I was just 16 years old when The Hunk and I first met. An avid musician, he visited my little Presbyterian church in Auckland, New Zealand, whilst attending a local worship conference. I was a singer in our church’s worship team.
We were literally brought together by worship.
Up until our first missions trip, five years into our marriage, we had no real concept of sacrificial living or giving for Jesus’ sake. We were gifted in music, and ministry up until that time had meant doing something we enjoyed.
Of course, sometimes it was hard work, getting up early for pre-church service warm-up or putting in extra hours for practices. We even sang on the streets of Auckland, whilst a drunk hurled abuse at our team and kicked our speaker around.
Our music ministry was something we lived for—but we were to discover something we could die for.
A Cause to Lay Our Lives Down for
Close friends of ours had a passion for world missions, and for Asia in particular. They invited us to meetings they were hosting in Auckland. We agreed, not because we were interested, but on the basis that they asked us to minister in song!
I do not remember what the speakers talked about that night, but I do recall the display boards that had been erected for the meeting. I was drawn to one that said, ‘Church Planting in Asia.’ It captured my imagination. I did not know it then, but it was to be a cause we would give our lives to for many years to come.
During our first short-term missions trip, we met with Chinese pastors who had been imprisoned for 20-22 years; we sat in an illegal house church meeting; we met missionaries who were being harassed and abused by government officials.
In China, my strong husband broke down in cried. In the face of such sacrifice he felt that God was saying, ‘Would you do this for me?’ It was a question that shook him to the core, and not one that he could immediately answer.
A similar defining moment occurred for me days later. I had not eaten properly for days due to food poisoning, and was about to spend the night in a bamboo hut.
‘What on earth am I doing here?’ I wondered. That’s when it dawned on me. ‘I’m here because I love Jesus.’ For the first time in my life, I was doing something for God that had taken me outside of my comfort zone.
By the time we returned home, world evangelisation had moved from being a casual interest to a burning passion.
We had also discovered that at its deepest level, worship is a life of surrender and obedience for the love of Jesus.
Biblical Worship—More Than Music
The primary context in which we use the word, ‘worship,’ today, is that of music.
However, in much the same way that a rainbow consists of not one, but a spectrum of many colours, the vehicle of music and song is just one of many aspects of Biblical worship.
I long to discover all of these—or as many as I can!
What I learn about Worship:
…from Adam and Eve
Adam and Eve expressed worship through unbroken fellowship with God—in a simple and intimate love relationship with Him.
Selah—I could spend a lifetime meditating on, learning and practicing this one way of worship.
…from Abraham
It is significant that the first mention of the word ‘worship’ in the Bible is in the context of Abraham setting out to offer his son Isaac as a sacrifice. (Gen 22:3-5)
From Abraham, I learn the foundation of worship—surrender of my whole life to God, including my own agenda, passions and the people and things I love.
…from Moses
God instituted prescribed worship through the Law of Moses. This teaches me of God’s holiness.
It also reminds me of the unspeakable privilege that I have to enter His Presence by Jesus’ shed blood (Heb 10:19-22). I am awed at the price Jesus paid to restore us to face-to-face relationship with God, and the value He places upon true worship.
…from David
I long to have a heart of worship like David.
David housed the ark of God in an open tent, where—in addition to the prescribed offerings—the Levites surrounded the ark with a vibrant musical offering of praise and worship to God that went on night and day. (1 Chron 16)
David’s tabernacle is noteworthy in that it reflects and foreshadows throne room worship, where songs and profound exclamations of worship are given continually to God—24/7!
It is no wonder that there is a resurgence of this kind of worship in the church today!
…from Jesus
In the Gospels, Jesus Himself lived out every different aspect of worship. He led His disciples in songs of worship, lived in intimacy with the Father, and laid down His life—calling His followers to follow His example.
In Jesus’ teaching on worship, He reveals what is most important to God. “God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth.”
From Jesus, a challenge: I discover that there are worshippers God the Father actually seeks after. (see John 4:22-24)
I want to be that kind of worshipper.
