When I read this it literally made me say 'word' no matter how lame that sounds.

Higher than our ritual is the simple acknowledgment that, in truth, He is what we need. We, like the Israelites, often find rescue in the burnt offering [worship songs] and not in the GOD who is the source of all. We find comfort in the song and not in the Comforter. It is a subtle but necessary shift. It is more difficult to find the Creator in a barbeque sandwich than in your favorite Sunday-morning song, but when you do, when you begin to find HIm in all the stuff of life, everything starts singing. Every moment breaks into song. Every breath becomes sacrafice, and the songs become sweetness. This is living praise. -David Crowder, Praise Habit

..Yeah, I know. And I'm only a little more than half way done. :)

Could it be that I'm no better than the Israelites or the Pharisees? The shock of that thought! ;) The Israelites burnt all these offerings for God & we sing all these songs. Songs in themselves arn't bad, but sometimes we use them as a way to be put at ease instead of finding ease in who God is, and in that finding out who God is. I know I'm guilty of doing that. And the Pharisees - they made sure all the laws were kept, they even prayed out loud, pretty loud for all to see & hear. But the beggar/theif (one of those) who prayed pouding his chest brought authentic praise to God, being the one that Jesus glorified in telling of the story. Because He came, not knowing all the right prayers, or all the right songs, but just came raw anyway.

It's easy to find God in a church service, a worship song, or a first wednesday when all of your friends around you are lifting their hands up, but it's so much harder to find him in a wendys salad, in a beggar on the street, or just generally in the things of life. I remember, it must have been years ago, but one Sunday night Jeff showed us a video clip & it hasn't been able to leave my mind since. This man was walking down a busy city street with, I believe earphones on his head, or maybe he didn't have anything on his head. But needless to say, he was walking down this street with all these people around him going about their lives & all of a sudden he throws his head back, stretches out his arms towards Heaven & just glorifies God. Right infront of everyone. Not like the Pharisees did, they were in the synogauge(or church) where all the 'right' people could see them. But he, no he, flung his arms out in true praise in front of all the 'sinners' that were walking by. Everytime I think of true praise I think of that video clip.

Living authentic praise isn't found in church or in all the 'right' places. I believe it's found in life. Just simply put, in life. True praise, truly living is found in a conversation with a stranger, in paying for someone's order in a drive-thru who's behind you, in being free in who you are & knowing that who you are is all because of Christ, in finding God in a cloud, in a bird flying in the sky, finding God in the oddest of places. When you start to find Him in all the odd places, instead of all the 'right' places, I think then you'll be living praise. And praise will be more than just a routine of Sunday mornings, daily in the Bible sessions, and praying before every meal. He will be real & authentic & He will bring more life than ever imaginable. He will be life, the reason you breathe, the reason you speak. Like Crowder said, every moment will break into song. And you'll just wanna get up and spin.