Passing on A Legacy of Worship

Love GOD, your God, with your whole heart: love him with all that's in you, love him with all you've got! Write these commandments that I've given you today on your hearts. Get them inside of you and then get them inside your children. Talk about them wherever you are, sitting at home or walking in the street; talk about them from the time you get up in the morning to when you fall into bed at night. Tie them on your hands and foreheads as a reminder; inscribe them on the doorposts of your homes and on your city gates.Deuteronomy 6:5-9 (The Message)

Get them inside you, and then get them inside your children”. I don’t think the order of these statements is an accident :). I think there’s a reason God instructs us to get His words inside of us first before getting them inside our children. Just as with most things in life, our children learn from what we model. So, if we desire our children to be worshippers, we must live a lifestyle of worship before them---ouch, I felt that. :)

I think this begins with our own personal concept of what worship is. If we equate worship with singing, and raising our hands, but we feel decidedly uncomfortable doing either, then what? Are we destined to be awkward squawkers, making a joyless noise unto the Lord? :) Good news! Music is merely a vehicle of worship, and it is only one expression of worship. As for hand-raising, well, that is merely an outward expression of an inward thought of the heart--- and guess where God’s attention is?:)And whose attention matters? If our hearts are focused on worshipping God, it doesn’t matter if our hands are still at our sides. :) I kind of think that when we really get caught up in who God is, the music and words of songs can sometimes inspire the heart in ways that no other medium can… even if we’re not singing ourselves. You might even at times find a freedom inside that finds new ways to express your heart to God. In the end, the point is that it is between you and God :), and that is all that really matters.

Romans 12 says that when we, “offer your [our] bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your [our]spiritual act of worship.” If the way we live our lives becomes a spiritual act of worship then the following questions come to mind: Do we honor God in our speech? In the way we treat our spouse? Our neighbors? Do we use our gifts and talents for His glory in every context we’re in, not just at church where other Christians are watching? Do we take time to thank God for things, and acknowledge His presence, or admire Him at times other than before a meal or in a church setting? Ouch, ouch and ouch again :). When I look at the way I live in the daily details of life, I don’t see a life that consistently reflects a heart of worship. “Oh, what a miserable person I am! Who will free me from this life that is dominated by sin? Thank God! The answer is in Jesus Christ our Lord.” (Romans 7:24-25) Apart from Him we can do nothing… not even worship Him. I am so very thankful for His grace that works in us both to will and to do His good pleasure. (Philippians 2:13)

Today many of the messages our children receive come not only from watching us, but also from the media that’s available to them: books, television, and music. What better resource for us as parents than to use these mediums as agents for good---to help us live out Deuteronomy 6:5-9, and nurture our children in a lifestyle of worship.


Here are some resources to consider:

Jesus A-Z, by Yvonne Riley, et als. Narrated by Crystal Lewis. Part of being able to worship authentically is knowing the object of our worship well. This book is a great stepping stone to this as it describes the attributes of Jesus in language that a child (5-6+, though I began using it with Nikki when she was 2 ½ year old) can understand. The CD also includes a couple of original songs written and sung by Crystal Lewis. She has some children singing with her as well.

Passion Hymns for a Kid’s Heart, by Joni Eareckson Tada (stories behind the hymns & devotionals, includes CD)

Hip Hop Hymns ( a fun way to get kids to learn those wonderful hymns of the faith with theologically sound words, and music they can relate to---a great “bridge”)

Worship Jamz (1-3, Christmas)"dance-to-able" renditions of familiar hymns, Christmas songs, and praise & worship songs

Praise Baby Series (similar to the Baby Einstein concept of random images of children,
nature and other objects set to music)

Kids in Worship songs sung by kids for kids; top-quality music ( unlike some of the "cheezy" stuff that's out there :))

Here I Am to Worship: Kids-- kid-friendly renditions of popular worship choruses, sung by kids for kids, again "top-quality" music

Seeing God in Nature

"…for since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities---his eternal power and divine nature---have been clearly seen,
being understood from what has been made"...
(Romans 1:19-20)

As I began to explore the idea of helping kids understand and know God better in order to enable their worship to go deeper, I feel like the Lord just blew my mind wide open about the importance of looking at nature with more than a casual glance. Why? because God knew that we would never understand all of who He is so He created a world full of amazing things to show us. Why would God do this? Because of His incredible love. Now that's romance. He didn't just send us a bouquet of roses to show us He cared-- He sent an entire universe! His love is extravagant. I feel so ashamed of how many days go by when I ignore the "roses" He sent, or casually glance at them and say "those are nice". Or worse, get lost in the "roses" describing their delicate beauty, and enjoying their fragrance without offering so much as a thank You for the handmade, delivered-in-Person, gift. Our God is so amazing. He deserves so much more than we give, and even if we gave more it wouldn't be enough. But even in that, He offers compassion, waiting, pursuing and wooing instead of retreating like a rejected suitor. In light of all this, don't you just feel like running to Him, falling at His feet and worshipping Him? If you do, don't just think on it, DO IT. You only have an audience of One.

