I was thinking today about the word worship. And how some people describe their Sunday morning gathering as a worship service. It doesn’t feel quite right to me. At Spiritual Soul Center, that’s not what we do…worship. I looked up the definition and found this: religious reverence and homage, deep respect tinged with awe. Often it seems, in the religious sense, this is directed toward a being (God?) or a person (Jesus?).
But Jesus didn’t say “worship me,” he said “follow me.” Big difference, right? He said “do the things I do.” So, what did Jesus do, how did he treat people, what did he teach, who did he hang out with? What did he demonstrate so that we might follow?
Jesus taught simply…love one another. He healed the suffering…he made time for them and did not ignore their needs. He demonstrated love for those who opposed him. He said…love your enemies, let them bring out the best in you. He wanted us to know that we are here to be the light and to be generous with our lives. Check out Matthew 5 in the Message Bible.
It’s easier to worship than it is to follow. To follow takes effort, awareness, kindness, humility, courage and willingness to change. It means considering the big picture…not just how life is going for me. It takes trust because the world tells us to use our mind…and ‘follow me’ wants us to use our heart.
When I stop to think about it…great teachers are in the “follow me” camp. Not so many in the “worship me” place.
Following the best I can.
Paula
