Engaged in Worship

In Vacation Bible School, we covered the suffering, death, and resurrection of Jesus. It is so easy sometimes just to use Christian phrases without really giving them much consideration. Let us start with worship. I wonder how many people, before they leave home to go to worship, spend some time in prayer, seeking the leading of the Holy Spirit for the service, for the pastor, and for each person in attendance. It is not just going to the church but going to worship. Words and intent make a world of difference. Before we get to a time of confession, if that is part of worship, do you spend time considering what areas of your life may be in great need of God’s cleansing? Is it just words, or have you spent some time considering your need before God and others. Do you take time before worship to read the hymns ahead of time so that the message may be clearer. During Covid, we discovered that the service where the hymns were read, instead of sung, the words seemed so much more powerful. There should be no part of worship that is just done purely out of habit. Is your heart and mind engaged when you hear the Scripture read, the message shared, the confession of faith, the Lord’s prayer, etc. It is so easy to fall into habits. Now, what about our actually sharing of faith? Do we really think about what we are saying, of do we use Christianese, catch phrases that may be true but not always pondered. We talk about the hope that is ours because Jesus died and rose on the cross, but have we ever understood why or go back to ponder what actually happened? Most often, we simply say He died and rose, and then leave it there. Why did Jesus have to be sinless? What did Jesus' death accomplish? What did His resurrection prove? Why is Jesus necessary to enter the gates of Heaven? Sin doesn’t exist in heaven, so without help, none of us can make it. Since I couldn’t do it, someone, who was without sin had to take my place. His death satisfied God’s wrath. His resurrection conquered death. Our faith in Jesus qualifies us to enter heaven. I think we need to pick one thing each week to ponder and study to avoid falling into the spiritual repetition without faith. Holy Spirit, open my eyes, my heart, and my mind so that my worship may be deeper and my faith more vibrant. Amen