Worship

When you go to church, how often do you feel like you're really worshipping God during the service?  I'm not talking about just singing along with the words on the screen and lifting your hands because everyone else is.  I'm talking about real, true, pure, AUTHENTIC worship.  The kind of worship where you are so moved, you're in tears. The kind of worship where you literally get on your knees in reverence to God.  The kind of worship where you're hands are reaching out to God, and all you can do is reach just a little further to feel that much closer to Him.

I honestly feel like I can say that in my 32 years, I have only experienced real true pure authentic worship over the last few years.  That's sad, but it's my own fault.  I used to be old school and thought worship could only be accomplished by standing up in a pew and singing the same songs that I'd sung all the years before out of a hymnal. Come to find out, I really wasn't worshipping at all. (Gasp!) I was just singing the words because that's what you did at church on Sunday mornings.  How many of you can relate?

Yesterday was one of those Sundays where I witnessed and experienced real, true, pure, authentic worship, and it wasn't in your stereotypical church either (the kind with stained glass windows and a steeple) This church was in a night club and it was in one of the most un-Christian cities in America (ranked #9 by the Barna Group)  The coolest part? There were people from NYC, Atlanta, GA; Philadelphia, PA; Central Ohio, upstate New York, and a few people from other countries. (That's just who I got a chance to talk to during the 4 minutes of greeting time.  I know there were so many more there!)  The part that gives me Godbumps... they were all there not because they had to be, but because they wanted to be. 

Say what?

They were there because they wanted to be!  They were at church in NYC on a Sunday, when they could have been out shopping on 5th Ave, walking around Central Park with all the tourists, or in bed at their apartment recovering from the night before in Greenwich Village.  But they weren't!  They were getting their church on!

I'll freely admit during the first song I wasn't focused on the service... I was too focused on taking photos and getting the best shot. But once the first song finished, I realized taking photos was NOT the appropriate thing to be doing.  God opened the doors for me to finally worship at this church... keyword WORSHIP... not take photos.  So I put the camera down and started taking it all in, and I'm forever glad I did.  God knew I needed my worship tank to be refilled. 

One of the songs yesterday morning was "Closer" by Hillsong Live.  Take a listen:


As the chorus began, you could hear everyone start to signing louder, and louder, and louder.  It was beautiful!  People wiping tears from their face because they were professing to God that all they want to do is grow closer to Him.  Best friends hugging each other while lifting their hands in praise to God (not because everyone else was, but because they were literally reaching out for Him.)

The other song we sang, "Chris Is Enough" was also by Hillsong Live (surprise...)

They sang this right before the message and after the message. And as you heard "Christ is enough for me, Christ is enough for me" being sung, you realized it was getting louder and louder with the people singing louder with confidence and declaration.

The bridge "I have decided to follow Jesus, no turning back... no turning back... The cross before me, the world behind me, no turning back... no turning back...." had people dancing on the floor and balconies with arms raised, hands over their hearts, and cheering. It wasn't a rock concert (which a lot of old school minds think today's contemporary worship is just a big 'ol rock concert) but a concert of praise and worship to God.  A real, true, pure, authentic worship service in the heart of NYC. God is so good.