Have you worshipped about it?

I have developed a deep and manly love for Mark Driscoll. Maybe it’s the faux-hawk, but probably because I’ve realized that he has learned an amazing amount, is a great no-nonsense communicator, and will ferociously stand where God has placed him.  For years I have heard him speak here and there at various conferences and liked what he had to say, but lately with his whole Haiti trip and Churches Helping Churches thing it has caused me to You Tube up a few classic MD clips. I quickly got hooked, and now he is on regular rotation of my weekly podcasts right beside Piper, Chandler, Harris, Baitzel, and Gustavsen.

I am working thru his series on Luke and just soaking every bit up. I had originally just jumped in the middle, but my friend Tim has developed a manly love for MD as well and urged me to go back and pick it up from the beginning. I’m glad he did.

I listened yesterday to his sermon on Mary’s Song found in Luke 1:46-55. I urge you to watch or listen to the whole message, but if you are a worship leader – pay close attention to Mark’s well taken points on worshipping, even when you don’t “feel” like worshipping and even in the midst of great trial – like Mary – the Jr. High aged single mother, pregnant without a husband facing tremendous societal backlash for being an unwed pregnant woman. The weight of the situation could have crushed her – she goes to pray and unlike us (ok…ME) when we get to God in prayer we (I) usually start barfing out my problems to Him right away – forgetting completely that I need to worship God my savior for his goodness to me, his mercy, his justice, his faithfulness, his provision, his redemption of my soul thru Jesus and about a 100 other attributes that are eternal, infinite, and unchanging.

Mary gets that it’s not about her and we are called to worship the Lord with our whole lives – even when we don’t feel like it.  The best way to get yourself to feel like worshipping?  Worship anyway.  I recall what Bob Kauflin said at a seminar at WorshipGod 09 – that people often think because he is so physically expressive during worship that he is always “in the Spirit” – he commented that sometimes he doesn’t feel like worshipping at all at that particular moment, but he is instead getting himself into a proper state by “worshipping” anyway – being obedient to God and over ruling his feelings and worshiping God because of who HE is and not what he feels like. 

Mary faced HUGE pressures that most of us can never imagine – but she worshipped about it.  I loved when MD commented in the message below “What is worrying you most right now?  Have you worshipped about it?”  

We need to take our minds off of ourselves and our problems and remember who it is we are called to worship with our whole lives, even on the days when we are overcome by life.  God is worthy of eternal praise for many reasons but as it’s been said because he has created us, redeemed us, and sustained us to say the least.

As worship leaders, we need to direct people to worship God always, in all seasons of life, but we must also model that ourselves. 

How is your private worship life?  We cannot lead where we haven’t gone. Are you worshipping him privately in all of your seasons?  Even when you are hard pressed on every side?  What is worrying you most right now? Have you worshipped about it?