Writing is Worship

 

Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.

 (Colossians 3:23-24)

The blog you have at hand is a revelatory (perhaps radical) premise based on the thoughts of this passage and my recent deep dive into what it looks like to live a creative life as a writer (Especially as one who is trying to find time for my craft during often very pressing regular work responsibilities). This blog also goes to the heart of having a correct understanding of worship.

Have you ever considered that your writing is worship?

We give lip service and knowing nods to the idea that worship happens not only through events at church on a day a week, such as singing, praying and listening to preaching, but also through a lifestyle of worship all week. Yes worship is expressed in songs of praise (the Psalms attest to this), but it is much more than this.  The song Heart of Worship by Matt Redman catches this idea in its lyrics:

“ When the music fades, All is stripped away, And I simply come

Longin' just to bring, Something that's of worth, That will bless Your heart

I'll bring You more than a song , For a song in itself,   Is not what You have required”

I have mused for a while that this song is a semantic oxymoron because it is itself a self-contradiction : It is song.    :) 

Yet, worship is more than our songs, or music, or church services. Worship is our lives in dedication to God. Our creativity and creative energy given in adoration to The Creator is the essence of worship.

In early chapters of Genesis, “worship” (the way we usually relate to it) was not mentioned. Adam and Eve expressed worship through their nurture, care, stewardship, and creative labour (work). In fact, labour (service/work) is so synonymous to worship that the Hebrew word “avodah” is used for work, serving and worship. To worship is to work, to work is to serve is to worship.

Here is the entry from a noted Hebrew lexicon:

עָבַד 

(ʿā·ḇǎḏ): v.; … work, labor, do, i.e., expend considerable energy and intensity in a task or function … give considerable energy and intensity to give aid to another (Lev 25:46; 2Sa 16:19); … worship, serve, minister, work in ministry, i.e., give energy and devotion to God or a god, including ceremonies (Ex 23:24, 25); cultivate, plow, i.e., work soil (with or without an animal) as part of the agricultural process (Ge 4:2; Isa 30:24); plowed, be cultivated (Dt 21:4; Ecc 5:8; Eze 36:9, 34)[1]

Take note of the diverse spectrum of meaning of avodah as highlighted. The Ancient Hebrews had a deep understanding of how faith and work came together in their lives. It shouldn’t be surprising, then, that they used the same word for work and worship.

The various usages of this Hebrew word as found first in Genesis 2:15 informs us that God’s original design and desire is that our work and our worship would be a seamless way of living. 

 Avodah is used 289 times in the Old Testament and is translated variously as “worship,” serve” and “work.” In some verses the word avodah is translated as work, as in to work in the field and to do common labour.

Moses, renewing the covenant with God, says: 

“Six days you shall work (avodah).” – Exodus 34:21

“Then man goes out to his work (avodah), to his labour until evening.” – Psalm 104:23

In other verses, avodah  is translated as worship, as in to worship God.

“This is what the LORD says: Let my people go, so that they may worship (avodah) me.” – Exodus 8:1

“But as for me and my household, we will serve (avodah) the Lord.” – Joshua 24:15

Joshua says, I will avodah. I will work for, and worship, the Lord.

This is a powerful image to think that the word for working in the fields is the same word used for worshiping God.

Avodah is a picture of an integrated faith. A life where work and worship come from the same root. The same foundation. Avodah reveals that the nature of the Hebrew mind is wholistic, integrative and comprehensive. There is no sacred-secular dichotomy.

Avodah means to Live a Seamless Life of Work, Worship, and Service.

Avodah implies a duality of purpose. In all work, there is an element of worship and service. Worship is about service. Worship takes the form of service and service expresses worship.

Avodah reveals that our labour can be a form of worship. 

Avodah encourages us that our writing can be worship. 

Historian Thomas Carlyle puts it simply:

“Laborare est Orare, Work is worship … All true Work is sacred; in all true Work, were it but hand-labour, there is something of divines … No man has work, or can work, except religiously ….”