During the weeks prior to preparing for the presentation, I had the God Gazer team do an assignment in which they were to look at nature and see if they could discover something about the character of God. They were then asked to express their hearts in a worship poem using the phrase “God You’re Like”, or “God is like”. Below are a few examples of their worship poems.

God is like a lovely morning made perfect and serene. Every single detail made beautiful, just as if it had been planned before time began. Kaylan Fodor (5th grade, God Gazers)

God You’re like a Bougainvillea. You are still and calm. When something comes along that is bad you scratch it with your thorns, and it goes away. God You’re like the color of the Bougainvillea. Magenta. You are bright and you draw people near to You. You’re always there for me. God I love You! By Gabrielle Courtney (5th grade, God Gazers)

God is like an eagle, soaring in the sky.
God is like an eagle, He spends His time up high.
He lives above in heaven, where His angels form a throng.
Together as a chorus they sing their happy songs.

God sees the things we do each day, He knows it when we fall.
While eagles fly up in the sky, watching animals and all.
They both are watching from above, they see the things we do.
But only God does this in love, the love of me and You.
By Alex Kate Halvey (5th grade, God Gazers)

Dear God Letters of Worship

Inspired by Chapman’s book, Teaching Kids Authentic Worship, I first decided
to try one of her “Worship Moment” ideas when I taught at Cornerstone Christian Academy last year.

Imagine if you will a regal looking chair sitting at the front of the room, and a half circle of sweet little faces looking up at the Person seated in this chair. This class of first graders was told that a Special Guest had arrived, and was seated in the chair, and that He was God. They were then asked to speak “You are” statements to Him, telling Him all the things they admired about Him. Before they began, one little girl said, can we sit in His lap?. I said, I thought that He would think that was okay ☺. So one by one, these little ones “boldly approached the throne of grace”, and sat on their Father’s lap and whispered their words of admiration in His ear. It was the most precious time. What an amazing picture of worship.

Another one of Chapman’s suggested “worship moment” activities was to have children write “Dear God” letters, in which they were to pen “You are” statements that focused entirely on who God is without mentioning themselves. I included a few that were written last year by some of Cornerstone Christian Academy’s second and third graders as well as a few that were written this year by members of the God Gazers Worship Team.

Dear God,
You are the Perfect Lamb. You died on the cross for all sins. You rule over all. You made everything. You are Almighty. You are the best! I say these things in Your [name]. Skye (2nd Grade)

Dear God,
You are Our Savior. You are holy . You are Our Salvation. You are so cool. You are perfect. You are joyful. You are righteous. You are merciful. You are awesome. You are the best.. You’re the One who created us. You’re the King. You’re more important than anyone. You cannot sin or lie.
Writer known by God ☺ (2nd Grade)

Dear God,
You are merciful. You have worked in my heart. You are majestic. You are the One and only King. You give mercy. You died for everybody’s sins. You made people.
From, Jack (2nd grade)

Dear God,
You are merciful. You love us. You are majestic. You are everyone’s King. You died on the cross to save us from our sins. You gave us animals like tigers and an elephant. You gave us eyes to read your Word and ears so after we have heard it we can tell it too.
Nathaniel (2nd Grade)


Dear God,

You are so awesome! Your love is so amazing! You are forgiving. Your son has to be so brave to die for all the people on the Earth. No one is like You. You are so powerful. You are the Alpha and the Omega. Jehovah Jireh. You have all of Your followers wanting to be exactly like You! Our name is God Gazers for a reason. You are the strength of the world, the Rock, the Salvation, the Shield! You are the only living God. No one is like Him.”

Love, Your Servant, Logan (6th grade, God Gazers)

Dear God, You are so loving. You are so kind. You are the Alpha and the Omega. You are the Great I Am. You are the Creator of all mankind. You love no matter; big or small, white or black, smart or dumb, blonde or brunette. You know the past, present and future. You died on the cross. You sacrificed Your one and only son. You rose from the dead. You did hundreds of miracles. Yet, you still treat human beings as though they matter! You are totally amazing!
With all the love in my heart, Your servant, Lexi (6th grade, God Gazers)

Coming Back to the Heart of Worship

“Worship is about/for God not me. He is the object. He is the focus.
He is the one whose pleasure it is for. He is the real audience. So it is not about what I feel, or what I get out of it. It is about what I give…”
(Jack, Chris London School of Theology , Spring 2004)

Coming Back to the Heart of Worship
In response to the phenomenon of young people walking away from God in their teenage years, Kathleen Chapman, author of Teaching Kids Authentic Worship, began researching the most effective way to help kids stay “glued” to God. This is what she discovered:

The glue is not church attendance. It is not Bible Study, not a prayer meeting, not music or singing, not memorizing verses, not tithing, and not faithful service. It is not baptism and not some mysterious theology or ritual connected to any particular religion or denomination. The glue is not simply loving God. The glue is worshipping God. (Chapman, Kathleen, Teaching Kids Authentic Worship (p..22))

Worshipping God, means having all our attention focused on Him. When all our attention is focused on Him, we are reminded of who He is. We are reminded of all the things He is, and all the things He does. In light of who He is, our troubles are eclipsed, our hope is secure, and our reality is filtered through the proper lens. In order to worship God, you need to know Him intimately. When we know Him intimately, we are more likely to stay close to His heart.

