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Faith Christian School

Worship Bucket Challenge

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by Dick Buckingham
Administrator

Everyone has heard about the Ice Bucket challenge being issued to friends and family around the world via Facebook and other social media to garner support for research on ALS or Lou Gehrig’s disease.  While an important cause and certainly worthy of support, there may be other important things that we might consider immersing ourselves in. 
I would like to give you a Worship Bucket Challenge.  As believer, we understand the importance of the spiritual discipline of worship; how it is something that is to be characteristic of our lives and involves much more than what we do in our churches or at chapel.  Worship should be one of those attributes that define us as believers.  Yet few really know how to worship and how to incorporate it into everyday life.  One of the best portions of scripture to learn about worship is the book of Psalms.  It is often referred to as Israel’s book of worship.
My challenge to each of you is to literally immerse yourself in the Psalms for one month.  During the month of September, beginning on the 1st, I encourage you to read five chapters of Psalms each day.  By the end of the month you will have read through the entire book of Psalms.  I have attached a schedule for each day of reading below.  I encourage families of younger children to do this together as a part of your family devotions.  Though the time to read will vary somewhat, most days shouldn’t take more than 10 or 15 minutes, with the exception of the day you read Psalm 119.  But even on this day, you can accomplish it if you plan your time.
It is my prayer that if we drench ourselves with scripture that pertains to worship, it will cause each of us to deepen in our love for God, our awe of His world, and our praise for all He does.
If you find the Worship Bucket refreshing during the month of September, you are welcome to continue to read through the Psalms once a month for as long as you like.  The more you are in worship from the Word, the greater impact it will have on your life, and you will become one who is known for his or her worship.
Will you take the plunge with me?  If you are in, please send me an email to let me know.  dbuckingham@faith-christian.org .

Worship Bucket Challenge
Day
Psalm
Psalm
Psalm
Psalm
Psalm
1
1
31
61
91
121
2
2
32
62
92
122
3
3
33
63
93
123
4
4
34
64
94
124
5
5
35
65
95
125
6
6
36
66
96
126
7
7
37
67
97
127
8
8
38
68
98
128
9
9
39
69
99
129
10
10
40
70
100
130
11
11
41
71
101
131
12
12
42
72
102
132
13
13
43
73
103
133
14
14
44
74
104
134
15
15
45
75
105
135
16
16
46
76
106
136
17
17
47
77
107
137
18
18
48
78
108
138
19
19
49
79
109
139
20
20
50
80
110
140
21
21
51
81
111
141
22
22
52
82
112
142
23
23
53
83
113
143
24
24
54
84
114
144
25
25
55
85
115
145
26
26
56
86
116
146
27
27
57
87
117
147
28
28
58
88
118
148
29
29
59
89
119
149
30
30
60
90
120
150

Stuck in Saturday

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by Jennie Smith
Secondary Principal

Another Holy Week came and went.  How did you celebrate?  Some of you probably went to a Maundy Thursday remembrance and enjoyed time at the Lord’s Supper.  Some of you remembered the darkness of our Lord’s death at a solemn Good Friday service.  Most of us observed Easter Sunday with a joyous worship and special activities with our family.

What did you do on Saturday?

Saturday of holy week is not one we think about  too often; we spend most of our time thinking about the great pain of Friday and the great joy of Sunday.  Saturday is simply the day in-between,  a day to prepare for Sunday.

Last year at Easter, I was feeling a great deal of pain.  My grandmother had passed away just two weeks prior and my marriage was hanging by a thread.  Easter Sunday was a day I just wanted to get through for the sake of my kids.  I had absolutely no joy and very little hope.

That Easter Sunday my pastor preached a sermon called “Everyday Sunday.”  He asked us if we were stuck in Saturday.  Consider what Saturday would have been like for Jesus’ loved ones.  It must have been a rough day for the disciples.  Imagine the pain they felt watching the Savior die.  Saturday was their first day without him.  They were waiting and wondering and they were mostly likely fearful.  Our pastor called it “a no courage, no plans, no hope day” (Poit).  I heard Max Lucado, a Christian author, on the radio last week call this particular Saturday “a silent Saturday.”   It was the day between the darkness of the crucifixion and the joy of the resurrection.

There are times in our lives when we get stuck in the Saturdays.  We have endured the darkness of the trial and have yet to experience the joy of the victory.  We are in a holding pattern.  We are waiting for God to move, act, respond.  That’s where I was last Easter – I was stuck in Saturday, and unfortunately I lived in Saturday for many months.  Thankfully, God uses our Saturdays to strengthen our faith in Him.  Lucado wrote this on his blog:  “Saturdays have their purpose. They let us feel the full force of God’s strength. Had God raised Jesus fifteen minutes after the death of His son, would we have appreciated the act? Were He to solve your problems the second they appear, would you appreciate His strength?” (Lucado).

So how do we move from Saturday to Sunday?  My pastor suggested the following:  

  • Remember Jesus’ words.  Cling to His promises to you.  You are not abandoned.  He is working – even if you don’t feel it or see it.
  • Remember the deep sacrifice He made on your behalf.  If you can find no other joy, find joy in the simple fact that God loves you deeply and sacrificially.
  • Fellowship with other believers.  Find encouragement in their stories.  Revel in the deep connection and care they offer to you.  
  • Continue to worship the Almighty God.  When Job experienced his deep tragedies, he fell to the ground in worship.  Pouring out our hearts in worship does wonders to keep our eyes on the only One who can walk us from the silence of Saturday to the joy of Sunday.

