Organic Worship

There is a taste with organic vegetables that makes one wonder what is in the industrial grown variety that takes away the natural flavor. I remember the first time we grew our own tomatoes on our deck. It was unbelievable how much flavor there was compared to those offered in the grocery store (that was before they offered organic varieties ha!). It is amazing to me how good the industrial grown fruit / vegetables can look yet it seems to come at a huge expense in terms of quality of taste and benefit. The fertilization process is much different as well as the pesticide usage. Man has found a way to substitue non-organic chemicals which produce a much greater harvest but with less quality.

There are many studies that seem to indicate a lot of our cancer and diseases are a result of some of this tainting of our food supply. I recently heard that cancer has now overtaken heart disease as the number one killer. I think it is interesting to look at the fact that the food which is supposed to give us nutrition and health may actually be doing us harm in some instances. It is a slow process to change traditions once they get established in an industry. Just watched a I love Lucy show where Ricky was smoking a cigarette while singing. That was completely normal back then but for those not from that era it seems so odd. Now of course we have a knowledge of how harmful smoking is to the body.

I find the correlation to these physical truths to be somewhat prophetic of what happens in the spiritual realm as well. Even in Hosea's day God was trying to show Israel that the way they were worshipping was not healthy nor pleasing to him. "Hos. 6:6 For I desired mercy, and not sacrifice; and the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings." It was not their sacrifices specifically that God was upset about seeing He instigated them. Rather it was the lack of spiritual graces that accompanied them. There was little thought regarding their fellow man and their relationship to God himself. Instead they were busy with a relegious agenda that in their mind was satisfying to God.

Jesus was questioned about his disciples eating corn in the field on the Sabboth by the relegious leaders of his day. He qouted this verse in Hosea to them as a rebuke to their misplaced values. It seems they were more interested in their relegious traditions and letter of the law than in the core values of their neighbor and in relationship with their God. So while they were offering their sacrifices of keeping the sabboth etc... God was looking for values/fruits of righteousness, justice, mercy, love, kindness etc... which can only come from a close relationship with Him.

A good question for us to consider is what does the Lord delight in. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit and contrite heart. Perhaps that is the fertilizer we need to allow God to bring about the organic worship He delights in. He looks at the heart while we often look at what impresses and looks good outwardly.

Personally one area of worship I have enjoyed immensely is the coming together with the Lord's people and experiencing spontaneous worship. True heart felt offerings of thsoe gathered who have spent time with the Lord and want to offer their spiritual sacrifice through psalm, hymn, spiritual song, testimony, word etc... There is something organic about the natural expression of the Lord's people. Each one bringing their spiritual gift to add to the mix. This seems to be an area the Lord is opening up to his church sort of a "knowledge of the Lord" that allows Him to be revealed to his church in ways otherwise not experienced. As each part supplies it's part it provides a healthy exercise for the body and a natural/ organic way for the body to build itself up in the knowledge of the Lord Eph.4:16 Free from artificial fertilizers or enhancements the body has a chance to let the Lord be their focus and energy, it is truely refreshing.