What Does Worship Mean To You?
What an old Swedish poem taught me about awe and wonder.
Lately, my worship time has come with a bit of trepidation. Right before I begin, I find myself saying quietly to God, “Lord, I want to sing a new song to You today.”
Do you ever feel that too? That longing to bring Him something fresh, something new? I think about that often. How beautiful it would be if every day I had a brand-new song to offer. One that rose up from deep in the heart, never sung before.
And yet, there’s something about the hymn, How Great Thou Art.
Every time I sing it, it feels new in my spirit. The words and the melody open something in me. I can feel the Holy Spirit moving through it. Not just through the lyrics, but in the sound itself. There’s this echo of heaven in it. Sometimes, in my head, I can almost hear angels singing along. Like a quiet and steady choir that’s always been there.
The song actually began as a poem, written in Sweden in 1885 by Carl Gustav Boberg. After experiencing a thunderstorm, he was moved to write about the awe he felt in nature. That poem was eventually translated and set to music, becoming the hymn many of us know today.
There’s a version by the Christian band Jesus Image that brings it to life in such a powerful way. It’s hard to describe, except to say it sounds like what my spirit already feels. It doesn’t explain anything. It simply agrees with the truth.
Maybe that’s what awe and wonder really are. When your heart meets something greater and just says yes.
No effort. No striving. Just worship.
What does worship mean to you? I’d love to know.
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this is great Cathy! I love what you said about awe because that’s what true worship feels like. I struggle with worship the most because when I often sing it doesn’t feel like enough? It’s not until I’m in private that I can really scream, weep, and expressing what’s most pure. My new favorite song is Let the Alabaster Break/ Alabaster Box by Lizzie Morgan for that reason!
Yes, I feel that deeply. True worship isn’t always about words, it’s that quiet yes our spirit gives when it meets His presence. Some songs carry that weight, like heaven touching earth, and all we can do is join in.