On the Necessity of Right Worship...Even if We're Not Axe-Murdering

Last week I was in an anxiety-induced fog. I was so dazed and confused, I didn't even realize I was dazed and confused.

And then Sunday morning rolled around. And I strolled into worship and I had an epiphany: I needed to worship. Desperately.

I desperately needed to worship Jesus because my heart had been fixed on tasks and challenges and people and not on God in any of it. Last week God was something I checked off in the morning before moving onto my real day--like brushing my teeth. I spent a little time in Scripture, a little time praying, and then it was on to the things that really mattered that day.

It wasn't like I was out recreationally axe-murdering. I was just doing my thing, getting stuff done.

But as I put my head down and got to work and forgot who and what I was supposed to be worshipping a funny thing happened: I started worshipping the work. I stopped worshipping God. And as that happened, the work became a curse to me rather than a blessing.

People were made to worship. If you're alive, you're breathing, your heart is beating, and you're worshipping something--probably a mulititude of somethings.

So I was worshipping all the wrong stuff. So Sunday morning, I needed to get re-oriented--repentance is the old word for that. I needed to worship at the right places.

I grabbed a hold of everything offered--every word of every song was life or death to me. I needed to worship God. If I didn't take God up on his offer through the worship leader to enter in with all my heart, I would leave there still stuck in my sin.

And a funny thing happened: repentance lightened my load. I came out of the worship experience refreshed because I was re-centered on what I was supposed to worship. This is what repentance is always supposed to be about, though it's sometimes talked about heavy-handidly and therefore doesn't offer the life it's supposed to.

As I end this week, I'm grateful for the gift of last Sunday. Last Sunday's corporate worship experience blessed me every day this week. And I'm thankful for the gift of repentance and for the gift of worship, re-routed to the right place.