I was pondering this morning...a dangerous thing is a mind with the ability to flow, especially when it has the time to follow that current. I was thinking specifically about worship. why do we worship? what is it really? what does it do? is it for the worshiped or the worshiper?... these thoughts aren't abnormal for me. worship is something thats on my mind allot really so this is all familiar ground to me. I ask those questions often and seek the answers regularly like they were the first time I'd asked them. but this time I thought of a broader angle. Typically I think more first person (I'm selfish I know just go with it) Why do I worship God, is the way I worship God right and good and the way it should be, this type of thing. but this was a different thought, it was an outward comparison that made me see how much my God is worth all of my worship. so here's the thought.

My mind survey religions: mainstream, tribal, pagan or "Christian." (anything contained in the spectrum of an "act of worship") I thought as I considered the religions that I was familiar with, from tribal forms to service forms (Islam, Catholicism, Jehovah's Whiteness' etc.) I thought of how most peoples worship is a form of favor or fear, where as biblical christianity has its worship centered around interaction and connection with its deity. Many forms of religion define their worship as something they have to suffer and give u; the clech'e sacrificing of children, or livestock; giving money, ritual/obedience suicides. The things they believe have them focused on this type of worship to define their devotion or favor. A young man, to be devoted to his god, kills another; or a  business man giving a fat check to his church with the same mindset. I hear allot of christians that say things like "worship is a lifestyle" and we sing songs that say "let my lifesong sing to you" and this is all called worship. the decisions I make and the manner that I conduct myself throughout my day to day is now called worship. For the individual I'll give the license to define if it is or not, but as I thought about it today i saw that as Honoring truth, and while I suppose that is a form of worship in itself it was isolated by what I was thinking of worship. I've defined worship for years as "ascribing God his due worth" and that has some form in my day to day yes. that honor and devotion has an aspect of sure worship. but for a minute pack that aside and go with me on something... when I walk into a church and sing a song or when I pray. I can fail at my day to day honor towards God and yet sing and pray with a sincerity of who God is. is that worship?? ...I would say yes, can I appreciate and admire the character of God and still make lingering bad decisions? I sure hope so because I've done it for years. this whole train of thought was considering the gift that it is to be able to do that. that as a christian i can fail and suck at life decisions, live in dishonor and selfishness. and still respect and joy in the character of my God. they aren't connected as much as I usually make them to be in my mind. Which does leave room for people to try and enjoy God's character and presence, then dishonor him all week long, and this does happen (not just in "their" life...in yours and mine  too) But I was thinking about seeing how different our worship is from everybody else's. others have to "worship" hard... while we get to enjoy our God. Makes me see God differently. makes me see worship differently, where its not again a means of gaining anything from God...its just hanging out with him. Being excited about him, Thankful for him.
So there you have it, allot of rambling and disjointed thoughts but they make sense to me, you can deal with it.