Today I am compelled to share Ferree’s writing’s with you. Now 48 years into our marriage, Loretta and I realize that although we’ve been richly blessed, we have no guarantees for tomorrow but are increasingly aware we’re being drawn into worship. We were planned for God’s pleasure and our doing that is worship. Anthropologists have noted that worship is a universal urge , hard-wired into the very fiber of our being – an inbuilt need to connect with God. Worship is far more than music, and not merely a synonym for music. Actually, every part of a church service and far beyond may be acts of worship!
Having just finished her book, I am reminded of Evelyn Husband’s telling in “High Calling” of the Columbia shuttle disaster of 2003, how at her husband Rick’s memorial service while watching video clips of her late husband both sing and speak at his own memorial service, that “in the middle of my immeasurable grief, something happened: I worshipped. I got lost in God’s holiness and provision. I was swept away by his faithfulness and presence. In the depths of my agonizing heartache, God was there comforting and holding me.” King Jesus wants to do the same with us in our daily living, not just during tragedies
PDL author Rick Warren is spot on stating worship is not part of your life, it is your life. Col. 3:23 Message Paraphrase says “Take your everyday life, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work-life, and walking around life—and place it before God as an offering.”
Real worship is all about falling in love with Jesus, wanting to know him, to please him anyway possible, and again, continually, regardless, and best of all, in the absence of fear. I’ve heard it said the safest place you can ever be in this world is in the center of God’s will. Sometimes since covid, because of all the posted no fear signs, it seems that the Christian’s identity with John 3:16 has possibly been replaced by I John 4:18 “There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out all fear; because fear hath torment. He that fears is not made perfect in love.” Actually both verses are so spot-on!
Perhaps we do not usually associate fear and worship typically with widows, but my personal experience with such loss and healing proves otherwise. Therefore, relax and relish Ferree’s experiential wisdom of grieving sent out 1/27/22 via email to subscribers of Plain Values.
Click on the link below to view the email to get better acquainted with Ferree.
https://plainvalues.substack.com/p/changing-the-calendar?r=690o5&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=email