Worship

Calvin and Hobbes by Bill Watterson (cartoon left if you were not aware) ran from November 18, 1985 until December 31, 1995. At its height, it was carried in approximately 2,400 newspapers. It was a brilliant piece of writing which was sometimes criticized for being "too adult" in its content. I enjoyed it immensely. This is one of my favorite panels.

So, do you "verb" or "noun" when it comes to worship?

Let's break it down a bit:
Noun:          The feeling or expression of reverence and adoration for a deity.

Verb:           To show reverence and adoration for (a deity); honor with religious rites.

If you "noun", you base your worship experience on feelings or emotions. True worship should evoke an emotional response since it is an expression of love; however, we cannot base our entire worship experience on emotion.

If you "verb", your worship is based on action.  Perhaps the most prevalent action word used in conjunction within the context of "loving God" is obey (stated or implied):


1 John 5:3 (NIV)

"In fact, this is love for God: to keep his commands. And his commands are not burdensome."

John 15:10 (NIV)

"If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father’s commands and remain in his love."

John 14:15 (NIV)

"If you love me, keep my commands."

So, we worship through obedience.  In Romans 12:1 (NIV), we are told:

"Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship."

We must give God our all, all the time, not just when we are in an emotional state conducive to what we consider worship.  That is love.

So be like Calvin and "verb" it up!