…from Paul
In the New Testament, the Apostle Paul reiterates the role of the Holy Spirit in worship; that we are ones who ‘worship by the Spirit of God.’ (Phil 3:2)
And he brings us back to the very heart of worship—the offering of our whole lives to God:
“Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God-this is your spiritual act of worship.” Rom 12:1-2
Worship Now and in Eternity.
We have all of eternity to marvel at God’s glory, and participate in worship at the throne of God.
But there is a kind of worship that exists only this side of heaven.
- We have an opportunity to walk in intimacy and a love relationship with God when it is counter-culture to the world around us.
- We have an opportunity to sing songs of heartfelt worship in the face of days, months or years of adversity.
- We have an opportunity to surrender our whole earthly lives in love and obedience to Him.
- We also have an opportunity to lay down our lives for His cause—to fulfil the desire of the Father—that people from every tribe and nation and language may worship in eternity before the throne of God. (Rev 7:9-10)
Lord, teach me to worship.
Do you have any experiences or questions to share on this topic? I would love to hear from you. Leave a comment in the comments box below. If the comments box is not visible, click on this link and scroll down
© Helen Calder 2011 Enliven Blog
On team with David McCracken Ministries
Would you like to find out what your spiritual pathway is? I have included a simple assessment questionnaire at the end of this post.
How do YOU best Connect with God?
A spiritual pathway is a way that you commune with God most effectively and naturally. Utilising your spiritual pathway is a great tool for spiritual renewal.
I first learned about the concept of spiritual pathways reading Bill Hybel’s book, Courageous Leadership.
In the chapter, ‘The Leader’s Pathway’, Bill concisely outlines 7 pathways. [1]
I immediately recognised myself in three of these:
1. Worship Pathway
Fresh new worship gives voice to what is on my heart and helps me experience intimacy with Jesus. It is a means of being personally refilled with the Holy Spirit.
A new worship CD, discovery of an anointed song on YouTube or iTunes, especially if it is ‘Live’ worship, refreshes and uplifts me spiritually.
2. Contemplative Pathway
Introverted by nature I love my ‘cave times’ with God. I enjoy spending time alone, praying and reflecting with my Bible and journal—accompanied, of course, by my current favourite worship music.
3. Creation Pathway
Give me wide, open spaces where I can appreciate the beauty of creation, and I am refuelled beyond measure.
My favourite pictures consist of scenic photography and on my computer’s Desktop are inspiring pictures of nature’s beauty.
The Hunk, not surprisingly, is completely different from me in the way he connects best with God. His pathways are:
4. The Activist
My hubby has to be on a mission, fired up for a cause and spreading the fire. One of his favourite sayings used to be, ‘Two thirds of God’s Name is ‘Go.’ Of course, that phrase used to rile this Contemplative up!
5. Relational Pathway
No lone silent retreats for him—The Hunk takes his big strides forward when sharing and praying with other people.
Creation Pathway.
Yes, we do both share this pathway—and are blessed by times spent alone and together in the Great Outdoors!
There are two pathways I haven’t shared here. These are:
6. Serving (Caregiving) Pathway
I have a friend who has a serving pathway—feeling fulfilled and connected to God best when she is busy serving.
7. Intellectual Pathway
Identifying this as a pathway helped me understand a friend who loves hanging out with huge texts and books from ‘Thinkers’ in church history.
Others are Different
Discovering the concept of spiritual pathways has helped me to get closer to God. It has also helped me to appreciate that others do not connect to God the same way that I do.
I have learned not to place expectations on my husband, for example.
I have also learned that my spiritual pathway (or that of others) is NOT a sign of spirituality or Christian maturity.
Not Being Limited by Spiritual Pathways
As with other tools, such as personality and spiritual gift identification, spiritual pathways has been criticised by some as ‘putting people in a box.’
Personally, I think we should see the concept of spiritual pathways as a starting point, not a limitation, to perceive and discover the way God has wired each of us to uniquely commune with him.
