Forgiven much? Love much?

Some people say my worship stye is "American" They equate exuberance or enthusiasm with American. I just call it "biblical."  The word "Halal" from which we get our main word for praise means to be "clamorously foolish." When is the last time someone said that about you and your worship?  Most times I can control my responses in worship-- I decide how I want to show my love to God and I've come to realize that I can't help but be who I am. A lot of times when God is touching me I just weep. I find it hard to NOT respond to God. He has done so much in my life to change me.  He is my hope and my song. I don't know what I would do without Him. He is not an addition to my life or a nice hobby or a beautiful theory or a nice piece of literature.  He has become my only hope. If I don't have Him, I have nothing. He has comforted me in the darkest moments and been my joy in the sun-- and there is no other life that i would like to have but with Him.   Here is one of my favorite passages of all time: "And there was a woman in the city who was a sinner; and when she learned that He was reclining  at the table  in the Pharisee's house, she brought an alabaster vial of perfume, and standing behind  Him  at His feet, weeping, she began to wet His feet with her tears, and kept wiping them with the hair of her head, and kissing His feet and anointing them with the perfume. Now when the Pharisee who had invited Him saw this, he said to himself, "If this man were a prophet He would know who and what sort of person this woman is who is touching Him, that she is a sinner."  There will always be religious people around to judge how we worship God. They find it "distracting" or "disorderly."  They do not see. They haven't understood yet. I love the way Jesus perceives what the Pharisees are thinking and he uses the moment to teach them. "Turning toward the woman, He said to Simon, "Do you see this woman? I entered your house; you gave Me no water for My feet, but she has wet My feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. For this reason I say to you, her sins, which are many, have been forgiven, for she loved much; but he who is forgiven little, loves little." Then He said to her, "Your sins have been forgiven."  (Luke 7:37-39, 44, 47-49 NASB) These Pharisees had not even given Jesus  the basic courtesy of washing his feet when he came in. They did not know who he was. If they realized who He was, they would have honored him. But they did not see and therefore they did not honor him and could not have possibly understood what this woman was doing or appreciated it. The big difference in worshippers is simple. Gratitude. Do you know what you have been saved from? Do you see how great and holy God is? If you did, you would know what an awesome privilege it is to even come near to Him. When I first became a Christian people told me "Christianity is not a feeling." but that's only half true. Christianity is not only a feeling but it involves feelings. If the truth of God has not captured our emotions and moved us to love God more, there is something wrong. And God wants to change that. "These people honour me with their lips but their hearts are far from me..." This is the big pain of God's heart. He doesn't want our lip service...he wants our very heart. He wants it all. I guess that's why my favorite people are usually people who have been very broken. Their lives were a mess and God redeemed them--and they know what it is like to be forgiven, redeemed, saved-- they know they needed a saviour.  They are not looking towards their many good works or their accomplishments which have made them good people. They are grateful to God. If you're not, get grateful today. Make a choice to see all that God has done for you and honour Him for it. or get alone with God and ask Him to touch your emotions with the truth of His word. He wants all of you and after all.. He deserves it.