Super love how all my Facebook friends think that singing = worship...like yeah the decision to ban singing in all places of worship is a bad political move but when are people gonna realize worship doesn't have to be singing?????????????

It's okay to feel persecuted by the California order. On one hand, I know it's scientifically proven that singing spreads germs, on another, I feel like the symbolism of the order speaks volumes about the CA legislature's disdain for organized religion BUT

If I'm just looking at the *response* of my brothers and sisters here, I'm disappointed. Maybe instead of declaring war on "the left", we could turn inwards and ask God what he wants to show us by allowing our "worship" to be limited. Maybe we could begin y'all's beloved...

Music- and prayer-centric "revivals" with crying and singing directly in people's homes. It's not like we're living without backing tracks for every bethel song free to access on YouTube.

The point of this thread is such: God allows the church to endure "persecution" to show us the limits of our faith, how far we are willing to persevere to connect with him, how much of that perseverance creates who we are, & how who we are is an indication of hope (Romans 5:3-4)

I think in the past decade we have become so wrapped up in the shiny shininess of live musical worship that we forget Worship can look like so many different things--it can look like work and rest and love of others and healing of/kindness to the self.

I know literally dozens of people who are a part of a musical worship movement here in Dallas that are amazing on a stage, "changing atmospheres" and ministering to Jesus with their talent, but those same people

Will treat my Barista husband (whom they do not know knows who they are) like **absolute garbage** when they order a drink. They limit their concept of worship so much to the prayer room that they've developed "'worship' me" and "life me"--and how pharisaical is that???

If you see life as Worship, your relationships change, your work changes, your care for the earth and for others changes. And people begin to Worship God simply because of the way youve incorporated Worship into your everyday life. (Matt 5:16)

I wanna get into what everyday Worship looks like but I guess I'll have to (clicks heels like a leprechaun) write a book for that!! In the meantime, here's the prophet Amos:

"Take away from me (God) the noise of your songs; the melody of your harps I will not listen. But let justice roll down like waters, and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream."