Worship Revisited

I wrote about worship the other day, but I still can't get the topic off my mind. I've read all the Scriptures (That doesn't mean I know everything, because anyone who knows me knows I don't!!). It says that we are to worship God in spirit and in truth. While meditating on this, I came to the conclusion that worship consists of two elements--heart (or as I said in my other blog, attitude) and practice.
Why do we work so hard on practice and not on attitude? Haven't we had enough lessons here? Wasn't that the problem with the Israelites? They worked real hard on the practice and did virtually nothing for the heart. "With what shall I come before the Lrod and bow down before the exalted God? Shall I come before him with burnt offerings, with calves a year old? Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams, with ten thousand rivers of oil? Shall I offer my firstborn for my transsgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?" (Micah 6:6, 7) Practice, practice, practice. They had it down!! But that was not what God wanted. He wanted their hearts! Don't believe me? Read on. "He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God." (Michah 6:8) Heart, heart, heart.
Still don't believe me? The Pharisees were complaining that Jesus wasn't following the traditions of the elders. Jesus said, (quoting Isaiah, by the way) "These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. They worship me in vain; their teachings are but rules taught by men." (Matthew 15:8,9)
Are we any better? I mean, really, let's think about this. You and I have been in worship services where someone complained about something because "that's just not the way we do it around here." I have a brother who left the church because that was said to him over and over again. If we pound the hearts of worshippers long enough, they go callous and they feel no more. All because we want to get it right. How sad.
Those who attend the congregation where I work have heard this story. In my office is a 3X5 card with some scribbles on it. It doesn't look like too much, but it was given to me by one of our two-year-olds. When she gave it to me, I asked what it was and she replied, "Jesus is the Son of God." Now if we had given that topic to an adult, she may have sketched a cross, maybe Jesus washing the apostles feet, or perhaps healing a leper. It would have been clear and concise and easily discernable. But we certainly wouldn't have been a meaningless scribble. Yet, in this 2-year-olds best way of drawing, she drew Jesus, Son of God. Throw it away? Not on your life. It's a precious drawing to me. Maybe one day, when Kadie gets old enough, I'll give it back to her and tell her what she drew. Do we really think God sits up with His arms folded and gripes because we didn't worship just right? Do you think God was angry because the scribbles don't accurately depict His greatness and might? Or do you think He's looking past all the "stuff" and looking at our hearts?
It doesn't say to worship God in TRUTH and spirit. It says we are to worship in spirit and truth. I think the order of those two words was intentional. God forgive us when we emphasize form more than we do heart. Have a good day! JW