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August 2019

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A Threefold Cord: Worship, Word, Works

Three things come to mind when I think about the Christian walk—worship, Word of God, works of kindness. “Two are stronger than one, and three are even more powerful. And if one can overpower him who is alone, two can resist him. A cord of three strands is not quickly torn apart (Ecc 4:12).”    

Worship

In Hebrew, the word shachah, translated as worship, means “to prostrate (especially reflexive, in homage to royalty or God):—bow (self) down, crouch, fall down (flat), humbly beseech, do (make) obeisance, do reverence, make to stoop, worship (Strong’s Definitions).” In Greek, the word proskuneo, means the same as the Hebrew. The words indicate attitude and the physicality that expresses it.

Why is this such a big deal? Humanity has been given two powerful attributes that can either be a blessing or a curse—free will and self-awareness, both operations of the soul realm. The soul is the switch that can either bless or curse the body and the spirit. When self-esteem is healthy, the person is happy in mind and body. On the contrary, when self-esteem is sick, then unhealthy pride reigns and drives the person to do destructive things to self and others. When the soul determines to put self-awareness under healthy control and submission to God, the spirit of a person has the opportunity to take ascendance. The spirit then yields to the Spirit of God, as in worship and prayer, God has access to bless.

We often think of worship as the act of singing, clapping hands, dancing, or shouting. These in and of themselves are not worship. These actions give us the language and expression of worship—the physicality, but worship starts and continues from the heart. Homage and reverence are issues of the heart, not of the flesh, but as physical beings connected to attitudes, physical responses naturally follow (hence, the clapping, singing, dancing, etc.).

Each of us, whether designated to lead a congregation in worship or the congregant, is responsible for what goes on in the heart. When the congregation as a whole merges their heartfelt reverence, adoration, and veneration of the Almighty, His Presence is welcome and manifests. The church body then experiences another threefold cord—God, the church, and the individual—coming together in unity.

Worship can also be a solitary act and a place of dwelling, where the spirit of an individual joins with the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit in communion and fellowship. This is the secret place of the Most High. This is where the “fervent effectual prayer of the righteous” takes place. Here is where you talk to God and He talks to you. Here is where you can ask and nothing according to His Will and Word is denied you. “He that dwelleth in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty (Ps 91:1).”

All of the precious promises that are contained in Psalm 91 belong to those who DWELL in the secret place of the Most High God. Dwell does not mean visit on occasion. Dwell means that you live there. It’s the place of frequent abiding. It’s the place where you draw your strength; your nourishment; a place where you rest; a place where you give your care, attention, work; and a place where you converse with others who are there.

Word of God

God gave us His Word so that we can know His character, His nature, and His dealings with mankind as a model of what is righteous. He did not leave us up to our own imaginations, creative as they may be, to figure out the world of the Spirit.

Left to our own devices, vain imaginations have led humanity to create a plethora of idols to explain the supernatural. We have the remnants of that even today, not only in idolatrous culture but in syncretistic practices that purport to be Christian. Vain imaginations have crept into doctrines by way of top-down leadership, those who were more interested in power and wealth than the truth in the Word.

The Church has felt the effects of syncretism for centuries, ever since early ecclesiastical tyrants peppered sound doctrine with superstition. Corrupt leaders in past ages have been known to compromise truth with pagan beliefs to get more bodies into the building and resources into the coffers. But they are not alone in perverting the truth. Multiple examples of church leaders of every stripe start out right, but go off into heresies and end up in disgrace with wounded followers. Some are extreme as in the case of Jim Jones and the catastrophe in Guyana. Others are more subtle and insidious where the destruction goes on for decades and even generations.

It is absolutely imperative that believers know and follow the Word of God as the primary source of knowing who God is, and what His Will is for mankind. How can we stand on His promises if we don’t know them? God is unchangeable, but if we don’t know Him, we cannot rely on His faithfulness. We know this God because of what He has said and done throughout the ages.

Knowing about Him in His Word, and furthermore, knowing Him in the intimacy of prayer, allows His presence to rule and reign in our lives. How can we walk in the power He has promised if we don’t know what it is and that it belongs to us? How do we answer life’s challenges and pesky questions without being grounded in the knowledge of life’s manual? God’s Word is not only a manual for living; it is also the source that affirms a living relationship with Him.

