Gallery Wednesday - Worship

""You Are Holy " - by Nichole Nordeman

This was one of my most difficult themes. The Trinity is so beyond my comprehension that I am indeed inspired to worhship.

I wanted to capture the essence of the Trinity without being cliché. In the end, I had a big pile of "visual gunk". I decided to scrap it all and go simple. And I'm much more satisfied.

I chose to do the triptych design to reinforce the idea of three parts making a whole." - Erin

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Ancient Hebrew Call to Worship

Ascribe to the LORD the glory due His name;
Bring an offering, and come before Him;
Worship the LORD in holy array.
Tremble before Him, all the earth;
Indeed, the world is firmly established, it will not be moved.
Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice;
And let them say among the nations, “The LORD reigns.”
Let the sea roar, and all it contains;
Let the field exult, and all that is in it.
Then the trees of the forest will sing for joy before the LORD;
For He is coming to judge the earth.
O give thanks to the LORD, for He is good;
For His lovingkindness is everlasting.

(1 Chronicles 16:29–34)

Gallery Wednesday - Worship

"This card is obviously chaotic and not very attractive. This is exactly the look I wanted in representing the chaos in my life right now. This also represents a difficult time in my life... there's too much to even mention. There were many times it was difficult for me to worship. Jason and I realized that these things were happening for a reason while our selfish desires and motives made it hard at times to believe this, we continue to pray for direction from Him." - Trinh

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The Un- God

Last week my nine year old and I were thinking together about how God is The Uncreated Creator. No beginning, no end. He was there from the start, forming all that we know by His creative genius and might. The variety He has imagined is staggering.

Soon our conversation turned a corner and we contemplated how God is The Unmoved Mover. Nothing shakes, shifts or shatters Him. He goes where He pleases, when He pleases. He is a rock and solid foundation, charging Himself with keeping the rest of our universe held together and in motion.


Both Ellie and I were drawn into worship reflecting on these truths, and it made me wonder...
what other "Un"- words can be used to describe this God that we worship?

Gallery Wednesday - Worship

"Simple and elegant.

Make it "pop out" as it should in my heart. Keep the visual close and I stay closer on my path. I wanted to add color and when adding the green, they reminded me of the nails - not pointed, not round - painful.

This card represents the brightness I can look for at the cross. The nails Jesus took for me are illustrated in the green paper." - Dena

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What Makes You Worship?

Here are some things that caused me to worship last week...

Meaningful interactions with friends.

Sunrise near Neopolis on the Aegean.

A breeze, just when I thought I'd explode from heat.

A body that works well enough to walk and carry things and go up and down steps and swim.

Delicious food. >>>

Listening to Steve Green perform.

Seeing kittens.

Perfect timing... A group of photographers rose before six to catch a sunrise over Athens on film, and just as it looked like the sun would appear, a huge cruise boat blocked our view. Oh, no!

But after the boat crept past (it seemed to take forever), we discovered to our delight that the sun had not yet appeared after all.

Then there it came.

We snapped like crazy, and then another cruise boat blocked our view.

Still, the precise moment we needed the sea clear, nothing blocked us. >>>

What has caused you to worship?

Gallery Wednesday - Worship

"I've heard it said that the blood of martyrs is the fuel for spreading the gospel. When we let go and allow God to consume us, all of us to the core of who we are, we are refined and we burn for others to see. How terrifying it is to say we are God's fuel - when a match is lit and it is near fuel, the reaction is immediate, explosive. What would it look like if we really lived as though we were God's fuel." - Becky

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Rufus M. Worships Well

Our family recently got a dog. My three daughters have never had a pet before, so you can imagine the attention this little scruffy guy gets in our home. Someone is always ready to brush, hug, snuggle, feed a doggy treat, dote, or oooh and ahhhh over him. The girls fight over loving him, in fact.
Rufus M. is well-loved by all standards.

When he joined our family a month ago, Rufus M. attached himself to the leader of his new pack-- me. I'm his Alpha dog. I show him where to potty, when to eat, what furniture he can nap on, and where we're going to take our daily walk. He looks to me to help him understand and navigate his new environment. But I appear to mean more to him than a mere guidance counselor or food provider. My children are capable enough to lead him on walks, they fill his food bowl, they brush him and play toys with him: all (easily) 10X more frequently than I do every day. And yet, when I enter the room, Rufus M. is bounding away from whichever forlorn daughter of mine was mid-belly-rub with him and adopting his position right by my side.

The Alpha dog is the center of Rufus M.'s universe. The Alpha dog is where, for Rufus, meaning is found. The Alpha dog is his anchor.


I love this picture of worship found in the book of John:

"You do not want to leave too, do you?" Jesus asked the Twelve. Simon Peter answered him, "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. We believe and know that you are the Holy One of God."

John 6:67-69

To whom shall we go?

Where else is meaning found? Where else can we hear and taste the words of life?

Are we not already at the center of the universe? Why then should we leave? What's better out there than this?

In his book, The Cost of Discipleschip, Dietrich Bonhoeffer discusses following Christ for the benefits of being a Christian rather than following Christ for Christ. One is false worship, the other represents a true worshiper's heart. Do we claim the name of Christ because we want to get to heaven? Because we enjoy the Church so much? Do we pursue Jesus because we desire more grace and mercy? Is it the clean living and the feelings of righteousness that drive us in our faith journey?

Of course none of those are offensive by any means, but what if those things were not a part of the Christian's "package deal"? Thinking of Rufus M.; is he constantly beside me solely for a scrap of bacon and fresh water in his bowl, or is there a deeper need inside him for a connection with his "source"?

Would we still be following Christ if the only incentive was Christ alone?

It's a sobering thought that can help me align my focus to worshiping the only thing, person and future that deserves it. Christ the Anchor, the Center, the Meaning.

I agree with Simon Peter, to whom shall I go?

Gallery Wednesday - Worship

"Christ Before Me" by Margaret Becker

I made this card after a particularly rough couple of weeks in general. I was getting frustrated with the decay in my world and my inability to handle that decay in a godly manor.

I felt as if life was a pack of dogs nipping at my heels. No rest. No end. No resolution. And no one was going to "be nice" to me (according to my definition!). And I just kept fighting for my rights.

This is a powerful song about continuing to abide in Christ, to be filled with His power and to allow the Holy Spirit to change my perspective.

"Christ above me, Christ beside me, Christ within me, Christ behind me, Christ before me..."

If only I could learn to submerge myself in Him so that I can be His perfect bride. " - Erin

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