'worship' Tagged Posts (Page 2)
Daily Devotions
Do not fear, or be afraid; have I not told you from of old and declared it? You are my witnesses! Is there any god besides me? There is no other rock; I know not one.” vs. 8 Isaiah 44:6-8 One thing that made Israel different from other peoples and nations was the bold assertion that there was no other god besides the Lord, not even one. We who are Israel’s faith descendants continue to make that claim, even though…
Daily Devotions
Happy are the people who know the festal shout, who walk, O Lord, in the light of your countenance…” vs. 15 Psalm 89:15-18 There’s something to be said for familiarity in worship. While it is true that the old hymns can seem boring and often lack the spirited tempo of contemporary music, simply dropping traditional liturgies in favor of those that change from week to week doesn’t always make our hearts sing. The psalmist knew from experience the joy that…
Daily Devotions
Know that the Lord is God. It is he that made us, and we are his; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.” vs. 3 Psalm 100:1-3 The psalmist was full of joy at being alive, and he regularly joined his faith community in worship as they filled the air with songs of praise and thanksgiving. Everything he knew and loved had come from the Lord–even his own life had been a gift of God. Even now,…
Daily Devotions
For as I went through the city and looked carefully at the objects of your worship, I found among them an altar with the inscription, ‘To an unknown god.’ What therefore you worship as unknown, this I proclaim to you.” vs. 23 Acts 17:22-25 The ruins of the Parthenon in Athens are spectacular. Every year millions of tourists come to gape at the wonder of its columns and the delicate beauty of its carvings. When Paul came to Athens on…
Daily Devotions
What shall I return to the Lord for all his bounty to me? I will lift up the cup of salvation and call on the name of the Lord, I will pay my vows to the Lord in the presence of all his people.” vss. 12-14 Psalm 116:12-19 The psalmist was alive–he’d been as good as dead, cried out to the Lord, and had been restored to health. Now what? In his mind there remained only one thing to do–he…
Daily Devotions
Maundy Thursday For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.” vs. 26 1 Corinthians 11:23-26 Holy Communion, or the Lord’s Supper, has enormous significance for the entire Christian community and is celebrated weekly in congregations all around the world. While practices differ and we have argued for centuries about the significance of the ritual, it is, for most believers, the central feature of worship. And as Paul indicates…
Daily Devotions
But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshippers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father seeks such as these to worship him.” vs. 23 John 4:16-25 It can be comforting to have a religion that we can rely on, and most people will claim an affiliation to some established denomination or faith community. So when asked by census takers or screen door evangelists we can give a religious preference, even if…
Daily Devotions
For the message about the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.” vs. 18 1 Corinthians 1:18-24 Some years ago, a new kind of evangelism strategy evolved in an effort to attract the large numbers of people who had come to be known as “searchers.” There was little concern about liturgy or creeds in worship. Instead there was a focus on music, not the old chorales,…
Daily Devotions
The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face to shine upon you, and be gracious to you; the Lord lift up his countenance upon you, and give you peace.” vss. 24-26 Numbers 6:22-27 In most of our congregations the pastor’s last words to the gathered people are some form of the Aaronic Benediction. And while for some this is a welcome signal that the end is in sight, most worshippers are touched by this familiar blessing.…
Daily Devotions
For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all, training us to renounce impiety and worldly passions, and in the present age to live lives that are self-controlled, upright, and godly…” vss. 11-12 Titus 2:11-14 The book of Titus reflects the conviction of early believers that God’s saving grace had been showered upon all humanity in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. That’s a truth worth holding close to our hearts, especially in these times of religious…
Daily Devotions
For great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised; he is to be revered above all gods. For all the gods of the peoples are idols, but the Lord made the heavens.” vss. 4-5 Psalm 96 Human beings seem to have a god gene as part of their DNA that drives them to set aside time and energy for worship as a regular activity. Sometimes the object of that worship was found in nature, perhaps a particular mountain or…
Daily Devotions
For this reason I remind you to rekindle the gift of God that is within you through the laying on of my hands…” vs. 6 2 Timothy 1:6-14 Confirmation hadn’t been invented yet in the life of the church when this letter was written, but its predecessor was certainly there. Paul says that when Timothy was a youth, he laid hands on him and gave him a precious gift of God. That sounds exactly like what happens when a pastor…