I am re-reading Praise Habit by David Crowder because the last time I picked it up, I was a senior in highschool and sitting at my desk at Walsh College. I am only 23 pages in so far, but something David said has struck me, because I spend a lot of time thinking about it. He says, “My point is we are all fragile. Somewhere along the way we abandoned abandon. Or perhaps we gained things that need to be discarded. We have covered ourselves. Someone pointed out that we were naked, and the clothing we have woven is bulky and pretnetious. It hinders our freedom of movement. Expression with childlike spontaneity has become difficult. It bares too much of us. Think back. Try hard to recall what praise in its undiluted purity felt like. When you could dance with your arms fully extended rather than elbows bent, folded closely to your person in such a guarded fashion…”
I’ve said this before, but I enjoy taking drives. Because there, I am fully able to sing as loud as I can and praise God in a way that I feel uncapable in a public place. Even when at home, in my room, with my door closed, I still am always conciously watching the door, thinking someone is going to come in and think that I look like a fool. …but why does worship have to be hidden? Since when are there rules on what worship looks or sounds like? David later goes on to say, “What if we were so moved by who God is, what He’s done, what He will do, that praise, adoration, worship, whatever, continuously careened in our heads and pounded in our souls? …This is what we will do for eternity. What makes us think our time on earth should be any different? What keeps us from being so?”
I have no answers to this… it is just something I have been thinking, and will continue thinking about. It fascinates me how structured Church is, not necessarily in a good way. I think this is what I get held up on a lot… I just want to love God and love others. I just don’t understand where there are so many rules and restrictions sometimes.
Any thoughts are welcomed.
