A community of creative, emergent Christ-followers

Monday, April 03, 2006

Sidewalk Service

How do we offer praise and worship to the Lord? We can paint a picture. We can dance. We can write a poem or recite prose of our favorite author. We can sing a song or shout for joy. We can jump and run. All of these, me being the artist I am, are very good things. God planted creativity inside of mankind. It is the defining nature of who we are.

Creative praise and worship is in my comfort zone. I know that sometimes when I assign a task to make artful worship, people freak. But it comes so naturally to me. It is an extension of who I am.

Today I tried something totally different, quite by accident. Today I wasn't the one making a tribute to God. I was a passive worshipper. I sat back and let God do the amazing work. Today I lay down on my sidewalk and waited for a ride to come get me. I closed my eyes and let the spring sun soak into me. The warmth was medicinal. The orange glow of the sun was so bright that I could see it through the darkness of my closed eyes. I lay there and I just felt God. I didn't really pray. It was more like walking in a darkened room. I reached out the feelers of my spirit and touched God.

It was SO GOOD! It made me feel filled up. So as I reflect on this experience, I realize that there is a lesson in that time I spent lying on the sidewalk. When we are in the darkness, His awesome presence still shines through. Sometimes we have to stop and get our bearings and relocate Him... But His light is still there.

Go seek the Lord today. Worship Him in songs and creative endeavors like the arts. But also take a moment to lay back and let the work of the Lord draw you nearer to Him.

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