How to use Your Spiritual Pathway to be Refilled with the Holy Spirit
Identifying my spiritual pathways helped me experience renewal when I was suffering from ministry burnout. Like other efforts related to my Christian life, devotional times had become a labour and a duty. I simply had nothing left to give to any task.
When I realised I needed to take deliberate action to be refuelled, I reviewed my spiritual pathways.
Recognising the value of my creation pathway, I began to schedule whole days to go out in the wilds, where I would pray and worship. I would return from these days feeling revitalised and refilled. This simple exercise contributed to my recovery.
Spiritual Pathways Resources:
Bill Hybels’ helpful summary of spiritual pathways draws from Gary Thomas’ book, Sacred Pathways. [2] Gary Thomas adds several other pathways to the mix. These include:
- Traditionalists—loving God through ritual and symbol
- Ascetics
- Enthusiasts
John Ortberg has picked up the concept of spiritual pathways in his book, “God Is Closer Than You Think.”
John Ortberg & Ruth Barton include an assessment based on the above 7 common pathways in their resource, ‘An Ordinary Day With Jesus’
This questionnaire, which I don’t have personally, but was utilised in my church, was helpful. However, I did find their emphasis on the corporate (church) context rather than personal devotional life—especially in the worship pathway—a little disappointing.
A Questionnaire To Help You Discover Your Spiritual Pathway
Following is a simple checklist that can help identify your spiritual pathway, using the 7 pathways described in Bill Hybel’s book, Courageous Leadership [1].
On a scale of 1 to 5, with one being ‘least describes me’ and 5 being ‘most describes me’, label the following points in each group.
Add up your scores and see which pathways you score highest in. These may be your preferred spiritual pathways. Note that like me, you may have more than one.
For a more comprehensive questionnaire, especially if you are leading a group, check out John Ortberg and Ruth Barton’s resource ‘An Ordinary Day With Jesus.’
Relational
- I love to pray with others and feel God’s presence more when I’m praying with others than when I’m doing it alone.
- I would rather do Bible study & journal with others than alone. I thrive on the discussion that comes out of these times together.
- I love worshipping alongside others
- It is hard for me to have solitary devotional times; I’d much rather be seeking God with others around me, spurring me on (& vice versa!)
Intellectual
- I feel closest to God when my mind is fully engaged
- Give me an intellectually stimulating book any time!
- My best devotional times with God have me poring over commentaries and studying the Bible
- I love research & study; it brings me closer to God
Service / Caregiving
- I feel closest to God when I’m serving
- I feel fulfilled when I’m doing voluntary work
- I am most aware of God’s presence when I’m doing something for Him
- I am happiest when worshipping God by helping others
Contemplative
- I love to spend time in solitude, and busyness drains me
- have a large capacity for prayer and for private worship
- I am a deep thinker; there’s usually a lot going on inside me!
- I would like to put boundaries around my schedule so that I can spend more time alone with God
Creation
- I feel close to God when I’m surrounded by the beauty of nature
- My best devotion times have been moments when I’ve been on a walk, or looking at a view, or staring out to sea…
- The wonders of creation leave me in awe of God
- I love to spend time in the Great Outdoors; that’s where I feel most connected to God
Worship
- I feel closest to God when I’m worshipping Him
- Putting on worship tapes or CD’s add life to my devotional times with God
- I love worship times in the church services; that’s when I feel I touch God
- If I lack opportunities to spend time in worship, I start to feel dry.
Activist
- I feel close to God when I am engaged in ministry at a fast pace
- I am a person of action!
- I thrive spiritually in a highly challenging environment
- I connect with God best when I’m using every ounce of energy to serve Him!
[1] Bill Hybels, Courageous Leadership, 2002, Zondervan, Grand rapids, Michigan
[2] Gary Thomas, Sacred Pathways, 1996, Zondervan, Grand rapids, Michigan
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Related posts:
How Using Your Learning Style Can Revitalise Your Bible Study
Spiritual Renewal: Café Moments With God
Spiritual Renewal: How to Receive an Impartation of The Holy Spirit
When Your Devotional Life Is Dry: How to Fall in Love With the Bible Again
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© Helen Calder Enliven Publishing
