Winning worship

12.5.10

For this, I am going to direct you to Donald Miller's blog (Blue Like Jazz, Searching for God Knows What, etc.). He comments on C.S. Lewis' "The Weight of Glory" (which is also a stellar read). Excerpt:

"As I mentioned yesterday, I’m reading The Weight of Glory this week and was struck by Lewis’ comment that much of what we do we do to “win worship.” Much of what we tweet, blog about, write about, and say in conversation is an attempt at such. Lewis considered this an inheritance from Paganism.

Winning worship, then, is what happens when we aren’t aware of something greater than ourselves. When I attempt to “win worship” it’s because I’m not standing before anything bigger or more impressive than myself, and in fact see what’s standing in front of me as less than me, and am calling it to worship what I believe is the most impressive thing in the room, myself. It’s gloomy."

You can read the entire post here: http://donmilleris.com/2010/12/03/the-most-impressive-thing-in-the-room/

And Lewis' sermon here: http://www.verber.com/mark/xian/weight-of-glory.pdf

Personally, I find that this idea hits terribly close to home, so to speak. I've made 2010 the Year of Authenticity for myself (sorry, I diverged from the C-named themes), because I know that it is something that demands a more honest approach to life. I think this ties in nicely with this past week's theme of failure and (especially) vulnerability, because authenticity, especially in how "I" attempt to "win worship," as Lewis says, reflects how I am truly feeling toward others in my soul. If I consider this "weight of glory" and how it affects my situation, and I continuously looking back at myself, I am not considering something larger and greater. If I'm all that I can see, then, as Miller says, that really is gloomy. Vulnerability, I think, is similar, in that openness, both to others and in self-awareness, requires looking at the larger picture.