True Worship

“Come, let us bow down in worship, let us kneel before the Lord our Maker; for he is our God and we are the people of his pasture, the flock under his care…” (Psalm 95:6-7, NIV 2011).

It was Sunday morning in a small L-shaped room in Tirana, Albania. The worship songs were projected onto the walls as small children changed the overhead transparencies. A rough wooden cross hung on the wall beside the projected music. Flori sang with joy into the microphone as he strummed his guitar. The worship music was familiar to me but the words were in a foreign language far beyond my comprehension.

In spite of the disconnected language, my worship was real and whole and communal. I joined with all in one spirit singing words that I could not understand.

What is true worship? Certainly language can be important, but that morning in Tirana reminded me that worship goes far beyond our spoken language. My Sunday service in Tirana reminded me that we are one people who worship the one true God:

We are small and you are great;
You hold us in your hands with love;
We rest in you with all of our burdens;
All will someday be okay, through you;
We are distant but we know you draw us near;
We hand it all to you;
You are present;
You are worthy;
I surrender.
Change me.

Dear Father,
Let me seek you in community, in worship.
Amen