worship unwrapped

  

Each week I unwrap beauty.

The *whirl and twirl* of life beckons me to see . . . to notice . . . and to declare. Worship is reflected in the way our Real selves pour over and trickle down into our moments one-by-blessed-one. 

Simply as we are now.

I have to tell of the goodness I have tasted. So, I've set the table and I'm spreading out the beauty I've unwrapped . . . to share -- to commune together -- life that is lived out so boldly and magnificently.

Let's toast to these dozen witnesses of worship in Real living . . . 

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1. Coping out of courage  . . . and in turn gifting the world.

     "This is all sucks, you know . . . and it's stupid that it's happening. 

     There's no reason for us to suffer through it like this. 

     
     I'm here to make people happy."

Meet Bob and Linda Carey, and read about #TheTutuProject.

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2. Being, as we are. It's not always about being fully engaged. 

     "We'll sit in our little group of five at the family table . . . 
     they will ignore me completely . . . 

     I will be so glad to sit with them. 
     And they'll be so glad I've come."

Emily reminds me of how a parent matters more than we think.

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3. Sharing helps us be.

     "I don't know why . . . 
     I guess it's because I feel safe here . . . "

Deidra's sharing of her continued learning.

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4. Turning towards God "in the midst of kids and mess and loud . . . [and] life turns lovely." 

     " . . . pots and pans as bowls before an altar . . . 

     a sacred mess of grace. 

     

     Her breath there at the sink as incense."

Ann's learning of The Best Way to do Your Christmas Cleaning

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5. Seeing the miracles. 

     "There are divine invasions from heaven, 

     landing like morning manna, 

     for a waiting world with its back turned. 

     It happened about 2,000 years ago, and it still happens today. 

     In front yards. And mangers.
     And wherever you are right now. 

Jennifer's humble discovery of The Meaning of Advent . . . And Why You Don't Want to Miss It. 

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6. Accepting our story is an offering. As it is. 

     ". . . learning to embrace and accept . . . 

     the one you are living,

     the one that is taking shape in you,

     rather than the one you wish you were living . . . "

Bonnie's long, hard unwrapping of The Gift of Vulnerability. 

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7. Making room to enjoy the beauty. 

     ". . . in the midst of your meal-planning, program-directing, list-accomplishing.

     

          . . . however fleeting,

     of beauty that breaks through our resolve and our armour,

     our urgency and our self-importance."

Sarah's encouragement to Make Room For The Small Joys.

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8. Acknowledging moments as important. 

     "To realize the value of ONE MINUTE, 
          ask a person who just missed a train . . . 
     
     To realize the value of ONE MILLISECOND, 
          ask the person who won a silver medal at the Olympics . . . "

Bianca reminds us to realize and honor the value of time.

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9. Treasuring the long, hard road of learning.

     "It took us a year of Sundays . . . 

     to discover the holiness of setting aside a day . . . "

Kimberly's fear of Losing The Sabbath she "had so slowly gained." 

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10. Truth-telling of where we are. And seeing that worship is more than the where and the why (or even the why not). 

     "It is about being really true with myself 

     about where my heart is,

     even if it doesn't look good."

Heather's honoring of her questions and how Out of the Depths Came Joy.

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11. Refusing to pretend. She's just real. And she takes roles that honor her spirit. That influence and inspire.

     "You believe in a revolution,
     a REAL revolution,
     of the body, mind and spirit.

     You're sick of being told how to live and what to eat and hiding behind a skinny facade. 
     You're weary of seeing daughters and sisters and mothers fall apart because of some pretend ideal.

     You remind us that we are more than our bodies."

Emily deserves a stand-up ovation for No More Hunger Games (a letter to Jennifer Lawrence). 

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12. Pursuing hope. Like God pursues us.  

     "Those years of waiting weren't just because God decided He wanted us to wait 

     an arbitrary number of years or go through an arbitrary experience . . . 

     My hope is that God will be glorified through his life and through his story . . . "

     "I can't wait to see how many years the Lord allows us to be his parents . . . "

     "It's ultimately God's story that we're a part of."

Jacob Chen and this beautiful story.

We present to you these offerings, Father. 

We dance. We declare. And together, we dine. 

this is our worship. 

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