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WORSHIP STARTS A FIRE

“I don’t need to go to worship to experience God.  God is everywhere, so I can experience God anywhere – in the park, on a golf course or resting in my bed on Sunday morning.  It doesn’t matter where I am or who I’m with.  I can experience God anywhere I want and any way I want.”

I’ve heard people say something like that many times.  It sounds so right and so true – and I believe parts of it are right and true. 

It’s true, I believe – God is everywhere.

It’s true, I believe - you can potentially experience God anywhere.  (God is not confined to little boxes called church buildings.)

However, just because something is everywhere doesn’t mean that you can experience it the same way everywhere.

Take the sun, for instance.

I think it’s fair to say that the power of the sun is pretty much everywhere.  (If it weren’t, we’d all be ice cubes!)  However, there are certain things which can intensify that power for us.

Walk outside on a nice day.  Put a piece of paper on the ground.  Wait.  Nothing happens to the paper.  The power of the sun is there, but it’s not affecting the paper.   Then, hold a magnifying glass up to the sun and point it at the paper.  Hold the magnifying glass there long enough and a spot will appear on the paper.  Hold it even longer and the paper may catch on fire.

The magnifying glass didn’t increase the presence of the sun.  The sun was no more or less powerful because of the magnifying glass.  What the magnifying glass did was focus that power to the point that it made a noticeable difference.

Worship is like that.

Pastor Blaik, are you saying that you believe worship is an event designed to enable us to experience God in a concentrated way?   Yes, that’s exactly what I’m saying – and I believe it was designed that way by God.   My conviction is that worship is the main “lens” used by God in helping people experience the power of the divine presence – not because God’s presence doesn’t exist anywhere else, but because worship intensifies that presence.

Do you want to warm up, spiritually?  Come to worship.  You may just catch fire!

Blessings on All,

Pastor Blaik

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