Wide-eyed Wonder

“I tell you the truth, anyone who doesn't receive the Kingdom of God like a child will never enter it." (Mark 10:15)

One of the things I miss about having little children is the constant wide-eyed wonder with which they journey through the world. Everything is new, everything is amazing and everything is mysterious. If there were a single word that most adults would do well to relearn from their childhood it’s probably “Wow”.

But somehow, as the years move on, as we learn more about how the world works, as we get hurt and tired and each day becomes a stumble through the routines that keep us alive, we grow cynical. It’s common to hear adults mock the optimism and possibilities of youth. It feels rare to find a grown up who still really believes in anything meaningful in a way that actually affects how they live. It’s like skepticism, pessimism and despair have come to be seen as the marks of someone who is really in touch with reality. If we have really become adults, if we really function properly in society, then we should always be suspicious, always be disillusioned.

In the words of Jesus we find a different way of living. Jesus recognised that when we lose our sense of wonder, when we stop being awed by the world, we lose an important part of what it means to be human and to be fully alive. When we can no longer appreciate beauty, joy, creativity, mystery, newness, and playfulness, our lives are little more than existence. We are no longer truly living.

If there is any spiritual practice that can reawaken wonder and inspire our sense of possibility again, it is the act of praise. As we gather for worship, and we make the choice to focus on God’s glory, beauty, grace, compassion, majesty and love, we are changed by the vision of God we receive. As we express our praise, we are drawn into a new awareness of all that there is around us and within us to adore. We begin to learn to see God’s presence and extravagant creativity not just in church, but in every moment and every place. We discover that there is so much to be surprised by, there is so much to be moved by, there is so much that can stop us in our tracks and leave us breathless with wonder and amazement. And we discover how inspiring and energising it is to recognise and really notice the glory in our lives and our world, and to express our awe in words and actions of praise.

If your heart is becoming heavy, if your spirit is becoming dry, then there is no better remedy than to turn to God in praise and allow God’s Spirit to open your eyes and your soul to the luminous Presence of God, the glowing beauty of creativity, and the life-giving attitude of wonder that is your natural, human state. And once you have opened the doors, you will discover that there is reason to praise in every situation and every moment in which you find yourself.
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John van de Laar is a Methodist minister, liturgical consultant and the author of the book Food for the Road – Life Lesson from the Lord’s Table. He holds a Master’s Degree in theology from UNISA, and is the founder of Sacredise.com, an international worship training and resourcing ministry. John is married to Debbie, and they have two sons.

Visit www.sacredise.com for more articles by John, as well as resources for personal and public worship – music, prayers, liturgies, images and drama scripts.

Worship for the Long Haul

It’s an instant world we live in. If our needs aren’t met immediately we get frustrated. Longevity has lost it’s attraction. We upgrade our cell phones every two years wishing it was sooner. We measure companies quarterly, and we choose our activities by the instant rush we hope to receive. It’s an instant world, which has given us so many benefits, but there’s a sting in the tail.

In the realm of spirituality, ‘instant’ doesn’t cut it. If we want a deep and fulfilling relationship with God, if we long to grow into the people we are meant to be, if we hope to make a positive difference in the world, this is going to take time and commitment. In spite of the promises in the books on the self-help shelves, no one becomes whole, healthy and spiritually strong overnight. And when I read a review of a book that promises to teach its readers to meditate like a Buddhist monk in just 30 days, I can’t resist the sorrow that floods me. I weep for those who sell themselves short by treating their most authentic selves, and their connection with the creator, like something you buy at a fast food outlet.

Unfortunately the culture of the instant has infiltrated our churches. While I love contemporary worship music, I worry when the music becomes the focus of our efforts. I love technology and I believe in using it in worship, but I know how seductive it can be, and how it can divert us into instant gratification, rather than the long, slow road of spiritual development. When we measure our worship by the goose bumps we feel, or by how well the band mimicked the latest worship CD, or by how dramatic the video production was, we have missed the point. We may feel an instant reward, but our souls have suffered the malnourishment of spiritual fast food.

At the start of a New Year we have a wonderful opportunity. We can make a commitment to long haul spirituality. Instead of measuring our worship by the weekly experience, let’s commit ourselves to waiting until the end of the year. And then, let’s judge our worship by how we have changed - by how we have become a little more like Jesus in his love for God and the world. Each week as we come to worship, let’s open ourselves, not to the instant gratification of a thrilling experience, but to the slow nurturing of a weekly discipline that will, sometimes, be thrilling, but, sometimes challenging, and sometimes just quiet and ordinary.

At the start of the New Year is a good time to reaffirm two profound truths about our worship. First, worship is not about what we do in church, but about how what we do in church changes the way we live when we’re not in church. Second, worship is not a weekly “fix” to uplift us and carry us through the week until our next “fix”. It is a discipline that we embrace with commitment and faithfulness, so that, through repeated practice over time, we are changed so that the world is better off for our presence.

Now that’s a resolution worth making.

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John van de Laar is a Methodist minister, liturgical consultant and the author of the book Food for the Road – Life Lesson from the Lord’s Table. He holds a Master’s Degree in theology from UNISA, and is the founder of Sacredise.com, an international worship training and resourcing ministry. John is married to Debbie, and they have two sons.

Visit www.sacredise.com for more articles by John, as well as resources for personal and public worship – music, prayers, liturgies, images and drama scripts.