What is Worship? Part 4-Worshipping when it's difficult

Ok, not one of Rev Clive's Random Musings at all, but one of Alison's...

Faster, Higher, Stronger: the sacrifice of worship in the dark times..

Psalm 130 from The Message
2 Help, God—the bottom has fallen out of my life! Master, hear my cry for help! Listen hard! Open your ears! Listen to my cries for mercy.
3-4 If you, God, kept records on wrongdoings, who would stand a chance? As it turns out, forgiveness is your habit, and that's why you're worshipped.
5-6 I pray to God—my life a prayer— and wait for what he'll say and do. My life's on the line before God, my Lord, waiting and watching till morning, waiting and watching till morning.
7-8 O Israel, wait and watch for God— with God's arrival comes love, with God's arrival comes generous redemption. No doubt about it—he'll redeem Israel, buy back Israel from captivity to sin.

Today we're ending our look at worship, so I'm going to start with a brief recap before we look at psalm 130 and what God has to say to us about worship in spite of our circumstances..
Clive shared with us.. we need to worship in spirit and truth. It doesn't matter where or how we do it, but we need to do it with integrity and in tune with the spirit of God, and what he is telling us today, here and now.
He also talked about why we do what we do in church, praising god, the apostle's teaching, sharing with each other and breaking bread.
Then he talked about whole life worship being about Christ like living, preferring each others needs to our own, living in community and mutual respect.
I love the psalms, they've got me through some horrible times, and I love that God has given them to us as a template for how to respond in worship during those times.
Who is tuning in to the Olympics? I've been reflecting on what it means to be an Olympian, to be capable of such immense achievements. Part of what is essential is sacrifice; getting up early, working incredibly hard all day, missing out on the things of normal life in order to reach a goal. And as I've heard the athletes talk, there's been a common theme; sacrifice, pain, disappointment, but through it all holding on, keeping the faith, knowing it's worth it. They are made to function in this way, to use their bodies to reach incredible heights.
And we are all made, Olympian or not, to worship God. Faster, higher, stronger is the Olympic motto, and it's a great motto for our worship lives too.It's our primary calling and function.
But how do we really worship God when everything else that anchors us is stripped away? How do we make the sacrifice, maintain the discipline, keep our hearts right? How do we go faster, higher, stronger? We are called to worship God, whatever our feelings or circumstances.

To help us out with thinking about this, I'll be highlighting three things. They are..

1. Worship is not about me, and how hard things are for me. 
2. Worship is a discipline, and a choice. 
3. I will worship God wherever and however I am. 

1. Part of what Clive's response to the call of God to ordained ministry has meant for me and our children is that we have been to lots of different churches. We are very experienced in varying styles of worship, and we know a lot about church politics, and the things that people get fired up about. And therefore I have learnt a lot about worshipping God in new places, when I'm feeling like an outsider, like God isn't with me as I've moved yet again. But I have to worship him, to do it with my new brothers and sisters, whatever the cost. I'm made to do it. It isn't about me. Hear what the psalmist says.. If you, God, kept records on wrongdoings, who would stand a chance? As it turns out, forgiveness is your habit, and that's why you're worshipped. These were really hard times as he wrote, as he cried out to God. It wasn't the comfortable life that we are used to, it puts our struggles into perspective. Worship is not about me, and how hard things are for me. None of us deserve God's love, but he gives it to us anyway, and we are made to worship him. 
2. When we first moved to Coventry, it was a very difficult time. My dad was very unwell, Clive's best friend was dying, and then died, Clive was then very unwell and hospitalised. The children and I were alone in a new place. I was angry with God, very angry. I didn't want to worship God, my life had been disrupted in a major way. It wasn't a small thing, just being in a new church with new people. People were dead and dying, and I was scared and alone. So what should we do in these situations? Should we give up on God if we feel like he's given up on us? Hear what the psalmist says.. I pray to God—my life a prayer— and wait for what he'll say and do. My life's on the line before God, my Lord, waiting and watching till morning, waiting and watching till morning. For the psalmist there was nothing else to do but wait, pray..'my life a prayer'..And that's what I did. Prayed, worshipped, waited and watched. Worship is a choice and a discipline. We hang on in there and wait on the lord. And he comes. My dad was healed miraculously. Clive came home. I chose to worship God in a new and dark place. And I learnt who my brothers and sisters in Christ in our new church were, as they recognised the sacrifice we had made to be with them, to respond to God's call, and they supported me. Worship is a discipline and a choice. Through making that choice we reach new heights in our relationship with God and with each other. Higher and stronger. 
3. So what of us, here today? My newest friends in Christ, what if we are in that dark and desperate place today, watching and waiting? Hear what the psalmist says.. O Israel, wait and watch for God— with God's arrival comes love, with God's arrival comes generous redemption. No doubt about it—he'll redeem Israel, buy back Israel from captivity to sin. There is hope, even when we can't see it, and we can't trust it. But the psalmist knows. God's love will reach us, whatever our current circumstances and whatever the outcome. I will worship God wherever and however I am. If our worship is about God, not us, if we are disciplined, and make the choice, if we worship whatever the cost, we will win the medals! And if you are finding that impossible to hear, if life is so dark you can't remember what the light looks like, I'd love to pray for you. Or if you know you've lost your discipline, or have become bogged down in stuff that doesn't matter, I'd love to pray for you. 

So why don't we stand together, as God's broken but redeemed people, and let's pray.. The psalmist says.. If you, God, kept records on wrongdoings, who would stand a chance? As it turns out, forgiveness is your habit, and that's why you're worshipped. Let's ask God to place on our hearts those things that he wants to change, to make new, those things that we need to ask forgiveness for... Thank you that you are the God of forgiveness, and we are made to worship you. Thank you for the fresh start you give us all today.. And Jesus, I ask in your precious name that you would lift up those who are broken today, that you would shine your love and renewal into their lives. Thank you so much that as we wait and watch for you, as we worship you, you come to breath new life by your spirit. Thank you Jesus. Amen.