For the Hebrew mind, there is no separation of labour from worship. Worship is not only for Sunday, but for Monday as well. Worship is not limited to a religious meeting in a building or for a public evangelistic effort. Worship is to take place in the midst of our everyday lives, in our homes, in the office, in the factory. The God of the Bible is not a part-time God. Our worship should not be thought of as part-time praise.

So again, our work and service ought to be an act of worship. In other words, whatever we do ought to be focused outside of us, placing worth and value on others and something greater than us. We have this principle of “work-ship” established from the beginning of time.

Our work-ship as writers is to honour Him in our craft.

We could also say that worship, at its core, is an act of governance. Like Adam and Eve it is a creative stewardship of creation and our gifts, talents and skills brought to bear on creation in honour of The Creator.

God placed us here to glorify him by governing in His stead. To that end, we are to labor, serve and worship seamlessly ( avodah!)

Dr Christian Overman the founding director of Worldview Matters states that:

“Work, at its core, is an act of governance.

Governance over wood, metal, cows, cotton, and carrots.

Governance over sound waves, electrical currents, and wind.

Governance over computer keyboards, fiber optics, and digital images.

Governance over people. Governance over things. Governance over ideas.”

Bringing order out of chaos as co-labourers and stewards we take the raw materials of the earth and develop them for God’s glory and the benefit of others.

Builders take sand and cement and use them to create buildings.

 Lawyers take principles of justice and codify them into laws that benefit society.

Writers take the raw materials of words, grammar and ideas and arrange them into literary art.

In the New Testament this tenet that what we do (work) is worship is borne out in Colossians 3:23-24 (seen above).

When it says 

"Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord"  

It is saying  that whatever you do in dedication to God is Worship. 

This is not just a reference to those who work in ministry or at church, it is referring to anything and everything that occupies our time and energy, thus the synonym for work, “occupation.”

Whether you are a judge, waiter, accountant, teacher, healthcare worker, stay-at-home parent, or a writer….

In all that you put your heart and hand to, God views it as worship that we should carry out with reverence and rejoicing.

Perhaps in your writing you have encountered an almost divine satisfaction like you are doing what you were born to do! 

Because what you do in your writing is a creative outlet that in essence you were designed to honour God with. 

Your writing work and vocation can be a worshipful act.  The word “vocation” comes from the Latin word “voca,” which means “to call.” It’s how God designed you and called you to serve in the world.

There are two Old Testament figures in Exodus 31, Bezalel and Oholiab, whom Moses says were filled with the Spirit. How did they express that? By being expert craftsmen. Their expression of being filled with the Spirit and worshipping God was doing excellent creative work.

 It reminds me of a scene in Chariots of Fire, where  Eric Liddell, in his preparation for the 1924 Olympics, is confronted by his sister who thinks he should be a missionary to China. Liddell responds, “I believe God made me for a purpose, but he also made me fast. And when I run, I feel his pleasure.”

Many writers feel that. They are doing something they love and feel like,

 “This is what I was made for.” 

When I do it, I feel God’s pleasure. It’s like I feel, even, the Spirit of God at work in me in this.

 This is key: as we do this, in a way, God is himself at work creating through us.

The scripture in Colossians encourages us that whatever we do can be (should be) for Jesus. In essence an act of worship to Him.

In the original Greek language of the above scripture

“Whatever you do” is poieó

It means produce, construct, form, fashion make, manufacture, construct, (create)

As a writer what are you producing/creating?

“work at it with all your heart” is ergazomai

It means work, trade, perform, do, practice, commit, acquire by labor.

As a writer your work is writing and your work is worship.

Do you believe that your writing (as creative work), is worship? is a calling?

 

Consider the above scripture paraphrased in the context of your writing :

"Whatever you write, write with all your heart, as writing for the Lord”

Write from the empowered position that your writing is worship.

Shane Brigg

The Curious Convergence of Chaos and Creativity.

