Part of the out working of the Worshipping God aspect of our church’s mission can be found in one element of our the WBC vision statement that says “We envision our church family being passionately and completely engaged in biblical worship that consumes our worship services, ministries and lives.” (Full vision statement can be found at: http://waxahachiebible.org/#/about-us/vision)
This statement is based on Matthew 22:37(among other passages) and seeks to draw our attention to acknowledging God in all that we are, and in all that we do, all of the time. Hear the thoughts of WBC missionary Matt Lewis on the outworking of this passage in to his life of worship.
1. How do see Matthew 22:37 playing out (actually/correctly happening) in your life of worship to God?
This is an interesting question in that, personally, this theme, love, has been on my heart and mind for about 2 1/2 years. It's a long story so I'll only write that I had a very difficult time that included depression and dryness of soul to the point that I didn't know what my faith in Christ meant a few years ago. One question that came out of this time was: What is love? Specifically, How does God love me?, how should I love Him?, and how should I love others?.The Lord showed me that for all the things i thought i knew about Him from scripture, these points of knowledge had become idolatry in my heart. I wasn't truly loving the Lord with everything within me. I loved things about Him but not the person of Christ. Since, that time the Lord continues to show me that I am a very self-centered person who delights in worshipping myself. This sounds harsh but I have found it to be true. Only by loving the Lord with all that I am (or attempting to do that) can I be a whole person. I believe that the basis of my life must be first and foremost to Love the Lord with my whole person, body and soul. Everything else flows from that. If i am not rightly related to God, if I'm not placing Christ at the center of my "heart, soul, and mind" then i am wrongly aligned and cannot truly love my fellow man. When I have placed Christ at the center of my life, to the best of my ability, I do find that I love my wife, Cassie, my daughter Willa, and others much better.
2. What are some ways that you seek to do that (Mt. 22:37) in your life?
I seek to develop my prayer life. I try to be in community with other Christians. I read the scriptures. Everyday I try to take control from God and so everyday I must try to realign my will with His. So, many times i try to take a prayerful attitude of humility before the Lord. I ask for forgiveness but I try to humble myself before him and ask that He would help me redirect my affections towards Himself and not myself. As a follower of Jesus, I believe that in order to Love the Lord with all of my heart, mind and soul means that the Love of Christ must be central to my entire being To the best of my abilities, through worship, prayer, scripture, the church and body of believers i try to direct my love towards the Lord so that I might glorify Him and better love others.
3. How do see Matthew 22:37 playing out in a public worship service?
First of all, this love command that Jesus gives us is severe. It requires every aspect of our being. When we gather together as Christians i think we should come before the Lord reverently with an attitude of submission and humility. I don't mean to suggest that the worship service shouldn't be joyful. On the contrary, it should be a celebration...a holy celebration. It's really ironic that I'm attempting to answer this question because many times i'm the worst at coming to the worship service seeking to be changed by the living God. Practically, I'm not completely certain how the worship service should be conducted. Does this mean a certain order? a particular style of music? style of exegesis? liturgy or no-liturgy? public readings of scripture? private moments of silence and reflection before the Lord? I don't completely know. I do think that as a body of believers we should come before the Lord to worship him with everything about us. I think we need to hear His word and be changed. I think we should lift our voices before His throne in worship and adoration and I think we need to love and worship the Lord by taking the Lord's table together. Also, I think we should let this public worship service flow outwards to the community. As we come together to love and worship the Lord it should also help us love our neighbor.
4. Do you think that different worship elements of a service help fulfill different aspects of Matthew 22:37? For example loving God with your heart vs. your mind.
Maybe. although I think the Love of God appeals not only to our hearts but our reason as well. Honestly, I'm not sure how you could break this down. I think this verse is directing us to Love God with our entire person. I think to compartmentalize it too much might diminish it. for instance, does scripture require more of my mind or heart? does taking the Lord's table fulfill me intellectually, spiritually or communally? I think the different elements of the worship service should direct all of us to Love the Lord with all that we are so that we are able to glorify Him and love others better. Of course during the worship servcie we call upon our different faculties to worship the Lord, I just don't know exactly where one begins and the others end.
5. What are some of the differences of public worship in America from Italian worship?
oooh. this is a tough one. even though Cassie and I have been in Italy several years i would hardly say we are super cultural insiders. If you mean, "what does an Italian church worship service look like?' then I'll take a crack at it. The church we go to in Florence actually resembles the services here at WBC somewhat. We gather together to worship the Lord through songs and music. Then we seek the Lord through scripture by listening to the sermon. we seek ways to serve the community outside the church building and at least once a month we take the Lord's Supper together. One of the differences is that the only space we have right now is at the Communist community center. It's pretty cool.
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