The (Exciting) Life of Worship

"Now concerning spiritual gifts, brothers I do not want you to be uninformed. You know that when you were pagans you were led astray to mute idols however you were led." (1 Corinthians 12:1-2)

In Paul's instruction to the church concerning the desire for and application of Spiritual Gifts, Ministries, and Activities, he reminds them first of the mindless, redundant, ritualistic dead worship of idols. Serving an idol previously meant going to a temple or location at a set time and going through a traditional set of rituals, such were dead, had no life, variety or change. But serving the living God by serving one another was the new order of worship for the church! I was really struck by this reality as we served at the orphanage this past week. Worship was not a mindless bowing before a statue with incense burning. Worship was playing a game of soccer with the orphans. Worship was the stroke of a paint brush, a roll of the roller in the presence of friends, laughing, joking, and enjoying fellowship. Worship was the application of fresh wax on a floor, with the memorable (funny in hindsight) uninformed orphan walking right through. Worship was the creative challenge of coming up with, drawing and painting a backdrop for a children's play next month. I was simply reminded this week that worshipping the true living God is adventurous, exciting, and always changing. How much more should we desire and live out a life of worship as our God intended!

Going South of the Border

Well it is the eve of yet another mission endeavor, and I am excited to include my beautiful wife and my son on the next short term journey to south of the border to Rancho Milagro. Brayden has been begging me to take him on a mission journey and it has always been my dream to expose my own children to "The Real World." No matter how "hard" times are for Americans, it still doesn't compare to the reality of the other 94% population of the world. It is my hope and my prayer that Brayden and myself, seeing other children who don't have parents and witnessing again first hand their standard of living would forever make an impression moving us have deeper compassion and renewed commitment to serve Christ by serving orphans, which truly is pure and undefiled religion.