Worship

Song Sparrow doing what he does best

Today I am 2,883 weeks old according to this age calculator. I was born on a Sunday, attended church the next Sunday and most Sundays thereafter. Today I am heading to church shortly and will be teaching another Sunday School class. I have seen a lot of changes in the Christian church in my thousands of weeks, but change is nothing new and will continue to occur.

There has been considerable debate about what constitutes worship. Changing music styles have polarized generations and some elders want nothing to do with new songs. Some churches have liturgical services and others say that liturgy is meaningless. Denominations and churches split over countless things and congregations can quickly become like social clubs where members have similar "worship" tastes, political views, social values and status. Outsiders are easily identified and may not feel welcome if they do not adhere to the group's norms. People like "the old days" and yearn for something in their memory, not for something new in their future.

I walked along the river yesterday and listened to all the different sounds coming from the birds and creatures who live there. Each sound was unique, from the enthusiastic Song Sparrow to the cheeping of the Tree Swallows as they hunted for insects in the air. No one demands that a Robin would sing the same song as a Cardinal nor that a frog would keep time with a Goldfinch.

Psalm 98:4 says, "Shout for joy to the LORD, all the earth, burst into jubilant song with music." And that is what I heard as I walked along outdoors.


I have been thinking much about what worship means to me. It is not the performance so many churches put on at the beginning of their services. In fact, I do not think our worship is confined to the walls of a building at all. I read the first chapter of Isaiah this week and while the prophet was speaking of Israel in the passage, the same principles are true today of the Christian church. I am not skilled in theology, but these words have given me much to think about in the way I worship God.

Stop bringing meaningless offerings! Your incense is detestable to me.
New Moons, Sabbaths and convocations—I cannot bear your evil assemblies.
Your New Moon festivals and your appointed feasts my soul hates.
They have become a burden to me; I am weary of bearing them.
When you spread out your hands in prayer, I will hide my eyes from you;
even if you offer many prayers, I will not listen.
Your hands are full of blood; wash and make yourselves clean.
Take your evil deeds out of my sight!
Stop doing wrong, learn to do right!
Seek justice, encourage the oppressed.
Defend the cause of the fatherless, plead the case of the widow.
“Come now, let us reason together,” says the LORD.
“Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow;
though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool.

Isaiah 1:13-18