As I was taking my daughter to school this morning on a cold and frigid Oklahoma morning, what started out as a simple trip that we take every morning turned into what I can only describe as a moment of worship. As we started to turn right onto the street adjacent to our home out of the early morning shadows my daughter saw a streak of red run across the street and said "daddy look!" As I slowed the car, paused and began to look, it became clear that what had darted out in front of our car was not an ordinary dog, or God forbid an overgrown cat. It was a fox! A beautiful full grown fox with the bushiest tale, and the brightest red coat that seemed to shine in the early morning air. You know the air that takes your breath away simply because you aren't ready to inhale it's blistering cold fullness. It was in that early morning scene that my daughter and I both exclaimed "Wow!' followed by an immediate "Ooo!" Know I know from growing up in the country that foxes and wild animals are a regular occurrence, but on our street in suburbia we are more likely to see a wild teenager than a wild animal. No offense to the teens in my neighborhood. We were also extremely excited because we had just watched "the Fox and the Hound" the day before. I know, I know I just lost all the Disney haters with that one, but you have to admit it's pretty cute when your seven year old daughter says "Look Dad it's Tod the fox". So as we sat there in awe of the beauty of God's creation in the morning light I did something a little unexpected to both myself and my daughter. I turned the direction opposite of the way you get to my daughter's school. She immediately said "Dad the school isn't this way, where are we going?", to which I replied I know "baby girl, I want to drive back by and see the fox again". So we turned around in the middle of the street and slowly drove back by my neighbor's yard where the fox was now standing in between my neighbor's car and side yard. This time I literally stopped the car in the middle of the street for just a few moments so that we could catch a glimpse and marvel at God's beautiful creation. To wonder at what seemed in many ways so out of place in our neighborhood. I'm sure my neighbors think I'm a creeper now for driving by their house slowly, turning around in the middle of the street and then stopping right in front of their house. I'll probably have to get the kids to bring said neighbors some cookies or something because this is also the same neighbors who called the police on me when they first moved in because they thought I was feeding whole fish to their barking dogs so they would choke on the bones. Do people really do that? See I told you the teenagers in my neighbor are wild. You also have to know that this is completely contrary to my nature especially when it comes to dropping off my kids at school. I hate being late, I hate for my kids to be late, I hate for my kids to be tardy. I'm the guy who framed the perfect attendance certificates in third grade so I could nail them to my wall. So for me to stop, lose track of time, and just sit in awe of creation in the middle of the road no less, with even the thought of making my daughter late seems unthinkable. For those of you who are worried she still made it to school on time. What really would have been unthinkable is if we had missed that moment of worship, that moment of awe and wonder, that moment of thanking Jesus for the beauty of creation that reflects only a glimmer of His unimaginable glory. Job 12:7-10 says it this way:
“But ask the animals, and they will teach you,
or the birds in the sky, and they will tell you;
8 or speak to the earth, and it will teach you,
or let the fish in the sea inform you.
9 Which of all these does not know
that the hand of the Lord has done this?
10 In His hand is the life of every creature
and the breath of all mankind."
I don't know about you but I don't want to miss what the fox has to say because his very presence points to a creative, mysterious, wonderful God. More importantly I don't want to miss what this creative, mysterious, wonderful God is speaking into my heart. I don't want to miss the wonder of His presence, His creation, and His redemptive voice that shouts to the world and to my heart of His great love. I don't want to miss an opportunity however seemingly small to praise Him for that love. I want in this New Year to be fully aware of Him in all of my life, in all my relationships, and in all my worship. I want to take time to be in awe, to experience His wonder, and to rest in His presence. I want to learn to live the kind of life this year that reflects Matthew 11:28-30 MSG
“Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion ?
Come to me.
Get away with me and you’ll recover your life.
I’ll show you how to take a real rest.
Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it.
Learn the unforced rhythms of grace.
I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you.
Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.”
