Heart Worship
Major elements of the Western intellectual tradition have to do with the separation of theory from practice and the dominance of rationality and the scientific method over intuition and imagination. The biblical tradition, however, has integration as its main theme. We worship God with our heart and our mind.
Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise—the fruit of lips that openly profess his name. And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased. (Hebrews 13:15-16) NIV
Living the Christian life does have to do with asking the hard questions about God, life, and our role in the world. The Christian should never throw his or her mind away in living the faith.
However, we do need to realize we don’t come far when we are forever involved in tireless speculation. Speculation at the end of the day will leave us suspended in the middle of nowhere.
The unknown writer of The Cloud of Unknowing rightly notes, “Go beyond your intellect’s endless and involved investigations and worship the Lord your God with your whole being.”
The worship of God with our whole being includes our mind and will. But it also involves our inner creativity. And it includes our body and our resources. Moreover, service is also an act of worship. Thus the worship of God is not limited to the sanctuary or to inner piety.
We worship God with all we are and all we have. And we worship God with our hopes and dreams.
Thought
Worship is giving God the rightful place. It is also recognizing that we are not God.
—Charles R. Ringma, Hear the Ancient Wisdom