Thursday, June 20, 2013

Is My Worship More than a Song- the Heart of the restless

Last week, I wrote a couple posts, *well one then one to clarify*

Some could have seen them as complaining or critical even of the church.

Really, that wasn't the intent.

The driving force behind it was something strong and powerful.
Something very real in my soul. Something I haven't quite been able to put a label on.

Until now.

Restlessness.

Since January (for awhile before that but to a much lesser degree, an inkling of what it is now) I have wrestled with restlessness.

You see January wasn't the start of a New Year for me, my husband, our family. But the start of a New Life.

God stepped in and picked up the little terrarium the Carey family lives in and gave it a good shake...for about a month and a half.

Nothing notable happened in the worldly realm of our lives in that time period.

Nothing fantastic, nothing tragic.

None of the ordinary outside forces that typically will shake a life -spiritual or not.

No nothing except

God stepped in.

And he shook.

And he shook.

And we quaked.

We quaked with the realization that He was calling us to so much more.

That He wasn't just calling us to more, He was giving the start of our journey of more in calling us to adopt.


As if that were not enough we knew even then that it was just a beginning for us.

Adoption wasn't just one act to be completed for our King then rest on our laurels.

He was not asking a duty of us .

He was requiring us.

All of us.

He was changing our very view of life.

Of our walk with Him.

No longer were to just sit in a church doing the good church things.

We are to get out and do what He tells us to - clearly, unquestionably in His Word.

With that eye opening time, a moment in our lives where it seemed like God came into our very house himself daily, the presence was so unmistakable and strong, our mindsets changed.

We  both hunger for more.
For purpose.
For usefulness.

We. Are Restless.

It is not just us.
We aren't special.

We are made from the same cloth of failure and redemption as any one of our blood bought family.

We are all called to be restless.

God, Jesus, never intended for us to become satisfied while living here.

Jesus told us we would do greater things than he. (not us personally in case you aren't familiar, but all of us, read it yourself : )

Of course, we have to actually try...

What Im realizing is that so many of us are being led to seek something deeper. Something that propels us beyond the pew and into the world.

Many Christian leaders are remarking on a new moving of the Holy Spirit, one that is mobilizing God's people to DO not just be.

Within that movement and the people its affecting there is a struggle.

So many are hitting road blocks within their church as many who

 "crave the good wine of the kingdom but grapple with the old wineskins, eager to find forms that are  able to stretch and contain the fresh movement of the Holy Spirit in our generation" (Jen Hatmaker)

We feel this call upon our lives, an aching in our hearts to do more and are coming up frustrated restrained by the church as yet unwilling to stretch and see past business as usual.

Not every church is like this, some have leadership who run the church as a force to reach people and enact change rather than a place to accommodate Christians, but many more still see the Christian life as teaching people how to be good people, following the rules and making that the focus. If you just smile at work and let people know youre a Christian, well you've run the good race.

But there's more.

And those of us who have been awakened to that can't help but feel restless.

(notice I put "us" in a passive role because it is nothing good in us but it is the spirit of God doing the work)

Church is good and still needed in the same way it has always been. But we need more than a few sermons and songs.

To us we want our worship to be more than a song.

Our lives, are the worship God requires.


The multitude of your sacrifices—
    what are they to me?” says the Lord.
“I have more than enough of burnt offerings,
    of rams and the fat of fattened animals;
I have no pleasure
    in the blood of bulls and lambs and goats.
12 When you come to appear before me,
    who has asked this of you,
    this trampling of my courts?
13 Stop bringing meaningless offerings!
    Your incense is detestable to me.
New Moons, Sabbaths and convocations
    I cannot bear your worthless assemblies.
14 Your New Moon feasts and your appointed festivals
    I hate with all my being.
They have become a burden to me;
    I am weary of bearing them.
15 When you spread out your hands in prayer,
    I hide my eyes from you;
even when you offer many prayers,
    I am not listening.
Your hands are full of blood!
16 Wash and make yourselves clean.
    Take your evil deeds out of my sight;
    stop doing wrong.
 
