#AtoZchallenge: Adoration

The easiest 'A' words that come to mind when it comes to worship leading are ability and availability. Leading worship requires some level of ability - you should be able to carry a tune and have at least a nice voice, even if it's not, you know, record label great. You probably should have some sort of background in music, though music theory and knowing how to play an instrument are bonuses, rather than prerequisites. Availability is also a must - because you need to have enough time to choose songs, practice songs, work with musicians, etc.

And yet... the one thing that leapt into my mind (and hasn't let go yet) is the word adoration.

Every Christmas, we sing "O come let us adore Him, Christ the Lord" and we think of Jesus as a baby and the shepherds crowding round the manger. We think of the nativity scene and we associate Bethlehem with the birth of Christ. But when we behold Him in that scene, we often don't behold the fullness of who He became. We only see the human aspect of Him at His weakest. And because words have changed over the years, we have come to water down the word adore, associating it with cute cats and chubby babies every time we squeal, "Oh, how adorable!"

Then there are the “A-door! A-window!” jokes. No? Only me? Okay.

Adoration and adorable have come to mean very different things, although they both derive from the same root, adore. At its strongest, adoration means worship and veneration. It means devotion, deep love and respect. And that is what we bring weekend after weekend, what we offer in the quiet times in our rooms, what we seek to do when we carefully craft a worship set.

Ask yourself: Which songs will inspire love and devotion for God in the congregation? Which lyrics will help the congregation - and me - see a fuller picture of who God is so that we can worship Him in deeper understanding, in spirit and in truth?

If we do not seek to constantly adore our God, all we end up offering are empty songs.

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About the book:

Jane Hays has been told all her life that it’s dangerous to be out in the forest past sundown. At fifteen, she’s quite sure that it’s all old wives’ tales... yet, why does her village bar the gates every night? Why do they even have gates? When she is caught in an unexpected rainstorm on her way home, Jane ignores all the warnings and seeks shelter in a cottage in the middle of the forest. Soon, she is caught up in a world of magic and beauty – and in the storm of the Fairy Queen’s wrath.

The Fairy Queen is out for blood. There have been intruders – human intruders – in her domain and she will stop at nothing to find them and kill them. After all, it is only fair. She is only seeking retribution for the death that humans leave in their wake.

But Jane isn’t all that she seems to be. And the events of the night aren’t as innocent as they appear.

A tale of magic, fairy creatures and family, Coexist is a novella for the young and the young-at-heart.

Get Coexist on Amazon or Smashwords. Check out Book Depository or Createspace for paperbacks!

Don't forget to drop by at Back Porchevations today for our first stop on the Coexist Tour. LuAnn will be giving you a review of Coexist.

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