Come, let us bow down in worship, let us kneel before the Lord our Maker;*
If you have ever paddled the quiet waters of a remote lake, gently placing the blades into the water so as not to churn the stillness around you…
If you have ever chanced upon the grandeur of a mountain vista or a verdant valley or the deep crimson of a desert sunset and found yourself quietly absorbing the beauty…
If you have ever held a newborn, warm and taking his first few breaths, and had no words to utter…
… you are familiar with the feelings that overtake you as you truly enter the presence of the Living God.
Many a sanctuary this coming Sunday will be filled, not with awful, prayerful silence overwhelmed by the presence of God, but the noise of a hundred casual conversations that grow slowly louder as more of the brethren enter the room. Bibles will remain closed, guitars will be tuned, and children will play.
As if God will appear at the appointed hour, like the train from Bakersfield, and all we need to do is to be there to meet Him.
Reverence is the first lesson in learning to kneel. This requires a change of attitude and a soul attuned to the Omnipresent God rather than the culturally popular Compartmentalized God. My next post will begin here, unpacking the twin threads of omnipresence and reverence and noting how a heightened awareness of both can radically change our times of worship. This coming Sunday however, enter your sanctuary or meeting room and try sitting quietly, making yourself aware of His enveloping presence. Pray for the service. Pray for the visiting family sitting behind you. Pray a Psalm. See if others follow your lead as the moments tick by toward the first notes of a song. See if your preparation hasn’t brought minutely closer to the throne.
Grace and peace to you.
*Psalm 95:6
image Joshua Conley