Words have power. When God spoke the universe into existence, it manifested. Incidentally, the word He spoke is still creating – the universe is expanding. We have been given the power to speak life or death over circumstances, and those words have power, whether or not you are a believer. As Jesus declared, “. . . It is written, ‘MAN SHALL NOT LIVE ON BREAD ALONE, BUT ON EVERY WORD THAT PROCEEDS OUT OF THE MOUTH OF GOD’ (Mt 4:4).”

On an atomic level, sound and light are made up of waves. When the vibration of the waves hit a certain frequency, sound becomes light. All matter is moving at a specific wavelength. When the vibration is in agreement with the intended object’s atomic make-up, it comes into being. Sound wacky? Well, even if we don’t understand all of it, and I assure you I don’t, we know that God holds the universe in His Hand and has designed it to function according to His specifications. He has told believers to command, to take authority over evil, and to heal in Jesus Name. When we, in faith believing His Word, act upon it, we walk in this authority and have the full expectation of successful outcome.

Works of Kindness

Lastly, the third strand has to do with what we know and believe—the works of the Kingdom. I must emphasize that our good works as believers are not intended to impress God or earn His approval or affirmation. We do the works He gives us to do because of His grace and mercy upon our lives out of obedience, humility, and love for Him.

New Testament epistles are dedicated to instructions about how we should live in relationship not only to God, but to each other. People were never intended to be a lone creature. We are social creatures that depend on one another for emotional and physical support. The first apostles gave us principles of kindness by which we relate to our families, in our workplaces, in our churches, and out in the marketplaces.

We are equipped with instructions about how we are to lead, what our attitudes should be, and how we are to work together to advance the Kingdom. We indeed are responsible for helping one another grow in grace and success in living. That may include first giving the man a fish, but then, more importantly, teaching him how to fish.

Everybody has gifts, talents, and abilities, as well as a place to function in the Kingdom of God. When we are functioning accordingly, the body is healthy and the Kingdom is advanced. Not all are called to teach or to preach. Some are called to ministries of mercy; some are gifted in the area of finance to support the works of the Kingdom; some are called to administrative works; some are called to leadership ministry work as described in Ephesians 4; some are called to artistic works; all are called to pray, help, and love.

Whatever the call or talent may be, all are important to God and should be to us. He gives the assignments and we simply hear and obey. None is considered too insignificant. He does not judge greatness the same way mankind does. His judgment is righteous and is according to faithfulness. All of the works that are Kingdom-minded are acts of kindness because they follow the nature of God, for He is kind.

Imagine the church where the three-cord of Worship, Word, Works are fully functioning. With God’s grace, power, and direction, we seek to accomplish all that He has called us to do, and we are believing for the natural and human resources sent from heaven to accomplish it.

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Alternative Shopping

Are there alternatives to what shopping has become? Malls the size of your home town mesmerize consumers with enough merchandise, diversions, and food to keep you there all day and half the night buying more and more stuff you think you need but really don’t. It’s not just an American phenomenon. It’s global!

Let’s face it, we are spoiled. Need to go somewhere? Just jump in the car and off you go. We don’t have to walk for miles carrying buckets to haul water. Without much thought, we simply go to a faucet and water comes out. We’ve controlled the inner environment so that we have warmth in winter and cool in summer by just clicking a few buttons, and our food only spoils in refrigeration when we neglect to use it. Things we buy? Over packaged with layers of plastics and tags. And let’s not forget the mountain of disposables.

To decrease personal wastefulness and carbon footprint we’ve been encouraged to incorporate the 5Rs:  REFUSE, RECYCLE, REDUCE, REUSE, and ROT (compost). You can refuse to purchase disposables, produce wrapped in plastic, and such. Refill that non-disposable water bottle instead of using one-use water bottles. Recycle the plastics, glass, metals, and paper that you can’t avoid. Reduce overall consumerism. How many tee shirts do you really need? Reuse (and repair) whatever you can—like a washcloth instead of paper towel. Rot—well that’s about composting when and if you can.

The internet is loaded with ideas. It seems easy enough to accommodate when it comes to shopping, food packaging, and such, but the Rs can also pertain to home furnishings. Well, rot may only apply to wood and fabrics being biodegradable. But why would you even want plastic furniture? Here are some other Rs: revamp, restore, refinish, repurpose, refurbish, reupholster, renovate.

