WORSHIP > me

Tonight was a fun night....Some of the guys from Boulevard held a worship service at one of the churches in town. They held this for a couple reasons--to raise money for active water....to bring some youth groups together... and to worship!

It was crazy timing, because I was thinking about writing a blog about worship and the whole night's theme was surrounded with the idea of worship. Worship is a funny word. It's also a scary word...and an awesome word...and a tough word..Worship brings so much to the table, but I wonder if sometimes we don't truly understand what it means to worship.

Ever since I started going to church, worship was always a word described for the singing in church. Being a guy that was never gifted (actually cursed) with singing ability, I never was that into "worship" time. But good thing worship is so much more than singing. It's bigger. and stronger. and more powerful. Worship is a lifestyle-not a specific time at church. I would be willing to bet that if we told God we worshiped before the lesson/sermon, and than maybe a little bit before we left church, he would be upset. Upset might be the wrong word, how about...depressingly nauseous to think that his bride, the church, only "worshiped" on sundays. But thankfuly, my ignorance of what worship really meant cleared up.

God calls all creation to give him glory, to praise him, to...worship him. I wrote my massive exegetical over a passage in Romans 12. The first verse really captures for me what it means to worship... "Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God, this is your spiritual act of WORSHIP."

(insert punch to the gut here)....ouch. I can still feel that one. According to Paul, and to the Holy Spirit, worship is not just limited to singing, or what we do while at church, but we actualy worship with out entire lives. I remember meeting with Zus, a proffesor at OCC, and we were talking about my passage and he said, "you know what the problem is with a living sacrifice? It's always trying to crawl off the altar." (insert another punch to Jim's gut)....of course we can honor God with our lips, but are our actions so far from him that he cannot even recognize who we are? (thank you Isaiah). And final thought on worship, is...what are we worshiping? Are we worshipping ourselves? (oh man, I hope not). Are we worshiping a God who is so far away that when we udder his name we don't even feel any emotion? (scary thought) OR are we worshiping the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit for the goodness brought into live? The same God who created the world, who was with Moses, Gideon, Elijah, and Jeremiah lives in us. The same God who brought Christ back from the grave..That same God is exactly who we are worshipping everyday with every action that we decide to do. That means who we are when we are with beleivers, or non beleivers, but also what we do when we are all alone. The decesions we make, actions we carry out, and thoughts that we ponder, all show our lives as worshippers of God.

My guess is that if you are not to good at this "worship" thing, maybe its beacuse, you really don't know who God is. Because if we grow to know God, experience God, and pursue God, then worship will automatically happen. He is good, and that is a great reason for us as the church to worship.

Thanks Dad

It is Father's Day....and I love my dad. I know that a lot of people grow up with either no dad, or a terrible excuse for a fatherly figure...My heart goes out to these kids and even adults who are still effected by the empty hole of not having a good father. Dad, I hope you are reading this, because I love you to death.

A lot of people think I look and act just like my dad. We are both big guys, with quite study facial hair. We are not the best lookings guys, but people say "your eyes light up just like your dad's when you smile." And that is one of the greatest compliments I have ever gotten.

My dad, Tim Landis, didn't only give me life, but he taught me life. I know that my dad cares for people, you can see it in his life and his actions. He started teaching Sunday School for the 5th and 6th graders when I was in the 6th grade. Dad believed he would only partake in this ministry until my younger brother Sam promoted to the junior high. However, he is now the "head honcho" still today. This will be his 10th year as a Sunday School teacher for the little guys. While I know they may fear his disciplinary style, I know from experience and others that it taught them well. My dad loves teaching about apologetics (defending the faith) against evolution. He has been doing a series on, "someone is making a monkey out of you," for quite some time. One of my best memories of my dad teaching is when we helped make a life sized Goliath. The students would then put a tennis ball in some sort of sling and try to defeat the nine foot giant. Kids ate it up. He brings snacks for the kids, takes them to breakfast, and gets to know about their families. Again, my dad, whether he admits it or not, loves those kids.

The greatest thing my Dad as done for me is how he taught me how to love your wife. My parents have been happily married for years and I know his love for her won't stop until one of them takes their last breath. He taught me how to throw a football, hit a baseball, and shoot a basketball, how to try hard and never give up, how to attempt to change a tire, how to ride my bike, how to rep Jayhawk pride above personal pride, how to handle my life when things get tough, how to make fun of Kstate and Missouri fans, and to keep my family above all other relationships I make. Some people say that when you are younger you dad is your superhero, but when you get older you realize he is not perfect. Although my dad is far from perfect, he is still my superhero.

Dad, I love you to death. Thanks for teaching me how to be a man. and a Jayhawk fan.