a walk on the *wild worship* side

In case you hadn't noticed, I had myself a case of brain-freeze last week. The "going to bed at a reasonable hour to get up at an unreasonable hour" I'd mentioned in Sunday's post seemed to do the trick.

I'd begun a post last week that just wasn't moving (brain-freeze does that sort of thing). After looking at it again, I thought I'd give it a second shot. The post might be a tad outside your comfort zone, especially if you consider loud music and hand-raising living on the edge...

Speaking of The Edge, we're now back to U2 and rightly so! Many, many, many years ago I saw them in concert; the show was INCREDIBLE. I'm sure many of you can relate, having seen your favorite artists performing live; the experience likely mirrored this:

The hootin' & hollerin', tears, and screaming are just par for the course. At least at a rock concert. Pull something like that in church and people call you FREAKY. Interesting, isn't it? We are called to love God with all our heart, soul, strength, and mind (Luke 10:27)... yet, we'd best not be gettin' too excited about it.

At least, that's what our culture says.

In my quest for all that is hip, cool & extreme, I haven't always followed the conventions of society. Perhaps that's why I dyed my hair orange and stole my dad's clothes in high school, wore bedhead as a fashion statement in my early twenties, and endured four hours of torture annually to achieve a look similar to this in my late-twenties/early thirties.

As for music, having been involved in the local band scene for many years I'd grown accustomed all sorts of creative expression. Dancing, clapping, singing along, swooning, and an occasional squeal of delight were commonplace. I never bat an eye at any of it. That is, until I saw it in church.

And then God began poking at me. Why can't I be as excited about Him as I am my favorite band? Over time, I began to realize there were many styles of worship; some more expressive than others. I stopped looking at what others were doing and instead began to focus on what God wanted me to do.

Of course, the Bible has a lot to say about praise and worship as well; here are several verses that speak to me:

I will be glad and rejoice in you; I will sing praise to your name, O Most High. Psalm 9:2

Shout for joy to the LORD, all the earth. Worship the LORD with gladness; come before him with joyful songs. Know that the LORD is God. It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, the sheep of his pasture. Psalm 100:1-3

I will perpetuate your memory through all generations; therefore the nations will praise you for ever and ever. Psalm 45:17

I will praise you as long as I live, and in your name I will lift up my hands. Psalm 63:4

My soul will be satisfied as with the richest of foods; with singing lips my mouth will praise you. Psalm 63:5

Praise the LORD, for the LORD is good; sing praise to his name, for that is pleasant. Psalm 135:3

Let them praise his name with dancing and make music to him with tambourine and harp. Psalm 149:3

O LORD, you are my God; I will exalt you and praise your name, for in perfect faithfulness you have done marvelous things, things planned long ago. Isaiah 25:1

Worship the LORD with gladness; come before him with joyful songs. Psalm 100:2

With that being said, try taking a peek at this music video with fresh eyes:

Blessed by Darlene Zschech