Monday, January 14, 2008

worship

i wrote this a little over a month ago when i got to work one morning (relax, i get to work an hour early so i wasn't totally ignoring my classes... ha). i kept forgetting to email it to myself so i could post it here. i have to do that since anything fun and entertaining (myspace, facebook, blogs) are blocked by the klein isd filters.

i was thinking about worship on the way to work this morning. I was listening to a CD that i burned with only 4 songs on it. i was too lazy to add more the other night, yet i wanted to burn it so that i could listen to a couple of my new favorite worship songs. one of the songs is “Jesus paid it all.” this is an old hymn (words written by elvina hall in 1865) revived, very recently, by Christian artist kristian stanfill. these are some amazing lyrics.

it reminds me of something that was said by our new worship pastor at TBC a couple weeks ago. at least i think it was him that said it… i racked my brain this morning and i’m thinking it was him. anyhow. he said there are two thoughts on the idea that some worship leaders lead their congregation to repeat the same stanza or phrase over and over. some feel it’s repetitive. some feel it’s more of a meditation on the words. to be honest, i’ve never really had an opinion on it, simply because i enjoy singing. and a lot of times, i am in a state of praise and worship and i am meditating on the words. i guess i’ve kind of done that subconsciously so it’s never really been “annoying” or “repetitive”. still, his words stuck with me. and i began to analyze the lyrics this morning in the bridge of this song as stanfill repeated them multiple times. it’s the most passionate part of the song. the part where he (and i, while i'm singing) cry out to God.

o praise the One who paid my debt
praise, exalt, honor, celebrate, love the one -- jesus, my savior, messiah – who paid my debt – my debt, my death. he didn’t pay my library fine. he experienced the death i deserve. he was hung on a cross. with nails in his hands and feet. he wore a crown of thorns. a CROWN of thorns. we easily get annoyed when we walk too closely and brush against a vine with a couple thorns. he had hundreds of thorns on his head. his forehead. not one of the most callused areas, in fact a pretty tender area of flesh. yet, he did ALL of that – for me. so that i wouldn’t have to.

and raised this life up from the dead
he breathed life into a soul that was lost, lonely, dead. so that i should live for him. why wouldn’t i give him my all when he paid the ultimate sacrifice for me. my soul should continually rejoice and praise him. i am not dead. i am alive in Jesus Christ. my God. my Savior.

isn't that simply amazing? and beautiful?

i’m a visual person. i learn by visual prompts and i do better with maps than i do written instructions. so, i guess it makes sense that while i am singing and worshipping, i visualize in my head. i tend to "see" the lyrics in my head in pictures. or sometimes i just picture myself at the feet of jesus or at the throne of God. so, borrowing another favorite lyric, if you see me in church "with my hands lifted high to the sky, when the world wonders why, i'll just tell them i'm loving my King!"

1 comment:

Pastor Andrew said...

Thanks for sharing this! I want to hear that song now.