One of the more famous Abraham Lincoln stories is told about the time when he was keeping store in Salem, Illinois, and had a beautiful gun prominently displayed so all his customers would see it. The little plaque under it said that it was made from the finest Swedish steel, its stock from the best black walnut wood, all crafted by a world-famous

gunsmith. It was beautiful, and its price was very reasonable.

On the next rack was an old long barrel Kentucky squirrel rifle made from ordinary gun steel. It stock was just an ordinary wooden stock. Its gunsmith was competent but by no means famous. But its price was much higher.

One day a farmer in the market for a new gun noticed the shiny new rifle on display. He asked Abe, "Why is that good gun so cheap and the other gun so high?" Honest Abe replied, "That gun won't shoot. The other one will." Then he picked up the squirrel rifle, sighted a squirrel-sized object a hundred yards away, and hit it dead center. The farmer bought the squirrel gun.

Some time later a rich farmer was decorating a room in his new country estate. He needed a gun for show over the fireplace mantle just under the heads of three big game trophies. The fancy gun was perfect for the purpose. It couldn't shoot, but that was all right. It was just for show.

Worship is a lot like those two guns. Some is for real, the rest for show.

Sometimes our worship is a thing, an end in itself, a show, a religious event and observance and habit—worship as a noun. Sometimes worship is an action, a relationship—worship as a verb. The kind of worship which makes God your King, which empowers your life and your service.

Life is too challenging to face without this power. You don't have to go it alone. Your Father in heaven wants to empower you when you're weak, to comfort you when you're lonely, to guide you when you're confused, to forgive you when you fail.

The Christianity I learned to follow told me that life is supposed to be hard, faith a struggle, sin a constant battle.

But I was wrong. Paul sang hymns of praise at midnight in a Philippian jail, and encouraged the Philippian Christians to "rejoice in the Lord always" (Philippians 4:4). John met the risen and exalted Christ even on the prison Alcatraz called Patmos. Nero inspected the remains of martyrs fed to lions and crucified as human torches, and found smiles on their faces. God intends the Christian life to be filled with triumphant joy.

And so it will be for us, if worship is a verb. Only when our worship is a verb, is it acceptable to God. Only then is it received in the throne room of heaven. Only then does it transform our lives and give us significance and joy. Only when worship is a verb. Let's learn how to make it so.