Worship

On many a Sunday morning, I find myself commenting about the amazing (or not-so amazing) time of worship brought to us by whichever team is up.  As a matter of fact, I did so today.  And, in truth, it was a great worship service:  amazing leader (who is interviewing for the position), great band and back-up singers, nicely blended sound mix and lighting.  Such a setting creates an easy atmosphere for worship.  I can create a worship setting at home as well.  All I need is a praise CD and a CD player or my computer, and a few minutes of uninterrupted time with no distractions.  This, too, can be fairly easy to set up.  However, what about those times when we face constant distractions?  The kids are too noisy or are fighting, the phone keeps ringing, our mind continually wanders?  In other words, what about every day life?  Can we worship in the midst of all that we do?  The easy answer is yes, we can worship as we do the dishes and cook dinner.  But let's be realistic.  How many of us actually DO that?  The answer we KNOW to be right in our minds is not always what is practiced in our hearts. 
I work the sound board for a worship team at church.  This requires practice once a week and all day one Sunday every four.  I am also an "active" worshipper, in that I like to raise my hands, clap, close my eyes and get "lost" in the moment.  This is not possible when I'm in charge of making sure no one creates feedback, making sure the mix/blend is as close to perfect as possible, thinking ahead to the next step or task for the morning.  Therefore, it is important that I worship alone prior to Sunday morning worship.  While I know this is the thing I should do, it often gets overlooked in the busyness of the week.  This week was no exception.  I left an amazing physical environment for worship and now face a whole week where I am responsible to create that opportunity for myself.  I must be in tune with God, sensing His prompting to step outside of my schedule and into His.  Then, regardless of my responsibilities, when Sunday rolls around, I know that I have met my Lord and communed with Him.
As we face full (even over-full) schedules in the coming weeks toward Christmas, can we set aside a few minutes to worship God?  Can we sing a praise song as we clean or offer a prayer of thanksgiving as we drive to work?  Can I reflect on God's goodness as I walk the halls at school?  God can, and does, meet us in these places.  All we have to do is be open and give Him allowance to meet with us.