Today's readings:
Psalms 148, 149, 150, Joshua 1:1-18, Acts 21:3-15, Mark 1:21-27
Praise and worship are essential elements of our relationship with God. The final three psalms in the Hebrew psalter (Ps. 148-150) focus on praise of God. Psalm 150 especially offers praise for its own sake – not because of what God has done for his people, but simply because he is worthy of praise.
What do people think is important in a worship service? A majority of respondents to one survey, presented at a workshop I attended, claimed how it “made them feel” was most important. A close second was whether the music was to their taste. Interesting results, considering the focus of worship is meant to be on God, and not on ourselves. It can be easy to confuse closeness to God with good feelings. Services crossing the line into entertainment or even therapy can facilitate such confusion. Undoubtedly worship should strengthen our connection to God, but not through fleeting emotions that depend on whether the closing song is hummable. Focus on God, rather than on how the experience makes us feel, provides a truer, stronger and deeper connection.
However, worship services are often formed in response to attitudes and demands of the congregation, so what is our responsibility? During worship we can set our hearts on God, regardless of whether we manage to drum up the warm fuzzies, or like a particular hymn. Every psalm is an act of worship, and the psalmists brought a full range of emotions, from fear to joy to rage, before God. We’ve all known people who stop attending services during times of personal crisis. Maybe we’ve done it ourselves. Could this be because we associate worship with only good feelings, rather than what we feel in real life? While connection with God can be cathartic and emotional, such experiences are not the point, or even the norm.
“Hold on,” we might say, “isn’t my church supposed to fulfill me in some way?” That’s an awful lot to expect from one service meant for praise. We are more likely to find it through participation in the life of our church community. We often let feelings dictate our actions, though the truth is actions powerfully influence our feelings. Sharing community actions of justice, love and mercy is a natural extension of Sunday worship – a chance to open ourselves up to the fulfillment of God working in our lives, and the lives of others. We don’t develop our spiritual muscles when the church hands us lightweight sentiment, but when we engage in genuine praise and worship and do the rest of the heavy lifting ourselves.
Comfort: Our faith is stronger than our feelings.
Challenge: At the next worship service you attend, be intentional in singing songs to God, and not just about God.
Prayer: Gracious and Merciful God, I praise you as creator of all.
Evening readings:
Psalms 114, 115
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