May 29, 2018
Psalm 81:1-5…“Raise a song, sound the tambourine, the sweet lyre with the harp. Blow the trumpet at the new moon, at the full moon, on our festal day.” vss. 2-3
The psalmist gives us a glimpse of worship as it was practiced in the days of the Temple. It wasn’t all about bloody sacrifice and fiery altar offerings. A whole cadre of Levites were on hand to assist in making festival days times of joyful thanksgiving. Hymns were sung, psalms chanted, tambourines sounded, harps strummed, and trumpets blown. There were proper liturgical garments and almost theatrical presentations. It must have been quite a scene, and maybe not much time for quiet meditation. There were almost certainly not any droning sermons! And no one would have fallen asleep! There has always been a sense of theater as people of faith come together in worship. Among us there will most often be plenty of music; sometimes the bold sounds of piano and organ combined with trumpets and reeds, and occasionally the vibrant tones of stringed instruments. People will sing their hearts out as hymns old and new are offered in praise and thanks to God. Liturgists each have their well-scripted parts and the movements are carefully planned. There’ll be baptisms and communion, prayers and sermons, and maybe even a special time for the kids. What a blessing it is to worship! It’s exactly the spiritual food we need for getting through the week! How drab our lives would be without worshiping on the sabbath! And how quickly our faith would disappear!
Thought for the Day: What’s a good reason not to worship?
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