One thing that I was worried about before coming to Korea was how I would find a supportive church environment in which I could worship God. I feared that the "Christian" atmosphere would be minimal and / or discouraged, or that if there were churches around, all of the services would be in Korean. And in some ways, my fears have been confirmed here at Jungwon University. Many of the other ETAs (English Teaching Assistants) are not interested in God, there are no services in English in Goesan, and no services at all at Jungwon.
But I'm learning that worshiping God is not limited to four walls and a steeple with a bunch of people just like you. I started talking to a couple of other ETAs - whose experiences and personalities are as different from my own as can be - and we're going to start a Bible study while we're here at Jungwon. The times will undoubtedly change, the locations will probably differ, the people will likely vary, and the topics will certainly diverge...but it will still be worship.
God doesn't want us to follow a script when we worship Him. He wants us to be creative. He wants us to worship different ways, in different places, and with different people. He wants us to break out of our comfort box; to forget the prescribed ways that our culture has taught us to honor Him, and to honor Him with everything around us. To give Him glory with His entire creation - not just that with which we are familiar. The Bible simply says to praise the LORD - we are not given rules on how to do that. So let's get creative. Let's take back this world and praise Him with every avenue available. That, my friends, is true worship.
But I'm learning that worshiping God is not limited to four walls and a steeple with a bunch of people just like you. I started talking to a couple of other ETAs - whose experiences and personalities are as different from my own as can be - and we're going to start a Bible study while we're here at Jungwon. The times will undoubtedly change, the locations will probably differ, the people will likely vary, and the topics will certainly diverge...but it will still be worship.
God doesn't want us to follow a script when we worship Him. He wants us to be creative. He wants us to worship different ways, in different places, and with different people. He wants us to break out of our comfort box; to forget the prescribed ways that our culture has taught us to honor Him, and to honor Him with everything around us. To give Him glory with His entire creation - not just that with which we are familiar. The Bible simply says to praise the LORD - we are not given rules on how to do that. So let's get creative. Let's take back this world and praise Him with every avenue available. That, my friends, is true worship.
Psalm 113
1 Praise the LORD. Praise the LORD, you his servants;
praise the name of the LORD. 2 Let the name of the LORD be praised,
both now and forevermore. 3 From the rising of the sun to the place where it sets,
the name of the LORD is to be praised. 4 The LORD is exalted over all the nations,
his glory above the heavens. 5 Who is like the LORD our God,
the One who sits enthroned on high, 6 who stoops down to look
on the heavens and the earth? 7 He raises the poor from the dust
and lifts the needy from the ash heap; 8 he seats them with princes,
with the princes of his people. 9 He settles the childless woman in her home
as a happy mother of children. Praise the LORD.
both now and forevermore. 3 From the rising of the sun to the place where it sets,
the name of the LORD is to be praised. 4 The LORD is exalted over all the nations,
his glory above the heavens. 5 Who is like the LORD our God,
the One who sits enthroned on high, 6 who stoops down to look
on the heavens and the earth? 7 He raises the poor from the dust
and lifts the needy from the ash heap; 8 he seats them with princes,
with the princes of his people. 9 He settles the childless woman in her home
as a happy mother of children. Praise the LORD.
amen!
ReplyDelete