Originally published 10/7/21

Tucked safely in my pocket, my question traveled with me for years.

What is worship?
How do I worship?
What does it mean to worship?

I’m pretty sure I don’t have a complete answer yet.
And I’m also pretty sure that in Alaska, I almost touched a whale! A worship whale.

photo courtesy of Mary Hargrave

Fin Whales are the second largest aquatic marine mammal. They weigh as much as ten large elephants and consume up to 4000 pounds of food daily. They have two blow holes on the top of their head and when they break the surface of the water to let out the breath they have been holding, their water spout or blow can reach 30 feet into the air.***

Our morning writing class had concluded. We circled Leslie and Gary asking question after question of these two seasoned authors and phenomenal teachers.

As we talked, suddenly our attention diverted to Uyak Bay beyond the windows. Fin Whales with their tell-tale blows coming every few seconds put on a show for us.

A plan was quickly set in motion: eat lunch; grab our knee boots and life jackets; and get to the barge. Leslie piloted allowing those onboard to experience a very close encounter with these mammoth animals.

I pinched myself. Sue, pay attention; stay in the moment. This is real. This is amazing. These God-created creatures are swimming in the habitat God designed for them. This is not Sea World. This is worship.

“But though the dory rocked back and forth with the swell of them, the whales never came so close that the boat might capsize. Turner heard them ripping the surface all around him, and felt the diamond spray sprinkle down on him in the moonlight like a benediction. He knew he was in the middle of something much larger than himself, and not just larger in size.” (from Lizzie Bright and the Buckminster Boy, Gary Schmidt. Emphasis mine) My thoughts exactly!

“Ascribe to the LORD glory and strength!
Ascribe to the LORD the glory due his name;
bring an offering, and come into his courts!
Worship the LORD in the splendor of holiness;
tremble before him, all the earth!”
Psalm 96:7-9

Sue, be amazed by God’s creation.
Be awed.
Be invited to worship.
Bring an offering. Ascribe to the Lord the splendor of his creation this time lived out in whales.

These ginormous Fin Whales taught me about worship.
These ginormous Fin Whales are helping answer my question.

As I look back over the years, many pieces have fallen into my pocket offering an understanding of worship. The top three are …

My S-C plan

1. Training myself to start my (almost) daily devotional time by sitting quietly and be captivated by and in wonder of God’s phenomenal, diverse, beautiful creation.

2. I am thankful for our worship pastors at our church, Village Seven Presbyterian . Every Sunday service is designed to flow seamlessly from the prelude to the postlude, from participating with our voices to participating in listening. I’m experiencing worship.

3. My week in Alaska on Harvester Island was like almost touching a [worship] whale. I opened huge unexpected gifts of the island every day, with every experience. From the immature Eagle flying close, or the Sea Otter floating cradling their young to the huge Seals, Sea Lions, Orcas and Fin Whales; from Starfish to Jelly Fish to Sand dollars, each unique, each amazing; from the new friends who became family to sharing amazing meals with those friends; from words drawing tears to words almost dropping me to floor in laughter; from trust built through vulnerability; from the calm waters to the white caps; from the beauty of orange and yellow sunrises to the orange and yellow sunsets; from the experience of the skiff to the barge; the Beaver Float plane to the Cessna Bush plane. The memories – whale-sized. Metaphorically I almost touched that whale and God is teaching me worship.

Copyright, Sue Tell, October 2021

*** cimioutdoored.org