As I continued to read this book (TKAW), these simple truths seemed profound to me. It seemed somewhat silly to be moved to tears by something so basic, and yet I was. I think it was because I was finding myself yearning to come back to the heart of worship… I felt myself identifying strongly with the sentiment, “I’m sorry Lord, for the thing I’ve made it [worship], when it’s all about You, it’s all about You, Jesus.”


In wondering if children could understand the concept of worship, Chapman relates the fact that many youngsters can wax eloquent about prominent sports figures and the latest fads. They have no problem focusing all their attention on one thing. ☺

I firmly believe that the battle for kids hearts and minds will be won when they can worship God authentically. If they are able to focus all their attention on Him on a consistent basis, they will come to know His character, and find wonder, fulfillment, adventure, unconditional love, security, boundaries, and standards for holiness—–all the things they’re searching for. In God’s presence they will discover a sense of worth when they understand that the God of the universe intimately cares for and understands who they are, that He has in fact, designed them right down to the last molecule. Kids will still be kids—they will still be tempted (as we all are). As one of my former students put it, “the World’s voice seems louder”. Perhaps in helping them grow in worship they can adjust that volume switch a little, and the World’s voice will become background noise as they tune in to that still small voice calling their name.

This book moved and inspired me, and challenged the way I thought about worship. I highly recommend this book for those who desire to help their children worship authentically. It’s practical and insightful, and best of all you can probably read it in one sitting.

Q: What is worship?
A: All our attention focused on God

Correctly Handling the Word of God

Interestingly enough, Nikki has a read-along Bible for kids on CD that she listens to, often on her own, and several of those Bible stories talk about killing, etc. It seemed ironic to me that I spend so much time trying to guard Nikki from that kind of content in other media, but hadn't really thought about having to be careful with the Bible too! :) A verse came to mind that has me thinking, about "correctly handling the Word of God". There are some things that she's not really equipped to "correctly" handle. And so, I'm hoping to go through some of those stories that she's already heard with her again so we can talk about them. This link is for an article that is from CCM (Contemporary Christian Music magazine) that is written by one of my favorite Christian artists, Nichole Nordeman. She's an amazing songwriter. She has a 3 year old son, and in this article she's talking about the challenge of reading Bible stories to them when they are this young. She has a great sense of of humour but wisdom as well. It kind of sums up what I'm talking about.
http://www.nicholenordeman.com/article.aspx?id=486638

References to Prayer in Heidi

I've been reaquainting myself with some of the classics in preparation to read them to Nikki, and I just finished reading Heidi. There is a dialogue on prayer between Heidi and Clara's grandmother that spoke to me, and kind of emphasizes what I was most challenged about in my prayer life last semester.

Heidi (The Whole Story edition)
pp.146-147

"And do you pray to Him every day to make you happy again?"

"No, not any more"

"I'm sorry to hear that. Why have you stopped?"

"It's no use, " Heidi told her. "God didn't hear me and I daresay that if all the people of Frankfurt pray for things at the same time, He can't notice everybody and I'm sure He didn't hear me."

"Why are you so sure?"

"I prayed the same prayer every day for a long time and nothing happened."

"It isn't quite like that Heidi. God is a loving Father to us all and knows what is good for us. If we ask for something it isn't right for us to have, He won't give it to us, but in His own good time, if we go on praying and trust in Him, He'll find us something better. You can be sure it's not that He didn't hear your prayer, for He can listen to everybody at once. That's part of the wonder of it. You must have asked for something He thought you ought not to have at present and probably said to himself, 'Heidi's prayer shall be answered but only at the right moment so that she will really be happy. If I answer it now perhaps later on she'll wish she hadn't asked for it because things may not turn out as she expects.' He has been watching over you all this time--never doubt that---but you have stopped praying, and that showed you did not really believe in Him..."

Then speaking to her grandfather later, Heidi says, (p.191)

"If God, had let me come back to you at once, like I asked in my prayers, none of this would have happened. I should have brought Grannie a few rolls I had saved, but they would soon have been gone, and I wouldn't have been able to read. God knew what was best, just as Clara's grandmamma said He did, and see how perfectly He arranged everything. I'll always say my prayers after this, as Grandmamma told me to, and if God doesn't answer them at once I shall know it's because He's planning something better for me..."


These passages from Heidi reminded me of this passage from scripture:

“And so I tell you, keep on asking,

and you will receive what you ask for.
Keep on seeking, and you will find.
Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you.
For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds.
And to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened.
(Luke 11:9)