Mazzy Adams

The human brain is amazing; intricate elements function as purposed, follow patterns and procedures ordered by nature and nurture, send signals that keep our bodies alive, absorb new information, drive the development of new skills, and power creative endeavours.

Pixabay Image by Charles Thonney

With time, patience, practice, and persistence, our brains can establish alternative neural pathways when existing ones are damaged or adjust to ongoing disfunction; something I’ve experienced.

My persistent brain glitch limits sensation in my left leg, and hinders my immediate short-term recall, a challenge when up-skilling in the age of video tutorials. My work-around of printed instructions and scribbled notes quickly clutters my desk.

While I focused on the final onslaught of Indie Publishing Licence to Die, the hotchpotch of folders, images, and documents filling my computer’s ‘desktop’ screen mirrored the paper jungle overtaking my desk. 

Despite that, with focussed persistence, (and a willingness to read or listen to the same instruction six or sixteen times if necessary) the final product emerged FROM CHAOS, complete, published, and ready for the reading world. 

Did I have to work hard to make it happen? Yes. Was it difficult or challenging? Frequently. Did it bring me joy? Yes (between the tears and the teeth-grinding). Will I keep writing, keep producing chaotic first drafts, edit them, submit them to scrutiny, edit them again, typeset them, design covers and promotional material, and fulfil the million-and-one other requirements for bringing a new book into the world? While God directs and guides me to do so, yes.

Why? Because I was created to fulfil my God-given purpose which, at this time, includes writing and publishing.

If you’re reading this blog, it’s extremely likely you share a similar God-given purpose. (And that’s exciting!)  

Pixabay Image by Arek Socha

Referencing Genesis 1:2 and 2:15, Author, Tim Challies, expounds two important principles in his blog, The High Calling of Bringing Order from Chaos. He explains, “God knows all about order and chaos … As God began to move in his week of creation, he brought order from … disorder. He organized, he formed, he made, he filled. From that unformed substance emerged the beauty, the order, of this world. But it emerged only by his effort, his will, his handiwork.” Challies also says, ‘bringing order from chaos is dignified … God-assigned work.’

(As an aside, if you’d like to explore the alternative translation of Genesis 1:2 which renders the Hebrew words,  tohu v’vohu (formless and void) as ‘uninhabitable chaos and emptiness’, I believe you’ll be blessed and encouraged, as I was, by Sarah E. Fisher’s inspiring lesson at hebrewwordlessons.com)

We are indeed privileged to engage in God-authored (and anchored) activity that begets order and productivity, to reflect our Creator’s image by functioning as He intended we should from the beginning.

Back to that word, ‘chaos’.

When God spoke, chaos conformed to His will. Not so, my messy desk and desktop! Licence to Die may have emerged from that developing chaos, but when it came to drafting this blog post, my inbuilt chaos meter had become overloaded and off the scale. My grey matter may not have been scattered willy-nilly across the jumbled universe of notes, instruction sheets, reminders, works-in-progress, bills-to-pay, records to … record, and other items directing my to-do list, but my free flow of fresh ideas was tangled up and stuck in that inglorious mess. It was time to clear the decks! Re-establish order from chaos! Make way for new creative endeavours.

My efforts left me with an improved desktop presentation ...

(I said improved, not perfect!)

and two ordered stacks of paper; this one awaits a second level sort. I'll recycle the other pile for new notes and reminders. 

Controlled Chaos: MazArt by Catie J

The act of tidying the desk helped tidy my mind too, triggering these thoughts about the relationship between chaos and creativity. I looked up the dictionary definition of ‘chaos’ and got creative with it. Here’s the result:

Chaotic Chaos: MazArt by Catie J

If you enjoy solving puzzles, feel free to decipher (order) the definition of chaos from the word jumble I created. (Or you could just read it for yourself on Dictionary.com)

Either way, it’s good to recognise, and acknowledge daily, the relationship God established between chaos and creativity:

• When God spoke, formless chaos conformed to His creative will, unleashing life.
• When Adam rebelled, chaos regained its foothold, unleashing death and destruction.
• When Jesus obeyed, surrendering His own will to God, He defeated and disarmed chaos and death.
• When Jesus returns, we’ll see the full manifestation of His magnificent restoration of God’s perfect creation. 

