The key theme we picked up from this is that if worship is a practice of being in submission to God - living in constant acknowledgement that He is God and we are not - then things that have value for our meditational or devotional life are those which lead us into a state of recognition that he is God and we are not. That is worship. The awesome thing about this is that state of 'worship-ful' reflection can be prompted by anything that speaks to us...a powerful moment in a Hollywood film, a glorious sunrise, lines in a poem that shift your perspective, the powerful harmonies of one of Bach's compositions, or the social justice lyrics in the protest songs of Billy Bragg, Bob Dylan, or even Rage Against The Machine. It doesn't have to be a 'Christian' song or movie to lead you into true worship...in fact when this point really sinks in you realise there is actually no such thing as 'christian' music. If it leads you to acknowledge He is God and we are not, it can lead you into worship. Don't judge movies and music by whether they're 'christian' or not - evaluate them based on whether they lead you to a greater acknowledgement of who really is God here (oh...and of course whether you enjoy them or not too!).
Every piece of beauty we appreciate, every skillful talent that's displayed, and the humbling wonder of creation all point to One far greater who is the source of it all. This concept offers an almost limitless world of things to appreciate and enjoy as 'worship' in recognition that He is God and we are not...
So depending on our tastes, we should feel free to draw from and enjoy the world's entire art, film or record collection. And wherever and whenever it leads you to moments of true worship - soak it up!
The problem, again, is that we seem to have forgotten the main character in the Bible is not actually us :)
What if we read the story of Abraham and Isaac through God's perspective - as if it is actually about God?
In Genesis 15, we have an astonishing story where God makes his covenant with Abraham - promising that he will have an heir from his own loins and that his descendents will outnumber the stars (referred as the Abrahamic covenant, predating the covenant with Moses that was superceded by Christ). They make the covenant together by slaughtering animals and preparing to 'walk down the aisle' between the halves of the slaughtered animals (I bet you thought walking down the aisle had a romantic tradition!!!). However, before they can do that together and seal the covenant, God places Abraham into a sleep and appears himself as two fiery symbols and walks through the aisle.
It's an ancient tradition of sealing a covenant together and essentially saying, "If I break this covenant, may it be done to me as it was to these animals." Here God is already beginning to forecast that the covenant will be broken, but that it is He and He alone who will pay the price for it. Heavy stuff.
Then we get to Abraham and Isaac...and God begins to explain how he will pay the price for the covenant we break with him: by sacrificing his own son for our sake. The story with Abraham is God walking us through the experience he is about to go through...he seems to be inviting us into an understanding of what we've put him through - what it is going to cost him.
It is a disturbing story - even more so when you see it portrayed on screen. The truth is, it's supposed to be disturbing. This is not a cute Sunday School story for us to sanitise for children to encourage them to trust God more. This is an agonising and disturbing story that is supposed to give us some empathy for God's experience in his covenant with us. And lead us to worship him more!
Heavy stuff...give it some thought...