Worship in Adventures

 “Worship the Lord in the splendor of his holiness, tremble before him, all the earth.”  Psalm 96:9

I recently took a long weekend trip to Historic Savannah, Georgia with the plan to enjoy the sites and learn the history of the city.  We rode the trolley, visited the historical sites, ate great southern food especially the peach cobbler, and walked thousands of steps through the park and squares.  I had prayed for safety and protection and invited God into the moments of each day.  And yes, God showed up in amazing and awesome ways.  I never expected to worship so much on the trip.

First, in our Uber driver with whom we enjoyed our conversation on the drive.  He dropped us off at our hotel and as we walked into the lobby, Ben realized his phone was still on the seat of the Uber vehicle.  As I called the phone, the driver walked into the hotel lobby, phone in hand.  He smiled, handed the phone to me and said, “God bless you.”  What a gift from God.  I took a moment to pause, thank God and praise God for his blessing and watchful care over us.  A moment of worship as we began our adventure.

The next day, we rode the trolley all the way around Historic Savannah and got off at the last stop at the Catholic Basilica of St. John the Baptist – a place of worship.  It was beautiful and breath-taking.  You could feel the Spirit in this holy place.  God had been invited and was present, but what brought me to a deeper worship was the docent, Martha, who was our tour guide.  She loved this church and saw God in every aspect of the building.  The stained-glass windows revealed the story of God, but to Martha the windows were God’s presence – His Word revealed in pictures.  The beauty was not to be worshipped as an idol but to be worshipped as God being present in His amazing creation.  Martha’s face radiated God’s love and joy.  Because of Martha, God was experienced and worshipped humbly and with a deep reverence of God’s holy presence.  Surely the presence of the Lord is in this place.

I always seek out a place to worship while on a trip.  We found a Methodist Church and it was within walking distance.  It had a 11 AM traditional worship service. The sanctuary was being remodeled therefore the service was being held in the house of worship next door – the Jewish Temple.  Wow!  We found ourselves in a beautiful Jewish Temple worshipping Jesus.  What an adventure.  Our Christian faith is rooted in the Jewish tradition.  As the pastor preached on the Bible being the Word of God, he looked behind him and made reference to The Torah which was encased behind him.  The Word became flesh in Jesus.

The service was filled with the traditions that touched my heart with the feeling of truly being in worship – the introit sung by the choir, the Gloria Patri, chimes, traditional hymns, the Doxology, Benediction Response by the choir, and the robes and formal dress of the congregation. It brought back wonderful memories of churches I had served and how traditions are intertwined in experiencing the Presence of God. 

Then in the afternoon, we went to the Square where John Wesley, the founder of Methodism was honored with a statue and a historical marker describing the beginning of Methodism in Savannah.  I sat on the bench and in those moments reflected on the foundation of my church faith.  The Methodist Church has been central in the faith history of my family for generations.  It was in those moments, I worshipped God not because of being Methodist, but because it was through the church that I learned about God and accepted Jesus as my personal Savior.  I grew up going to Church and then serving Churches as a pastor.  In all those experiences, God was present.  I grew in my relationship with Jesus, and I encountered people who were sign posts that have guided me down the path of faith.  We have worshipped together and experienced the sweet Spirit’s presence in these places.

We all worship God in different styles and in different settings.  I find that it is not so much about the place, the style of music or the name on the building, it is about your heart.  It is inviting God into all the adventures of your life and honoring God.  Worship happens when we are aware of God’s presence, humble ourselves in grateful praise to God, and recognize it all comes from God.  Worship becomes a lifestyle – where we honor God in every aspect of life.  Every part of life can become worship when we bring God into it.  Worship in all the adventures of your life and in the everyday moments.

I came to enjoy the sites of Savannah, and God blessed my time with so many adventures where worship was intertwined.  God was present in the beauty of nature all around, in the smiles and conversations with people, and in quiet moments where no words were needed.  Worship is a natural part of life.  Recognize the gift and worship our Lord.

Check out my website – www.livinginthedifferent.com

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