Thursday, January 8, 2015
On Wonder in Worship: What does the fox say?
As I was taking my daughter to school this morning on a cold and frigid Oklahoma morning, what started out as a simple trip that we take every morning turned into what I can only describe as a moment of worship. As we started to turn right onto the street adjacent to our home out of the early morning shadows my daughter saw a streak of red run across the street and said "daddy look!" As I slowed the car, paused and began to look, it became clear that what had darted out in front of our car was not an ordinary dog, or God forbid an overgrown cat. It was a fox! A beautiful full grown fox with the bushiest tale, and the brightest red coat that seemed to shine in the early morning air. You know the air that takes your breath away simply because you aren't ready to inhale it's blistering cold fullness. It was in that early morning scene that my daughter and I both exclaimed "Wow!' followed by an immediate "Ooo!" Know I know from growing up in the country that foxes and wild animals are a regular occurrence, but on our street in suburbia we are more likely to see a wild teenager than a wild animal. No offense to the teens in my neighborhood. We were also extremely excited because we had just watched "the Fox and the Hound" the day before. I know, I know I just lost all the Disney haters with that one, but you have to admit it's pretty cute when your seven year old daughter says "Look Dad it's Tod the fox". So as we sat there in awe of the beauty of God's creation in the morning light I did something a little unexpected to both myself and my daughter. I turned the direction opposite of the way you get to my daughter's school. She immediately said "Dad the school isn't this way, where are we going?", to which I replied I know "baby girl, I want to drive back by and see the fox again". So we turned around in the middle of the street and slowly drove back by my neighbor's yard where the fox was now standing in between my neighbor's car and side yard. This time I literally stopped the car in the middle of the street for just a few moments so that we could catch a glimpse and marvel at God's beautiful creation. To wonder at what seemed in many ways so out of place in our neighborhood. I'm sure my neighbors think I'm a creeper now for driving by their house slowly, turning around in the middle of the street and then stopping right in front of their house. I'll probably have to get the kids to bring said neighbors some cookies or something because this is also the same neighbors who called the police on me when they first moved in because they thought I was feeding whole fish to their barking dogs so they would choke on the bones. Do people really do that? See I told you the teenagers in my neighbor are wild. You also have to know that this is completely contrary to my nature especially when it comes to dropping off my kids at school. I hate being late, I hate for my kids to be late, I hate for my kids to be tardy. I'm the guy who framed the perfect attendance certificates in third grade so I could nail them to my wall. So for me to stop, lose track of time, and just sit in awe of creation in the middle of the road no less, with even the thought of making my daughter late seems unthinkable. For those of you who are worried she still made it to school on time. What really would have been unthinkable is if we had missed that moment of worship, that moment of awe and wonder, that moment of thanking Jesus for the beauty of creation that reflects only a glimmer of His unimaginable glory. Job 12:7-10 says it this way:
“But ask the animals, and they will teach you,
or the birds in the sky, and they will tell you;
8 or speak to the earth, and it will teach you,
or let the fish in the sea inform you.
9 Which of all these does not know
that the hand of the Lord has done this?
10 In His hand is the life of every creature
and the breath of all mankind."
I don't know about you but I don't want to miss what the fox has to say because his very presence points to a creative, mysterious, wonderful God. More importantly I don't want to miss what this creative, mysterious, wonderful God is speaking into my heart. I don't want to miss the wonder of His presence, His creation, and His redemptive voice that shouts to the world and to my heart of His great love. I don't want to miss an opportunity however seemingly small to praise Him for that love. I want in this New Year to be fully aware of Him in all of my life, in all my relationships, and in all my worship. I want to take time to be in awe, to experience His wonder, and to rest in His presence. I want to learn to live the kind of life this year that reflects Matthew 11:28-30 MSG
“Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion ?
Come to me.
Get away with me and you’ll recover your life.
I’ll show you how to take a real rest.
Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it.
Learn the unforced rhythms of grace.
I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you.
Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.”
