Sunday's sermon went well, even though it was very unusual for me. My normal mode is to prepare (approx.) 6 pages of notes and have the sermon typed out word for word. I much prefer written communication, I can more accurately say what I mean with it. Not so for this last week.
I shared some of my anguish of preparing the sermon in previous posts. The topic was so overwhelming that I simply had to stop writing and start praying for the Spirit to guide my words. There was no way I could have written everything anyway.
And so, Sunday morning found me with no notes, just a stool and a Bible sitting before the congregation. I was confident of three things: that the Holy Spirit was with us, that God's Word is living and active and that the people gathered in that place wanted to worship the Lord. That makes for a very receptive atmosphere and I laughed at myself for getting so worked up. Jesus is the Shepherd of His church, not me. He will build it, He will teach it, I just need to be faithful with what He gives to me.
We started with John 4, talking about worshipping in Spirit and Truth and how the Father seeks worshipers. That is absolutely astounding to me. God, who is all-powerful, wants something, meaning He doesn't already have it. God has set up this world so that there is one things He cannot take by force and that is the human heart. He wants us to respond in love.
The greek word for "worshiper" is proskyneo which is derived from the word for dog in Koine Greek. I think that is beautiful, even though I was offended at the time when I first learned it. Then God revealed to me a story that helped to put things in proper perspective.
My in-laws have a golden retriever named Lucy. Lucy is huge (9o lbs) and, like all golden retrievers, wants your full and undivided attention. If you are in the house, she will look at you through the window with the saddest eyes you can imagine. If you go out to her, she gets so excited she can hardly contain herself. She jumps, barks and tries to force you to sit and pet her. But what Lucy really wants, more than anything else, is to come into the house where you are.
My in-laws have a front foyer area which is Lucy's designated area. Since she is an outside dog, they don't really like her running about the house. When Lucy is first let in, she is so excited. She makes you sit and pet her and then after you leave she circles and circles, finding the perfect spot in which to lie down. However, if you are anywhere in the house where she can see you, you can begin to feel her staring at you.
Lucy will just look and look. She loves watching us move about the house, but her eyes still have a purpose. She knows that if she looks long enough, someone will come and get her. Then, not only will she be in the house, but she will be with you, where you are. That is her ultimate goal. She wants to sit next to you. She wants you to rub her belly. She wants you to talk to her and include her in your activities.
Lucy also has this peculiar quirk - she absolutely has to touch you. It is not enough to sit next to you, she needs to lay her paw on your leg. Or her head on your knee. It doesn't really matter as long as she has some sort of contact.
I think that is a perfect definition of what we try to achieve in worship. To come into His house. To gaze on him. To humble ourselves before Him. To be with Him where He is. To touch Him. This is worship. That I would need to have a dog teach me such a valuable lesson shows just how far my heart has fallen from its proper place. Thank you, Lord, for Lucy.
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