Sitting Down (For the Record)
October 12, 2009
During worship, I sometimes sit.
You’ve seen me. But then I disappear when everyone else stands, because now I’m hiding behind the dozens of standing bodies of everybody else worshipping. I’m still there. But I’m sitting.
When the worship leader says stand,
And he says,
Raise your hands.
Close your eyes.
Praise Him…
Sometimes I’m sitting.
I know there’s freedom in worship and for the record I’m really not trying to be a rebel (If I was, I’d show up with a scowl and come in for the sermon only after the music is done. Or I wouldn’t come at all.)
But I sit, sometimes.
To be honest, sometimes I’m just exhausted.
As a mother, the Sunday morning church service might be the only 90 minutes in my entire week that I have to sit down unencumbered. No lie. The only 90 minutes when no one is tugging on me for a glass of water, or no one needs their shoes tied, or no one needs to be picked up from school or soccer.
90 minutes of rest.
So sometimes, in worship, I rest by sitting. I still sing, I just do it in the chair.
But sometimes I sit because I need to listen. The auditory perspective of a worshipper is different when I’m sitting down and everyone else is standing.
The music blends with voices and they all flow up and over me. Around me. I’m cocooned by the music and the standing bodies. I can close my eyes and no one is watching me. If I’m close enough to the front to see the worship leader, even he can’t see me. I’m alone but I’m not.
I’m safe below. Beneath the tallest of them I listen to the music surround me and somehow it becomes a physical experience to me in the middle of the sound like that.
And sometimes I sit because I just need to be closer to the earth.
[If my church had kneeling benches, I’d kneel]
I sit sometimes because I feel pushed or pulled to stop standing in the midst of a holy and awesome God.
He is holy and I am not.
He is righteous and I am not.
Sometimes I simply cannot bear to stand in his presence.
So I sit.
And there’s rest. There is melody. And there is awe.
All from my seat.
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I am with you on this. Yesterday, the presence was awesome and I am not one normally to sit, but I sat and listened and received. Did people jusge me, I am sure but do I care? NO! I was blessed just beig still and listening and singing and when i felt led to, I stood back up but sometimes, we need to sit, be still and listen ! Amen and great word for the morning!
Now when asked to stand, I do stand!
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It's a great reminder that not everyone in our congregation will be participating outwardly, and we shouldn't gauge our success from this, because in their hearts they may be worshiping just as fervently.
Well said, Sarah. Often all I wanna do is sit and soak in the worship going on around me. Soak in the music that swirls all around me. Sometimes I am so taken in by my Maker I feel almost forced to kneel and get my footing... so I sit. I don't think that's a bad thing at all. Who said we need to stand in the first place? Other than the worship leader....
I'm not against sitting. In fact, I sit often during worship. But I got to thinking awhile back about this. Posture is definitely an important part of our worship. In fact, there are various worship postures mentioned throughout the Bible: standing, kneeling, prostrate, etc. However, the only time someone is ever mentioned as sitting during worship is in reference to God sitting on his throne. As far as I know, the Bible never talks about worshipers sitting before God. Just a thought. Would love your feed back.
Rev. 4:4 The 24 elders were seated.
Great reminder, Sarah. Thank you for writing this. My wife reads you faithfully, and your words have often been an encouragement to her, and I can see why.
Sarah,
As always, fabulous writing - I just LOVE your writing!
I'll never forget - I was at a Hillsongs event in Jacksonville, FL - Darlene Z. was up there singing that "you have turned my mourning into dancing" song, everybody singing, jumping, spinning around .... standing ... except me.
I was sitting down, with my head in my hands, propped on my knees - having a serious dialog with God.
In the midst of our congregation, it was like God called a sidebar on me, and said "oh yeah, by the way Fred - if these people are like you, they think you are totally bored and disinterested right now".
I once played a congregation where all the people sat with no expression on their face for 90 minutes. They never stood, clapped, sang...nothing.
When I finished they bought every CD I had with me, and I was utterly surprised. When I mentioned to a few of them that I thought they hated me, they responded with (generally paraphrasing) "Oh no...it was just so interesting that I had to concentrate on every word"
Since that time I try not to assume what people are thinking whether they stand or sit.
I had nearly the exact experience the first time I debuted (sp?) an original worship song...no apparent reaction to the song...at all. When the team finished the song, the entire congregation stood and applauded. I was shocked, surprised, pleased, and a little frightened...all in about four seconds. Since then, I don't worry nearly as much about the reaction...my actions are MORE than enough for me to worry about.
Smitty