December 2013
Psalm 122:1 “I was
glad when they said to me, ‘Let us go to the house of the Lord!’
Do I have to go to church? But I don’t want to go to church… these
statements and many more seem to fill the Sunday morning air as we prepare for
the Lord’s Day. Not often do you hear
what the Psalmist says above.
Why
is it that people don’t want to worship God?
That is a question that continues to befuddle the experts in this
country. I have a theory, but it may not
be one you want to hear. It has to do
with what Church is all about.
Please understand, worship is not about what we wear, where we set, or how great the music
is. Worship is not about lights and
power point, nor is it about the comfort of the pews (or chairs). Worship is not about our comforts, wants, or
desires. It isn’t about us. Worship is only and truly about God. Yes, you heard right, worship is about God.
You
see, we come together as a community of faith to give praise to our creator,
redeemer, and sanctifier. We stand in
praise of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
We shout in reverent response to all that God has done for us and is
doing for us in our lives. Sunday
morning worship is not about who we are, but about whom we praise.
Just
think of what would happen if we came to church to truly worship God. What if we came to give, and not to
receive? What if we came with the
attitude of love, rather than an attitude of obligation? What if for that brief moment in time we
didn’t think about ourselves and thought only of God. Would it truly ruin our lives if we left our
cell phones at home and actually participated in worship? How would our lives be different if our focus
was on the creator, and not the creation?
Advent
starts the new Christian year, and reminds us that we are never out of God’s
thoughts. Maybe we need to return the
sentiment. My prayer for all of you in
this Nativity season is that you can share with the psalmist and be truly glad
when they say “Let us go to the house of the Lord”
Amen
