Dr. Jana Craft has been inspired by a fellow parishioner; his worship has stirred her heart (and made her a bit jealous, too).
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There’s a gentleman in our church who is the most passionate worshiper I’ve ever seen. And I’m totally jealous of him.
Recently, I found myself in my journal recording my thoughts on worship as I watched him.
My thoughts were raw and unfocused and cannot capture the true beauty of his act.
He sings loud, praising without abandon or self-conscious regret.
Bent in supplication, he’s so passionate. Hands emphatically raised, pulsing up, punctuating each word within the song.
Kneeling, bent, nose to ground, he prays.
Hands on head, he prays harder now. His humility and obedience is on display. It’s beautiful.
He’s an engaged participator in the sermon. I can see every word is absorbed and will be considered while he works with his hands during the week.
His words, when he brings a reading for the corporate body, are halting but carefully enunciated. Each pronunciation is purposeful and important.
He’s vulnerable, caring. His struggle is evident, but his love for his children and wife is strong and visceral.
After service, he corrals his kids, gently correcting, a hint of exasperation at the edges of his instruction. Not a lack of patience or frustration, but a stretching of his ability to multitask.
His praise is never lacking, his love is always strong, his hands provide income for his family.
I watch him in awe for I am a dry and reserved person in comparison.
His worship is beautiful because it’s real.
I dig real.
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This post first appeared on Jana’s blog and can be found here.
[image: via ☻☺ on flickr]
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Er….I asked because I’ve seen that kind of holier than thou mindset underpinning ostentatious worship displays before, and the article didn’t even consider that possibility? Frankly, it immediately reminded me of Christ’s injunction against such.
I did go to church for most of my life, Tom, even though I don’t anymore – don’t be quick to assume. Worship leader’s kid as well – you get to see the good side of it as well as the bad.
Could be an act??? Are you serious? I’m a daily church goer and I assure you, this man is not “acting.” OirishM, why did you bother responding? What value did you provide? Even when Christians find a place to share without pushing their beliefs on others, people have to come in and make snide comments. Jana, I can understand how you feel. As I said, I go to church (mass) daily. The people who attend daily mass are special in a lot of ways. The mass is simple and very prayerful. Of course the number of people who attend is… Read more »
Hi Tom, my friend saw the link on Facebook and asked me the very same thing today. She knows about whom I write. I’m pondering it. We are evangelical Christian so it’s not uncommon to see passionate worshippers, but he stands out and it is beautiful. Funny, I wrote this brain dump after a difficult day with our oldest son and it’s certainly one of my more unpolished blog posts out of the 150+ on my blog currently. Thank you for your prayer. I love it. – Jana
I assure you it’s very genuine.
Really? Could arguably be a performance of apparent humility rather than actual humility.