17 Learn to do right; seek justice.
    Defend the oppressed.[a]
Take up the cause of the fatherless;
    plead the case of the widow.

Isaiah 1:11-17

Incidentally, this is the passage that nearly brought my husband to his knees in tears in church the day that we had confirmed without a doubt that we were being called to adopt.

Read the whole chapter. While its not about America, its about God's people and the parallels to our country today are staggering.

God isn't interested in our traditions, in the pomp and circumstance of our services.

He wants pure worship.
And what does he see as pure worship?


17 Learn to do right; seek justice.
    Defend the oppressed.[a]
Take up the cause of the fatherless;
    plead the case of the widow.


and again

James 1:27

Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.

Our God is good and loving. He doesn't hide His desires from us only to scold us for not following through.

He is clear.

While we cannot earn our salvation through works our faith without them is dead.

We can still go to heaven through the sacrifice of His Son, but what will we have to say for ourselves?

1 Corinthians 3
12 If anyone builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, 13 their work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each person’s work. 14 If what has been built survives, the builder will receive a reward. 15 If it is burned up, the builder will suffer loss but yet will be saved—even though only as one escaping through the flames.

I don't want to escape through the flames. Do you?

I want my work to be found to be built on costly stones, gold, silver. I want my work to be lasting, eternal  to bring glory to God.

We live once, then we meet God. - Jennie Allen

Live this life to its potential so that when we meet God we have no regrets.

Lets live this faith out, and out loud not to bring attention for us, for we all know we are nothing, it is He in us.

Lets take our faith from the church doors and out into the public where it belongs.

Where Jesus took it.

...you will do greater things....

Lets not work against our pastors but with them.

Our churches need to be better about mobilizing their people, teaching them how to get out and walk this faith in a real authentic way. How to minister to people, where, forming  contacts where their people can be serve. The church needs to help us get out and living this faith and walking it in deed not just word.

BUT

We need to let them know we are willing to be used!

How many pastors feel so frustrated preaching the same thing over and over again while the sheep stare back at them with blank expressions and then shake hands with their brothers and sisters and head to lunch?

Our pastors love us and they love our God and they are beat up continually as they try and make us realize these truths. That our walk with Christ is not a religion, its a relationship. Its real. Its meant to be lived. That we have been given a power that we deny. That if we got hold of that power and yielded to it, we could change the world for Christ.

So we have to reach out to our leadership and let them know we are willing, ready to be molded and filled and poured out as a sacrifice.

Let them know you hear them, you agree with them and that God has moved upon you to action.

Let them know you want to help in whatever way you can.

Our pastors are called to lead us but they  are not called to do everything on their own.

The Church's role is to facilitate in walking this walk but we need to be willing to walk it.

We will all be held accountable for what we have done or not done on our own.

"Our church didn't do those things" will not be accepted as a viable reason not to do the things Jesus called us to so plainly and clearly.

If your church doesn't do these things, and is not open to start something within the frame work of the church, you do it anyway.
 Blaze your own trail.
You wont go alone.
 God will bring people along side you facing the same opposition and aching from the same passions.

Who knows what God maybe calling you out to accomplish, what may be started with that first step.

If we all work together things will change. Great things will happen.

It will take sacrifice, but Jesus calls for nothing less than taking up our cross daily and following Him.

 
If you are looking for like minded people check any of the ladies that are starting this, movement, I guess is the best word for it.

IF

From their site
 
We are a generation who craves the uncomfortable – we will wrestle with hard questions and not know all the answers. We will invest in one another and represent the Church to a generation that needs God.
 
If God is real Then how do we live

Keep making Me
 
Live Like That
 
wrecking ball
 
 

Help Me Find it


This album is like the soundtrack of my life right now.

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