Revelation of Worship

In the fall of 2015, I began a study of the Book of Revelation. I was both nervous and excited. Revelation is a lot to unpack. It is the apocalypse, after all. It did challenge my faith at times. I did and do have more questions then answers. I grappled with things that seem unnecessarily harsh, overly cryptic, or mystically ornate. I would not recommend starting here in your Bible journey because of these difficulties. And yet, I encourage you to find time to study this important part of our human story because it is a message of great hope that there will be an end to sin, an end to death, and an end to evil and suffering. And all of that will happen because of the culmination of the greatest love story, the coming union of us with Christ forever. If you picture a romance movie, at the point where the two estranged lovers run towards one another reuniting in a spinning embrace, smiles for miles, crescendoing music as the screen fades to the brightest of whites. (well, this is the picture I see in my mind anyway)

At the time I started this study in Revelation, I had no clue my husband would die suddenly five months later. Thinking about our eternity seemed far off and fantastical in a lot of ways. And when death came to my doorstep, I felt betrayed. I didn’t know how to feel about what God had been telling me about our eternal lives and I often still don’t. I do think there was and is some peace I needed in knowing it doesn’t end here. There is also some comfort in the memories of the conversations I was able to have with Tony regarding what I was learning about …dun dun dun…the end of days. (pause for dramatic effect)

I can vividly remember my Bible propped open on the arm of the sectional sofa and discussing how we felt about the unceasing worship that is depicted in Revelation. We wondered what kind of heaven would it be if we can hardly stand from the awe and gratitude we feel for our savior? And for us to live this way for eternity! Would eternal worship be worth it in the end, when the world has been all but guaranteeing us some form of heaven that includes fried foods that don’t have calories and effortless healthy forms and beautiful features. Sunrises that last as long as we want to enjoy them and sunsets that blow our minds. Reunions with those who have gone before and a wholeness of self we have never known. How would we enjoy all of that face down overcome with the need and desire to worship our Lord? We pondered this together, but we didn’t have answers. So much of what heaven has to offer is beyond our comprehension, however since then, I have had a revelation (ha! you see what I did there?!). It has occurred to me that worshiping Jesus IS a full time job, this side of heaven.

I feel God patting me on the head and saying: “Oh sweet child with such a tiny human mind. This seems impossible, but I make all things possible. And besides, you already have this desire.”

We already have this desire! We ARE worshipping God all the time. Our very breaths can and should be declarations of love. Our heartbeats are his. We inhale his grace and exhale his fragrance. We enjoy his majesty in creation all the time, and that joy, that vibrance and reverence we feel, is worship. We are worshipping him when we enjoy what He has made. We are worshipping him when we take care of what He has made. When Jesus lives in us, our existence is filled with unceasing worship. If worship looks like this here on earth, what is to come will be nothing short of fall-on-your-face amazing!