Do you remember the commercial for “the incredible, edible egg?” What a clever marketing ploy! As I daily walk our dog, my mind wanders, and this morning it was that phrase about the incredible, edible, egg that crept into my mind. I have no clue why but started thinking about the complexity of something as simple as an egg. Encased in that protective shell are the ingredients of life, keeping them safe until they are changed into what they are intended for. No artificial intelligence could design or create an actual egg, which is one of the most basic necessities for life. In my wandering, I saw God!
I am certain most of us likely don’t spend as much time as we might to consider the incredible and miraculous gifts of God’s creation which so easily taken for granted. Once in a while an eclipse, sunset at the lake, birth of a baby, peeling of an orange, or magnificence of the Northern Lights can force us to slow down and observe what is beyond explanation. Scientifically such realities can be explained (up to a point) but unless we take time to see the hand of God in such miracles of creation we are missing the greatest show on earth. And what we miss or take for granted we will never appropriately respond or care for.
As people of faith we accept the importance of worship, but seek to define or control it to a schedule, familiar format, or something to check off on our to-do list. And yet, if worship is our response to God (the creator of all that is) why assume there is only one place, way, or time to do worship? One Biblical psalm asks, “When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is man that you are mindful of him?” That is where worship begins! The awe, amazement, and miracle of God’s presence in every moment of life is necessary before we are able to respond to God with glory, honor, and thank! This is the feel and flow of worship, yet none of us take as much time as we could to look for and be amazed at the incredible gifts of God that surround us.
God took on the life of baby flesh in a manger and destroyed the power of death in a garden tomb to make clear the extent of his love for our lives. And every part of creation is filled with God’s same creative breath. Christmas, Easter, and Sundays are appropriate moments for worship, but why limit our giving of thanks and praise to only times such as those? This morning a silly phrase from a commercial reminded me how much I take for granted. How miraculous and awesome is our God, along with the incredible daily miracles he shares despite our self-absorbed living. True worship is responding with such awareness of God’s presence all around us, every day, every hour, and every moment. In taking time to see the hand of God, we have taken the first step of true worship.