that state of continual worship // tune my heart to sing Thy praise

no place i would rather be.  no place i would rather be.  no place i would rather be, than here in Your love, here in Your love.

set a fire down in my soul that i can't contain, that i can't control - i want more of You, God, i want more of You, God.

{set a fire - will reagan and united pursuit - if you haven't heard this song, go forth onto youtube :) }

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so simple, so powerful.  that's what worship is.  it shouldn't be complicated, or selfish.  we've all heard the sincere pleas to keep worship simple - and they're so right.  worship is about relationships - actually, a relationship - with our God.  we worship individually (when we're at home, lying on the bed with earphones in, blasting Oceans by Hillsong), and we also worship with fellow believers.  but the very definition of worship has to do with our hearts.  our worship is not about making people happy and appealing to every crowd and their musical desires.  as my choir director says, it's about laying all our opinions, preferences, and selfishness at the foot of the cross and joining together in worship.  it's not about us.  it's about Him.  and the state of our heart is a big deal - bigger than what kind of music we're making.  

we also have to be careful not to get too comfortable in our worship - for "God is in heaven and you are on earth, so let your words be few" (Ecclesiastes 5:2b).  we have to be aware and in awe of God's holiness, responding with fear and trembling, "guard[ing] your steps when you go to the house of God. Go near to listen rather than to offer the sacrifice of fools, who do not know that they do wrong.  Do not be quick with your mouth, do not be hasty in your heart to utter anything before God" (Ecclesiastes 5:1-2a).

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Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth!

You have set your glory in the heavens.

When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is mankind that you are mindful of them, human beings that you care for them?

Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth!

{Psalm 8:1, 3-4, 9}

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during Christmas week, my family watched The Nativity Story.  it was so powerful, and as i talked to a friend about it, i realized why it moved me so much.  "Honestly, just seeing the reality of it - of Jesus' birth and the effects of it on people - were powerful.  To be able to see it (even in a movie) rather than just imagine it, you know?  It sounds simple but it truly was powerful.  And to watch Mary and her heart grow in obedience.  I could tangibly feel her relief when she found out that Elizabeth knew what was going on and she could share the secret with her.  I loved watching how Mary and Joseph learned to love each other, as a set of actions, instead of "being in love" with each other.  They shared their fears, their happiness, their wonder.  And I guess it was wonder that was so important.  Our Christmas carols are sung with so much boredom and so little wonder: we don't even understand - can't even comprehend -  what the powerful words mean!  The movie just portrayed the story simply, yet in such a powerful way that brought it to life and restored awe in such an indescribable event."

and the very day we watched this movie, i heard a song by Leeland called "I Wonder."  it's totally worth looking up :)

anyway, to get back to my main point (which I haven't even made yet, because I was busy tangent-ing ;), lately, i've been feeling a desire for worship.  more specifically, continual worship.  wanting more of the peace that inevitably comes when we surrender to God in song.  as my sermon notes from church say, "worship gives us the opportunity to push aside the world for a while and gaze upon the face of God" - to "set your minds on things above, not on earthly things" (Colossians 3:2).  the feeling of always being in sync with God - the attitude of always having our hearts in the right place.

as i thought more about this, i imagine it consisting of three things:
1. keeping my mind fixed on heavenly things (Colossians 3:2 - "Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.")
2. having an ongoing conversation with Jesus throughout the day
3. playing a worship song in my head + heart at any given moment.

when i start to learn about what God wants in my life, i'm always amazed at how much He cares about teaching me.  how concerned and involved He is, how He is working in my life.  in the past few months, i've seen so many things related to worship.  i felt this hunger for worship, to make music, to soak in the words and feel how powerfully they relate to my life; my high school choir director spoke about his job at his church and what it means to lead a congregation in worship; my pastor started a sermon series during the advent season about worship and the very first Christmas carols - those of Mary and Zachariah in Luke.  i've also been thinking of a worship leader's keeping of a delicate balance to come with a pure heart ready to worship just as the congregation does, so as to not solely perform the music, and how it must be a very difficult role - one needing continual accountability and reflection of the heart.

Ephesians 5:18b-20
"...be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another with psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit.  Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks..."

being filled with the Spirit, having a song on my heart at all times, with a grateful attitude, and my mind fixed on heavenly things.  a spirit of worship.

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oceans {where feet may fail} hillsong
how He loves david crowder band
hope is what we crave for king and country
pray sanctus real
remain royal tailor
at the foot of the cross klaus feat. kari jobe
this is amazing grace phil wickham
at Your Name {Yahweh, Yahweh} phil wickham
lead me to the cross hillsong/brooke fraser
hosanna hillsong/brooke fraser
never gone colton dixon
give me Jesus fernando ortega
here with us joy williams
cornerstone hillsong
set a fire will reagan and united pursuit
i wonder leeland