Raising the Roof!

Brian took me to my very first NBA game on Saturday to see the Chicago Bulls at the United Center.

Wow! It was an amazing experience.

The arena was decorated with banners and championship trophies all dedicated to the victories and glory of  the Bulls!  

Cheering fans filled almost every seat, when they weren’t standing and clapping that is.  Every action brought hands up and a roar of approval. Their voices shook the United Center to its foundation!

Before the game started there were indoor fireworks! When the artist sang the National Anthem I could feel it reverberating in my core. What a great display of worth-ship! The Bulls are worth a lot to their fans: Worth the cost of the ticket, worth the time dedicated to watching the games, worth loyalty and gratitude.

Was this worship? I’m not saying that the Bulls are anyone’s idol, but if “worship” is defined as “to regard with ardent or adoring esteem or devotion”, then this was worship. But this was fun! And loud! And enjoyed with abandon! No one worried what anyone else would say about how loudly they cheered, if they were the first to stand, if their hands were held high, or if they shouted off-key. Wouldn’t it be fun to worship like this in church?

Actually, I think worship in heaven looks a little bit like this:

“It was in the year King Uzziah died that I saw the Lord. He was sitting on a lofty throne, and the train of his robe filled the Temple. Attending him were mighty seraphim… They were calling out to each other, ‘Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of Heaven’s Armies! The whole earth is filled with his glory!’ Their voices shook the Temple to its foundations, and the entire building was filled with smoke.” – Isaiah 6:1-3 NLT

Imagine seeing the Lord Jesus Christ seated on a throne that was high and lofty, in the United Center. Imagine the train of his robe filling the entire arena. Imagine mighty seraphim (not little naked butt cherubs that we like to think of as angels), but mighty seraphim calling out and singing His praises so loudly it shook the foundation of the building. And, imagine fireworks to celebrate our Jesus and His victories! Imagine every seat filled with a worshiper who was not afraid to stand and lift his/her hands to show how worthy this King is. Imagine if they all sang and cheered with abandon and without self-awareness.

Sometimes my church gets pretty close to this kind of worship. Perhaps we should try to get closer to this example; after all, we will be participating in this for all eternity!

Does this sound like your worship? Are you self-aware or abandoned? Are you afraid your voice might be off-key? Are you embarrassed to raise your hand? Are you afraid others will see you if you stand? No one will see or hear you. If everyone is worshiping God, then all eyes and ears are on Him, just as yours are.