I often pop on to the ArmyBarmy blog and see what my friends in downtown Vancouver are thinking on any given day. As I scrolled down on it today, I noticed a blog from Stephen Court (from today, Wednesday, October 18th) about worship and prayer.

What interested me most in his thoughts was the one segment of it at least that one of my own senior pastors and I have discussed - the question of whether everything is worship. (I do realize that their discussion centres around worship and prayer; I'm taking it slightly more generally.)

My senior pastor has in the past been wont to freely say, "Everything is worship" (the last time I recall him saying this was when a few of us were about to play in a volleyball tournament), and I tend to correct him and reply that everything can be done as worship, but certainly everything we do in life is not. At least not yet. If everything were worship, I doubt whether God would have spent half the Old Testament and the energy of so many His prophets chastising Israel for their lack of sincerity in the worship act and their lack of authenticity in their lives of supposed devotion.

And then the question begs to be asked, "If everything can be done as worship, how do I do it? How do I do my taxes as worship, or how to I mow the lawn as worship, or how do I discipline my children as worship or how do I play volleyball as worship?" And I rather think it comes down to - as worship always does - the heart.

Do your taxes with integrity, as it will honour God.
Mow the lawn with joy in your service, as it will bring Him pleasure.
Discipline your children with justice and diligence, as He equates obedience with love for Himself.
Play volleyball with a knowledge that your character (and therefore your witness) shows through your sportsmanship, as it will bring honour to the name of the Lord.

Let everything be done with a focus of pleasing the Lord, honouring the Lord, and bringing His name greatly glory. Not for any personal renown, but simply because it should be our primary focus in our lives. Worship is what we were created for (Revelation 4:11), but worship is not 20 minutes on a Sunday morning. It can be - no, it should be - paramount in our lives. In everything, all the time.

Hard to do all the time? Hard to do especially in certain situations?

Glad to hear it. I'd hate to think I was the only one who had to wrestle with this. Press on. He is worthy to be worshipped.