Till then, may we each continue, day by day, in our calling to ‘tidy’ the corner where we are, creatively partnering with God to produce and maintain order and fruitfulness that blesses the world we live in. 

Have you experienced a productive or unexpected result when chaos and creativity converge? Perhaps you could tell us about it in the comments.

Mazzy Adams ~ Author ~ Genre Rebel

Intrigue and Inspiration with an Upmarket Down Under Vibe.

A published author of poetry, fiction, and creative non-fiction with a passion for words, pictures, and the positive potential in people, Mazzy's debut thriller, Licence to Die (GRUnGE.001) has just been released. 

Discover more about Mazzy at https://mazzyadams.com/

Scripture version referenced via BibleHub.Com links are from The Peshitta Holy Bible Translated by Glenn David Bauscher Lulu Publishing Copyright © 2018 3rd edition Copyright © 2019

Routine

Packing, packing, packing. I'm in the busy process of packing up 7 years of work and family to move to a new home and job in Redcliffe Qld. It's been sad to leave north Qld, a place that has embraced us and been very fruitful in our lives and ministry. All ten of my publications have taken place while up here! We do look forward to the new phase of our life and what God has in store for us.

Perhaps the hardest bit for me these past 4 months is being out of routine. I don't want to sound like an anal kinda person, but being out of routine has been unsettling. I find the simple routine of having a purpose and direction and working towards that each day and week grounds me. With a move on the horizon the vision has an ending and a new beginning, a new beginning you can't properly start till after the move.

Everything is 'up in the air'. Things ending, things beginning. I couldn't sit in my groove [not rut] and work and write as efficiently and carelessly as before. So one of the things I am looking forward to is being settled, and getting back into routine.

What has this to do with writing? My writing needs routine! I've been writing less, feeling less motivated to write and having less ideas. I'm actually also anticipating the opportunity to get into a new routine where writing is a more prominent feature of my week.

I'm in the privileged position of being in a 'writing' occupation as a minister - meaning I have to write something inspiring each week - it's expected so I'm given the time for this. This is a fantastic thing [apart from the fact that I'm passionate about the good news] it means I am constantly developing my writing, thinking and ideas.

But while sermon writing is part of my routine, other writing has been squeezed in. Now, with the blessing of my new congregation, my other writing will be given time in my routine. Wow, what a blessing!

At the early stages of my writing I would wait for the inspiration to flow and then sit down and write. But with writing a big part of my occupation I can't sit and wait for the 'inspiration' which sometimes is really just 'feeling like it'. I don't have the luxury of 'feeling like it' - I've got an every week deadline, publishers, magazines, kids and radio looking for stuff. Now I find that it's the other way. I need to sit at my desk, work at my prayer, research, thinking, dreaming, and often simply start writing, get some thoughts and words down, and then the inspiration flows. [I still do get up at 5am or midnight to write from inspiration from time to time, or file these ideas in my head for a later time when I'm awake!]

I would encourage you to develop a routine where you write regularly, not just on times of inspiration. Agatha Christie reflected that her first few novels were a delight, a hobby, a joy - after that it was work. [I'm sure work she enjoyed and delighted in, but work.]

As an aside it's like falling in love. At first all the emotions flood you so that you love your husband or wife by opening doors, saying nice things, spending time with them. After a time the emotions reduce, so you can fail to do all these things for your spouse. But if you work on it, if you choose to do the love actions even if you don't feel like it, suddenly all the love emotions come flooding back.

Pack, pack, clean. We are now entering the cleaning phase - M-day is less than 2 weeks away! While the move has put me out of routine, it has given me a forced holiday from many things, so I anticipate arriving in Redcliffe, fresh, feeling good and with lots of energy to get back in routine and go!

Cheers everyone and have a great Christmas!