How to Worship In a Distracted World with Katie Westenberg
A Conversation on Remembrance with Katie Westenberg
If we are going to worship the Lord, we have to remember who He is in the middle of everything that attempts to steal our attention and make us forget about how faithful He has been from generation to generation.
Biblical writers instruct us to remember from the Old to the New Testament, so let's take it to heart today.
Moses first reminds the Israelites to remember in Exodus 13:3.
Joshua picks up on that theme in Joshua 4.
And Samuel continues the tradition in 1 Samuel 7:12.
When the Israelites decided to repent for their actions against the Lord, Samuel called all of them to Mizpah. However, the Philistines decided to wage war against them. Samuel didn't grow anxious or worried. Instead, he made a sacrifice and set up an Ebenezer stone.
Ebenezer means stone of help. Samuel was calling them to remember how the Lord had helped them in the past and how He would continue to help them. And the Lord was faithful! He gave the Israelites success over the Philistines and peace as a result.
May we all remember the God who helps us in the pain and the problems we face.
The first session of Selah is titled Worship Invites us to Remember, and if you'd like to cover this topic further, you can purchase a copy of Selah here.
TODAY WE'RE REFLECTING ON 1 SAMUEL ESV:
Then Samuel took a stone and set it up between Mizpah and Shen and called its name Ebenezer; for he said, “Till now the Lord has helped us.”
A WOMAN YOU SHOULD KNOW
Today, Ty and I get to close out this season by featuring one woman who has tremendously impacted both of us. Marilyn Johnson is a YouVersion Partner and the Creator of At The Well. Get connected to her because she is definitely a woman you should know.
MEET KATIE
Katie is the wife to Ross and mother to Tyler, Bailey, Brooklyn, and Bo (ages 10-18). She has a Bachelor’s Degree in business from Washington State University, but her days are mostly spent in the busyness of running a home and homeschooling her kids. I
In surrendering my far and wide dreams for His so much better story, God has given her many opportunities to speak life and write truth. She loves helping women follow Christ bravely and live boldly in the fullness of His plan for their lives – big, small, and all the wild and mundane in between.
You can find her new book, And Then She Remembered, here.
I ASKED KATIE:
- What encouraged you to write this message?
- How can we grow more focused in our culture today, especially with all of the demands and cultural expectations all of the time?
- What do we risk when we fail to resist the distractions?
- How do we get clear about what we should really be paying attention to?
- What should we know about identity and the modern phenomenon that it is?
- How has your memory produced an inheritance for your children?
- What recommendations would you make to the woman who is struggling to worship past her distractions?
SELAH IS OFFICIALLY AVAILABLE!
Selah: A Study of 1 and 2 Samuel is still available for preorder and it is my prayer that, together, we can fall even more deeply in love with the Scriptures. You can purchase it here on Amazon.
The study includes:
- 6 video sessions (all between 9 and 14 minutes because you have your own questions to pray about and answer),
- 30 guided prayers (all around 7 minutes to help you dive into prayer),
- and 6 weeks of live study with me (and any others who have the opportunity to join us) every Tuesday, beginning this Tuesday, September 26 at 6:30PM PST/9:30 PM EST.
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
Want to find out what was going on in King David's life when he wrote the psalms He's known for? Grab your download here.
