From the Edges – Preparing for Worship by the Stream

Worship by the Stream –

For a quick respite, Gail and I were at our home in Hyndman PA. On my morning walk I experienced scripture come alive through the lessons of scripture and walking beside the stream. Hyndman sits in a beautiful valley with Wills Creek flowing through and the Wills Mountains standing on both sides of the valley keeping watch. It truly is a picture of scripture where you walk beside the stream and look to the mountains.

As we are open to worship either privately or with others, when we step into a time of worship we will feel God’s presence, if our eyes are open we will see God, if our ears are open we will hear God, if our minds our open we will receive renewal and transformation and if our hearts are open we will receive all that God desires to do.

The section of Wills Creek I was observing is almost like two different bodies of water – there is a section that is rushing and loud as it flows and an off section that is still flowing and moving but much quieter. I don’t know the technical terms, but I remember in trout season fishing with my Dad that we would walk through this quiet water looking for stick worms to fish with in the other part of the creek. Love those memories.

Anyhow for me this described Worship for me and preparing for worship. Sometimes I need loud, rushing, even deafening worship where I can get lost in God, be swept away, and experience the power and authority of worship. Comparing it to what the early believers must have experienced in Acts 2 as these faithful followers of Jesus waited for the next thing and new thing that was going to take place in that Upper Room.

Sometimes I need the quietness of the stream to contemplate, be quiet, pray, hear from God in a different way. I believe this is what David described in Psalm 23:2 ……. He leads me beside quiet waters” Regardless of our desire for worship may we become like the deer in Psalm 42:1 “As the deer pants for streams of water so my soul pants for you my God”.

Regardless of what type, style, or worship experience you are searching for; admit that you are searching for something, a connection with the living God. Psalm 42:2 continues “My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When can I go and meet with God?”

The truth is you can meet with God at any time. You can worship God in sanctuary or in silence, in good times and bad, but there is this call to worship in Spirit and in truth. May we desire Worship not what religion, or anyone says it should be but what God is calling us to.

Seek out Worship for the change your life is needing!