Light Bulb Moments

Passionate Worship

When The Light Bulb Went Off!

“The Word, Passionate, expresses an intense desire, an ardent spirit, strong feelings, and the sense of heightened importance,” says Bishop Robert Schnase in his book, Cultivating Fruitfulness (Abingdon Press, 2008 p. 25).

Worship could be described as intentional time given in community so that we might experience and encounter God.

I can say that I have been going to worship/church since I was born. My dad was a Methodist pastor and we were in worship every week and in worship multiple hours. I thought that was what everyone did. I was bored at times. I was sleepy at times. I was like every other kid, I thought. I sang in the children’s choir and rang bells. When I got older I went to youth group.

Worship wasn’t bad, in fact the music was familiar, and I liked to sing, but it wasn’t “fun.” (Except for children’s time) Worship was just something I did. Maybe you can relate… but by the time I was in High School things changed a little. I had been in a few pretty cool worship services… you know one of those services where everything just felt electric or like it was just for me. I remember some of those worship service were with special guest or special music where the music just lifted you out of your seat. Still others were on a retreat or mission trip. Most involved eating bread and sharing the common cup. Have you been there too?

I continued to go to church, throughout my college years. It was later in my life, I found myself longing for more of those moments, and I wondered why it wasn’t that way every week in worship. In talk with some of my friends about worship and how I just don’t get anything out of it some weeks, that The light bulb went off. One of my friends said, worship is not all about you and you get out of it what you put in. POW! What was my attitude like on those Sunday’s, how was I participating? Even later in my seminary training on leading worship, I was taught the audience of worship is not the congregation, but God. Everything we do in a worship service is done to give honor and glory to God.

Light Bulb…

Passionate worship isn’t about the style of music!
Passionate worship isn’t about being in a certain location!
Passionate worship isn’t about the sermon!

Passionate worship is you and me, the whole church who have gathered in that space at that exact time, to encounter and experience God! The way I worship today, was changed by these light bulb moments…

What is one of your Light bulb moments about Passionate Worship?