lost

last night i found myself helping to lead worship at a midweek service

which is always a nice pick-me-up

especially when i'm leading with some of my favorite people :)

michael, my friend who lead the service, found this video on youtube and played it at the beginning of the service.

he began it with simple words on the screen:

"a guy walking the streets of new york just can't stop himself from praising"

and then the video. WOW.

there's such simplicity here. a guy walking around listening to his ipod...but there's something rising in him that's so organic, so fresh, so come up to the top, that he can't stop himself.

it made me wonder. as i looked around the room and watched people react to the video

when did they last get so lost in worship that they just couldn't stop themselves from praising?

when's the last time *I* did?

what's wrong with us if we don't lose ourselves more often?

it doesn't have to look like anything spectacular. in fact, it often doesn't.

for me, the last time it happened was monday night at a 20s/30s worship event i attend every week. at the end of the service we all went forward to pray and worship just...happened. i found myself singing at the top of my lungs--some unknown song--and not caring one bit if anyone heard me or didn't.

i've seen people take different postures of worship, use different languages to praise, and just stand and silently weep.

i'm known to lose myself in worship in my car...which doesn't always work out financially but it always brings me to a new level (seriously: go read the story. it's especially meaningful for me to remember it now with the events of the last few months...)

all of this to say...lose yourself today. or tomorrow. or sunday morning at church. or...whenever. just spend some time being so carried away by His presence that you can't.do.anything.else.

and then...would you share with me or someone? it would be a great encouragement!

(oh yeah, and here's the video--watch! conveniently located right next to my music player so you can turn it off...i SO planned that...ok, i didn't :)