Furniture

Why buy furniture made of cheap materials that you need an engineering degree to assemble when you can buy well-made classic pieces for a fraction of the cost? You can rescue some of grandma’s furniture from ending up in the clean-out guy’s dumpster or try auctions, garage sales, charity shops, thrift shops, online markets, and even curbside shopping at a ridiculously low cost. It may take a bit of time to find the right piece, but worth it and the hunt is fun. Just think of the great treasure hunt stories each piece can tell.

As a precaution, used furniture, especially upholstered furniture, needs to be thoroughly cleaned and disinfected—very easy with all-wood pieces. Soap is your friend. Never buy used mattresses. First of all, in my state, it is illegal, which doesn’t stop some people. Things with fabrics have the potential of housing microscopic and unwanted six-legged creatures. Yuck! But on to better things.

Recently, mid-century modern is the popular taste along with chunky sofas. Oak is out; teak is in. Interest in Victoriana, Early American, or classics from before the nineteenth century has been replaced by metal and pressed sawdust, purely functional. No fuss, no craftsmanship, nothing to spark curiosity. But remember—styles do not have to match! In fact, rooms are far more interesting when they don’t. You can add an interesting antique piece in a mostly contemporary setting or mixing ethnic styles (like African or Asian pieces mixed with Scandinavian).

Videos on the internet give step-by-step directions on DYI projects if you want to change the look. If you are not inclined to do it yourself, barter with a friend that does. Here are some furniture Rs:

  1. Revamp, restore, and refinish—paint, stains, a new coat of lacquer, shabby distressing, or change of hardware can transform a chest, dresser, coffee table, and more.
  2. Repurpose a piece. Adding legs or shortening pieces, removing some parts or replacing with something else are just a few ways of changing the original purpose of a piece. A piece of glass transforms a trunk into a coffee table. Drawers removed can transform a chest into a bookcase. Check out those DYI projects on the internet.
  3. Refurbish and reupholster. Changing the upholstery on chair seats is only a matter of removing the old one, adding some new foam padding, and stapling new fabric. Large chairs and sofas are big projects and can be costly, so only worth it if the piece has good bones.

Housewares

You can buy fabulous high-quality china, glass, flatware, and serving pieces at a very low price tag, sometimes even less than paper products at your local thrift shops and non-traditional shopping sources. Just recently I saw antique beautifully hand-decorated china serving pieces for a dollar each at a local garage sale. Too bad I don’t need any more.

Why not use the Rosenthal, Wedgwood, or Lenox every day? Why not drink your favorite beverage out of Waterford or Baccarat crystal? I must admit I do like matched china most of the time, but really, why does everybody’s place setting always have to match? Why not have a glass salad plate with a floral china dinner plate? If a piece breaks, it’s not a big deal when you’ve paid pennies on the dollar by alternative shopping.

Yes, you will have to wash them, but it takes less effort to wash a stack of dishes than it does to rinse, load, unload, run the wash, and often dry the contents of the dishwasher. I haven’t used my dishwasher in years.  

Home décor

Why buy bad art and flimsy prints at a discount store when you can buy paintings and etchings by listed artists for the same amount and oftentimes less at auction? Prints are okay, but do you really want décor that is so overdone it gets ignored or looking like the discount furniture store with no personality? It doesn’t have to be an artist whose works hang in world-renowned museums to be a good work of art. The same principle works for objet d’art (things that are not paintings).

You educate your eye by reading and visiting museums, but you don’t necessarily have to own pieces that would hang there. And it doesn’t have to be a work by a dead artist. I bought a painting by a Majorca living artist at auction for $90. When I got home, I checked out his work on the internet and found his paintings go for thousands in Spain, but unknown here. Hey, I’m okay with that. You just need to develop a good eye and not limit yourself to artists that everybody in the universe knows.

I do have some prints too, but they amount to the few I’ve kept since my younger and more impressionable years that have personal meaning. Of course, it comes down individual taste, and the question, would you rather have five department store prints to quickly fill up your wall and eventually have the same fate as Elvis paintings on velvet, or one decent painting?

As stewards of the planet, we’ve been doing a pretty lousy job in spite of some marginal efforts to care about the only home we have. Whatever your style or preferences are, every effort on your part to lower your carbon imprint matters. Information to that end is abundant and easily available. We share the planet and have some responsibility to preserve what we can for future generations. These ideas may not appeal to you, but for the planet’s sake, start somewhere!

2019 Copyright by Eva Benevento. All rights reserved.

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