Author Says We Should Worship With Every Breath
by Randall Murphree
December 19, 2003
(AgapePress) - Worship means more than offering words of praise, says Louie Giglio in The Air I Breathe: Worship as a Way of Life (Life Change Series, Multnomah, 2003). Worship means bringing words that are amplified by an authentic life flowing from a heart in which God's Spirit has truly brought rebirth."Without His life, you can never really worship," he writes.
The heart of Giglio's book and life message may be expressed in Hebrews 13:15 -- "Through Jesus then, let us continually offer a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that give thanks to His name. And do not neglect doing good and sharing with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased."
Reiterating the sentiments of that verse, Giglio shows a simple depth of expression. He writes, "[W]ords come so easy. And saying (and singing) them makes us feel a little better about ourselves. But God isn't honored by words alone. Like any of us, He's moved by words that are authenticated by actions. When it comes to worship, it's the total package that matters -- what you say, how you say it, and whether you mean it."
Giglio's book reveals a lot about his personality -- his passion, his depth and the practicality of his thought. His writing style is so conversational that you feel you're getting to know him as you read his words. As you read, you can hardly help thinking, "I'd love to meet this man!"
He is a master of poetic and pithy one-liners which are often simple precepts, but which pack a wallop because of Giglio's gift with words.
Consider a few examples:
"Everybody has an altar and every altar has a throne."
"...follow the trail of your time, your affection, your energy, your money and your allegiance. At the end of that trail, you'll find a throne. On that throne is what you worship."
"...there's an internal homing device riveted deep within your soul that perpetually longs for your Maker."
"Worship doesn't begin with us. It begins and ends with God."
"Whatever you worship, you imitate; whatever you imitate, you become."
"If you don't like who you're becoming, take a quick inventory of the things on the throne of your heart."
"Worship is a participation activity in a spectator culture."
"When our worship is small, it's because our concept of God is small."
"When we offer God little-bitty sacrifices, it's because we've somehow reduced Him in our hearts to a little-bitty God."
"God has never been tired. Never slept. Never aged. Never upgraded."
Get the idea? They're on every page! He is careful to emphasize the holiness of God, His power, His "unsearchable" aspect. He writes that God is both infinitely awesome and infinitely approachable, and urges us to embrace the mystery and greatness of God.
"If we swing too far to the 'approachable' end of the spectrum," he warns, "we'll eventually reduce God to someone our own size."
Giglio is best known in Christian circles for his ministry to college students. He is founder of Choice Resources, parent ministry of the highly successful Passion Conferences which target campus audiences. He and his wife Shelley are members of North Point Community Church in Atlanta.
In a November seminar at The Cove, Billy Graham's Training Center in Asheville, North Carolina, Giglio articulated the same no-nonsense principles addressed in his book.
Attendees enjoyed Giglio's personable stage presence, his sense of humor and his passionate delivery. The Air I Breathe (103 small pages) gives a taste of the man. In person or in print, the style is all Giglio, the substance is all God.
Don't miss an opportunity to enjoy a gifted communicator. But expect to be challenged.
Randall Murphree, a regular contributor to AgapePress, is editor of AFA Journal, a monthly publication of the American Family Association.
