Several months ago the thought occurred to me that it was odd that we were called to worship God. If I could create a universe, I have no desire for it to worship me. In some ways, God’s call for our worship makes God seem narcissistic. But the reason why it is not is when we look at the broader picture:

God is the perfect embodiment of everything good, including beauty. The universe isn’t created just to be off on its own – look at it like a piece of jewelry – God is the perfect gemstone, with the universe created as a beautiful setting – it is all meant to point to and reflect off of his beauty. Or perhaps view God and the universe like a winning dish on a certain episode of Top Chef – the challenge was to cook an elevated dish that starred brisket barbecue. Brisket is delicious and amazing on it’s own, and the dish that won didn’t try and overshadow the brisket, but everything in it highlighted and echoed different aspects of the brisket, showing it off in new and unique ways.