[Worship] Re: Expressive Praise & Worship

[p.philbin@attbi.com]

I am probably guilty of generalizing, so forgive me in advance.  The ladies 
seem to be able to express themselves in worship much more so then us guys.  
One time I heard our pastor mention that God isn't so much into demanding us 
into a particular posture, but rather that WE need it, to basically remove 
ourselves.  "Aint no rock, gonna praise in my place..."

While it is ultimately a matter of the heart, and it must be active in the 
closet, expressive worship, whether at home or corporately brings freedom to 
worship without restraint.  

I wouldn't gauge how the worship is going off of the same "brothers" who 
apparently have been baptized in lemon juice.  You have a lot of elements 
working in a corporate setting; Sin, guilt, tiredness, dreamers, baby bottles, 
who's wearing what, the sound guy turned the volume too high....etc.  Tell me 
the number of times when you thought that worship set stunk, when after the 
service someone blesses your socks off and tells you that was the most 
annointed service they'd ever been to.  I think that shows how little we have 
to do with it.

While expressive worship is, hopefully, an outward expression of what's going 
on in the inside, don't be fooled into believing that because everyone is 
dancing and hootin' and hollarin' that that quantifies a pleasing odour unto 
God.  Going through the motions is just that, and there are a lot of masks out 
there.....  On the other hand, bringing the sacrafice of praise, when you 
don't 'feel' like it, is something that is applicable here.  Countless times 
when I felt down and in no 'mood' to praise Him because I goofed up royally, 
yet He is still worthy, and I'm a work in progress.  So as I begin to give Him 
the sacrifice of praise, with and without expressive gestures, when liberty 
comes and revelation of His abundant love overwhelms me, it turns not into a 
chore, but a joy to praise and worship Him.  "You have turned, my mourning into 
dancing...."

Expressive worship helps me, get delivered from me, that I might rightly offer 
my all to Him, in submission to His will and simply at awe at His great love 
for a mi-nute worm.  Oh for the grace and love of God.....

-Pat

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