If you are stuck on Saturday, remember these words from the Psalmist:
“I believe that I shall look upon the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord.”  Psalm 27:13-14


Lucado, M. (March 30, 2013).  The Silence of Saturday.  Retreived on 4/17/2014 from http://maxlucado.com/read/blog/the-silence-of-saturday/

Poit, J. (March 31, 2013).  Everyday Sunday.  Sermon Notes.  New Hope Community Church.  

What is Worship?

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by Dick Buckingham
Administrator

This is a question one of our international students asked me the other day. A very good question! A question to which the answer is often assumed and often incorrect. Too frequently we equate worship to something we do on Sundays in our churches when we gather together with other believers to sing, pray and hear the Word preached. In reality, our weekly gathering with other believers is meant to be the crescendo of worship in our week.
So what is worship?
I answered this student by stating worship is a way of life. Rom 12:2 tells us we are to “offer our bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God, which is our spiritual act of worship.” Worship doesn’t simply involve some of the activities we do like singing and preaching the Word, it involves all the activities of our life. Everything we do that is consecrated to the Lord and to His glory is worship. Thus every act that we do, every word, every deed can and ought to be an expression of worship. Thus our work or study, when done to the glory of God is worship. When we seek to honor God in our relationships, it is worship. When we consecrate our words, thoughts and intentions to the Lord, it is an act of worship. If the manner of our lives is characterized by thankfulness, it is worship. If we look for the hand of God in the difficult times we face, it is worship. When we trust and do not fear, it is worship. When we seek to obey even when it is difficult, it is worship. Worship ought to be who we are at all times, circumstances, and places. When we gather with the saints on Sunday, we are simply joining together and encouraging each other to keep on living lives of worship.
What are some of the ways that you see the characteristic of worship in your life? If you arrested for worshiping the one true Creator, would there be evidence to convict you?

A Glimpse of Heaven

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by Dick Buckingham, Administrator

In my 11th and 12th grade Bible class, we read a chapter in the Word each day devotionally.  Currently, we are reading through the book of Revelation, at a student’s request.  Having studied and read and mediated and taught from God’s Word for many years, I often hesitate when students want to read through Revelation as a class.  At the end of the reading each morning, I typically say, “Are there any comments?”  I realize the book of Revelation will produce more questions than comments and the students will be looking to me to make sense of this glorious, but difficult, book of prophesy.  Though I have come to grips over the years with a reasonable understanding of the book and its imagery that suits my satisfaction, students often are not satisfied with the broad strokes that I believe the book paints with and want to know specific details of everything the chapters describe.
Yet I relish the opportunity to bring them to one of my favorite chapters in all of God’s Word, chapter 4.  Here in this early chapter of the text, the Apostle John is transported to a place we all long to know much more about, the presence of God that we call heaven.  Once there, he begins to describe to the best of his ability the incredibly awesome experience that he encounters.
2 At once I was in the Spirit, and behold, a throne stood in heaven, with one seated on the throne. 3 And he who sat there had the appearance of jasper and carnelian, and around the throne was a rainbow that had the appearance of an emerald. 4 Around the throne were twenty-four thrones, and seated on the thrones were twenty-four elders, clothed in white garments, with golden crowns on their heads. 5 From the throne came flashes of lightning, and rumblings and peals of thunder, and before the throne were burning seven torches of fire, which are the seven spirits of God, 6 and before the throne there was as it were a sea of glass, like crystal.
And around the throne, on each side of the throne, are four living creatures, full of eyes in front and behind: 7 the first living creature like a lion, the second living creature like an ox, the third living creature with the face of a man, and the fourth living creature like an eagle in flight. 8 And the four living creatures, each of them with six wings, are full of eyes all around and within, and day and night they never cease to say,
“Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God Almighty, who was and is and is to come!”
9 And whenever the living creatures give glory and honor and thanks to him who is seated on the throne, who lives forever and ever, 10 the twenty-four elders fall down before him who is seated on the throne and worship him who lives forever and ever. They cast their crowns before the throne, saying,
11 “Worthy are you, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they existed and were created.”  Revelation 4: 2-11 ESV

I love this chapter because it depicts the focus and primary activity in heaven.  The focus is God and activity is worship, real worship.  The first thing John saw when he entered into heaven was the throne and person of God.  He does his best to describe the experience in terms of things he and his readers have experienced, but no doubt even the language John uses isn’t adequate to fully grasp what he is seeing.  He then sees that there are others present, 24 elders and four unusual creatures.  Who and what these are is not my focus, but rather what they are doing.  John sees that the creatures are declaring God’s holiness over and over again.  And every time the creatures speak, the elders fall before him and worship God by casting their crowns before him and proclaiming His worthiness.

I am both awed and convicted by this vision of John’s.  I am awed because I get a glimpse of what it will be like when I shall at last see Him face to face.  I am convicted because I understand this is what I was created for and I fall so far short of this incredible offering of worship.  My worship (and perhaps yours) tends to be so self-centered.  It seems so much more about me and what I get out of it.  Does the music move me?  Is the message relevant to my life?  Worship as John’s sees in heaven is entirely God focused.  Those present are not concerned with anything, but are wholly given to the worship of the great and awesome God who is seated on the throne.  My worship is also so infrequent.  The creatures in Revelation “day and night…never cease to say…” and every time the creatures give glory to God, the rest join in to worship.  It is a continual, never ending, all-out expression of praise to God.  It is a strong reminder that our very lives are to be a living sacrifice, which is our spiritual act of worship.  Everything we do, everything we say, every thought we think, ought to be God focused and a declaration of His holiness and His worthiness.

I have got a ways to go in this.  Yet for a moment, I can pause with John in his awesome vision of heaven and I can imagine what it would be like to be doing all that He has created me for!

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