathers!
10:30 A.M. - KIDZONE CHURCH
PRAYER OPPORTUNITIES . . .
Julia, Hazel, Max, Johnnie & Cherry, Audrey, Lundstroms, our children and youth who will be on break for the summer months, many unspoken needs, our church as we expand to reach others, God's provision, and that we will stay on target with God's Word as we walk ever closer to Him!
REMEMBER . .
. “O come, let us worship and bow down: let us kneel before the Lord our maker.” ~
Psalm 95:6
Serving Christ Joyfully . . .
Pastor Doug and Debbie
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