David W. Swanson

Pastor and Author

a quote about worship from “simply christian”

A book I’m currently reading and enjoying immensely is Simply Christian by N. T. Wright. This morning I read the chapter on worship and was struck by the following quote. Given the preceding post about worship I thought I’d share it here.

This brings us to the first of two golden rules at the heart of spirituality. You become like what you worship. When you gaze in awe, admiration, and wonder at something or someone, you begin to take on something of the character of the object of your worship. Those who worship money become, eventually, human calculating machines. Those who worship sex become obsessed with their own attractiveness and prowess. Those who worship power become more and more ruthless.

So what happens when you worhsip the creator God whose plan to rescue the world and put it to rights has been accomplished by the Lamb who was slain? The answer comes in the second golden rule: because you were made in God’s image, worship makes you more truly human. When you gaze in love and gratitude at the God in whose image you were made, you do indeed grow. You discover more of what it means to be fully alive.

David Swanson

,

One response to “a quote about worship from “simply christian””

  1. Brian Avatar
    Brian

    Thought provoking entry. I was thinking about it just little. The first paragraph seems obvious enough – it’s easy (maybe) to pick out someone obsessed with money or sex who become very much like that which they worship.

    But I’m confused on the second paragraph. He seems to be clearly saying that worshiping God is part of the fabric of who we are and by doing so we participate more fully in who God has made us to be. But what are the outward signs of that? In the first paragraph he shows how what we internally worship is manifest externally, but I’m not catching the parellel in the 2nd paragraph.

    I wonder if we Christians sometimes worship worship (at least the singing part of it), kind of like a teenager might be inlove with being in love. In other cases we worship our concept of God – but then that concept is reflected outwardly – maybe we become rigid and legalistic (because we think that’s how God is) or overly permissive (ditto).

    Dunno – still chewing on this one.

    Wasn’t planning to comment – but you know me. =)

    Just wanted to let you know that this in my RSS Reader and I’m lurking around in the shadows.

    Reply

Leave a comment