What is real worship ...

As you may know I lead worship for our students, staff and Senior Adult at UMFS (United Methodist Family Services) www.umfs.org, once every month. This is a time where we gather with everyone to share in what God is doing in our lives and pray for one another. We sing a few songs, hear and respond to the Word and spend time together in prayer. Nothing fancy but I feel as if I experience more of what the church is supposed to be there then I do anywhere else. Yesterday for example we sang," Lord I lift your name on High" and I know before you judge me on the song choice or lack of Spiritual depth of the song consider this. The young lady who was helping me lead this song has bounced around from foster family, to treatment center to foster family most of her life. She has substance abuse issues, family issues and issue issues. She is a mess. But yesterday in singing this song something happened in this broken mess of a person singing, God was doing a transforming work in her life. She sang that song loud and out of tune but it was beautiful because it was real. Out of the depth of her brokenness she was singing a new song, it was amazing. As she sang ' Lord I lift your name on high, Lord I love to sing your praises, I’m so glad you’re in my life, I’m so glad you came to save us" It became her prayer. In response one of the senior adults from Guardian Place stood and said this is what church is to look like " a gathering of the beautiful broken lifting the Lords name on high". She was right. It is not about the song choice or cool video or what prayer we pray or not. If we use the lectionary or a sermon series, the point is the beautiful broken lifting their hearts together to the one that brings order out of chaos and new creation out of death. This is why we worship. At the close of worship this same girl who sang Lord I lift your name on high closed with the Jason Mraz song I want give up. She sang When I look into your eyes It's like watching the night sky Or a beautiful sunrise Well, there's so much they hold And just like them old stars I see that you've come so far To be right where you are How old is your soul? Well, I won't give up on us Even if the skies get rough I'm giving you all my love I'm still looking up Maybe it is just a song or perhaps it is a sacred prayer of how God's love if for us, regardless I left our time together yesterday knowing that God was and is at work in our world and every now and again we are aware enough to notice.