The word for worship

One of the New Testament words for worship, according to Len Sweet, means to "Move toward to kiss." What a beautiful picture.

I tried for about half of my life to be a stoic. Don't get too happy. Don't get too sad. Even more, if you allow yourself to be too happy, then you might contribute to feeling way down in the dumps at other times.

I tried to approach my understanding of my faith exclusively with my mind. Following Jesus was about truth. Christianity was a cosmic plan to control my little part of the universe. Good faith was about having the right ideas. Bad faith was about having the wrong ideas. Faith worked when I got what I wanted. I was doing something to piss God off when things did not go my way. I thought good ideas make all the difference in the world.

I forgot that faith is an action word.

And that following Jesus is about worshipping him. And that worshipping him is about "moving toward with a kiss".

Gives a whole new spin on Judas' "You betray me with a kiss?" Judas moves toward Jesus with a kiss, acting like is a friend and worshipper. His last encounter with Jesus exposes Judas' hypocrisy. He had thought and analyzed himself into a workable plan, but he had become the tin man--he lost his heart.

There are some days when I wonder....do I really believe in "all this Jesus stuff"? Does it make any sense at all? What's the point.

Then I worship...truly worship. Sometimes in the car. Sometimes at home. And I sense that in my worship as I move toward God he is also moving toward me, in me, and through me. And at that moment it is all worth it.