Tag: worship

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Conkers

HopeStrengthWisdomLove3

After a recent comments with friends around the phenomena of #conkers, a remarkable seed if ever there was one, I though I’d share the below with you good folks…

I created these a while ago to accompany a friend’s poem.

Do feel free to download and use them in your community as an aid to worship or reflection.

Where appropriate please reference https://julesprichards.wordpress.com

Please DO NOT use these © images commercially.

Sincere wishes of growth and hope.

Jules.

ORIGINAL HIGH-RES IMAGES in Dropbox  here:
https://www.dropbox.com/sh/p1dguucbzqcqdip/AADt9QHR8qEni8OvpRNp_0R9a?dl=0

 

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Worship?

I commented on “worship” last October: taking a bath the interaction between things is what make them…

I recently saw someone comment that they “NEED to worship God”, that when they begin to worship “something happens within me… natural selfishness gets kicked out the back door and my heart* opens up to the transforming, powerful, grace-filled-love* of God*.  …it reminds me… that all of the responsibilities and struggles I take on are in his-hands*, and that I can trust him to walk-with-me* and not abandon me, to give me the words and the strength.  …to remember the love-he-has-for-me*, to be open to the work of the Holy-Spirit* and to remind myself that he is that centre. Worship helps me to know that I-am-loved*, and it sets me free to love others, and to see the grace-of-God* at work in the world around me.” 

They commented: “so often in discussions about worship we have a tendency to make worship about us and not about God. …it is important that we don’t forget what it is for and who it is about. In worship God becomes greater and I-become-less*…     I need to worship!”

(I have concerns with some of these * notions)

My admittedly imperfect perspective might be as follows:
I need to worship (to adore, revere, respect, devote, admire, venerate, celebrate?) the thing /notion/sense/power(?) that is bigger than us all”.
When I recognise the reality of otherness and possibilities, it helps to refocus on the bigger picture and review perspectives, attitudes and opinions in a fresh way.
To repeatedly recognise the fabula (story) of ‘life’, and reappraise the sjužet (discourse, perspectives, attitudes, opinions – interaction) can enrich the poor, liven the dead, and can make the blind see.
To review the selfishness that often hinders creativity and open up to the transforming, power of reconsideration.
Life is limited but the clouds move.
This worship reminds me that I am relevant in daily the interaction and it sets me free to let others be.
Worship is about us as part of the fabula and yes, it is important that we don’t forget our place in things.
In worship, life becomes greater and we become more real…        we need to worship!”

(None of this considers the euphoria, endorphins and satisfaction induced by standing and singing etc – that’s another topic.)

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Talking a bath!??

I recently asked, what is “this”…
We have an urge to do “this”, to look further, to ask and to share, to grow to be thankful…
“This” is ultimately fulfilling, enriching and purging…
It’s not interested in assumptions and restrictions…
It can be vibrant and effervescent as well as reflective and contemplative…
It can focus goodness and growth and transform decay and death…
It’s more than that…
It’s fecundity, nurture, and cleansing
It’s for the multitude and the you…
What am I…?
 
And a friend answered… “a bath?” This made me smile ‘cos to a certain extent it was a right answer. Humm….

The above was actually my initial response to the question in a contemporary context what is “worship”?
Do what?.. to celebrate… simulate… reflect a bigger picture, of the right-eous, the essence of life and growth… of a god?
With a post-evangelical, post-‘churchless-faith’ mindset, I’m afraid I find myself having to start with a blank page.
I have found past experiences of Christian subcultural behaviour to ultimately be disappointing, distracting and unhelpful.
I’ve entertained various approaches and seen vibrant and effervescent celebrations as well as reflective and contemplative encounters and will agree that goodness can be focused, shared and grown in many Christian meetings, however sometimes meetings can become self-fulfilling.

 

Clubs are all well and good but to me the idea of celebrating the essence of a God-centered truth should be more than a club activity.
I hoped real living life might lead to a truer worship than some labeled coded activities – but alas individualism is ultimately ‘in vain’…
 
‘In vain’ we individually search for sense, reason, peace and ‘more’ – but often on our terms. I do wish to look further than myself but as you might expect it seems impossible for one to see beyond what one can see – especially when ones experience of others is disappointing, distracting and unhelpful.
But the interaction between things is what makes them fecund, or as someone else once put it ‘where two or more a gathered, there will I be there also’ – I agree we need to meet and share to feed the multitude… but I’m not sure we need to sing “shine Jesus shine”… ?
 
I’m going for a bath.