Most of the time, worship here at Wilshire leans toward the intellectual more than the emotional. We love to be challenged to think deeply about the faith more measured on whether we feel good about the faith.
In much of the Christian tradition in America today, these are the two poles of measuring worship: Head or heart.
As we prepare for worship today, however, we are challenged to consider a third aspect of our worship experience: our participation.
In the development of our Lenten theme from the Sarum Prayer, today we focus on the phrase, “God be in my mouth.”
You might first think of that as a reference to prayer, even following Jesus’ admonition to “pray without ceasing.” And that’s a good starting point.
However, for God to be in our mouths means also our praise to God in worship. We give voice to our adoration of God not just by thinking and feeling but also by speaking and singing.
When we sing together this morning about the mighty power of God, God is in our mouths. When we respond to Scripture readings by saying, “Thanks be to God,” God is in our mouths. When we silently or quietly utter an “amen” to a prayer or sermon, God is in our mouths. Participation in worship moves us from the battle between head and heart to a more personal engagement.
And that, in turn, should prepare us for the week ahead as we leave this sacred space and venture into a world that so desperately needs to hear a message from God out of our mouths. That’s not just spilling out mindless “God talk” as so many do. Neither is it only about evangelism.
If we learn to speak of God from our mouths in worship, we stand a better chance of having something meaningful to say outside of church.