Lavish Worship!

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We recently attended Tennessee Church of God Camp Meeting and what a glorious time it was! For those who are not Church of God, it’s like a revival with all of our churches across the state coming together. Imagine a couple thousand Pentecostals in the same room and you get the drift!

My husband and I always sit near the front. We get there an hour (sometimes an hour and a half) early to get “good” seats. He spends this time in the prayer chapel while I enjoy listening to the Praise Team practice and trying to learn from them. (They don’t mind me there…I’ve ask them and they know my purpose. This is not the time and place to chat, laugh and get caught up with friends. I am mindful not to disturb their practice).

My husband and I are overtly emotional in our worship! We are careful to never get out of order or worship over someone who is speaking. Last year another pastor’s wife said to me, “I think you sit up front and worship like you do to get attention.” That stung! Deeply.  Before anyone feels compelled to counsel me, I know...I am working on forgiving but it is a process. Sadly, this year I allowed that unkind remark to stifle my worship. But I shouldn’t have! So shame on me!

For the record I DO NOT worship to draw attention to me. Neither does my husband. Samuel Rodriquez said (and I paraphrase), “The size of your praise is directly proportional to the size of the hell God brought you out of!” My praise is lavish because God’s grace, mercy and love are lavish towards me! I know where I came from and where I would be today if not for the great mercy of my Lord!

So what does this have to do with the picture of Neyland Stadium? I’m glad you ask.

Some of the very same people, who will pay huge amounts of money for “good” seats at Neyland Stadium, not only won’t come early, but make fun of people who come early to C.M. (or other church gatherings where there are large crowds) to get a good seat.  They will line up literally all day to get through the gates of the stadium but won’t come early to church meetings. They wear the colors, cheer, scream, dance…generally act like fools…all over a 12 inch piece of pig skin being fought over by 22 men! (I am not against football. I like a good game as much as the next person).  Yet, some of these same folks, worship with “dignity” and make fun of people who worship lavishly. ( I am not saying the woman who made the remark is one of these. I don’t know anything about her.)

Yes, the music at C.M. was loud! I came away with a headache 2 nights. (Part of that was my dieting - LOL). However, some of the same people who say C.M. (or regular church for that matter) is too loud don’t mind at all being in Neyland Stadium as every knows is the loudest SEC stadium! I heard remarks that the altar areas were too crowded during C.M. My, my… just look at that crowd in the picture!

I will never apologize for how I worship my Lord! He has done so much for me I cannot tell it all! What has a ball player done for me? Absolutely nothing! They don’t even know I’m alive. But God not only knows my name, He knows how many hairs are on my head. Never again will I allow the opinion of another to stifle my worship! Because you see, they “don’t know the cost of the oil in my alabaster box”!

Be blessed!

Pastor Jennifer

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