'worship' Tagged Posts (Page 5)
Daily Devotions: May 10, 2019
May 10, 2019 For full passage click: Revelation 7:9-17 …“for the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd, and he will guide them to springs of the water of life, and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.” vs. 17 One of the visions John shared with his readers has given believers of every time and place a measure of comfort in their encounters with death. He describes a great white robed choir standing…
Daily Devotions: March 27, 2019
March 27, 2019 For full passage click: Psalm 32:6-11 …“Be glad in the Lord and rejoice, O righteous, and shout for joy, all you upright in heart.” vs. 11 The psalmist would have loved praise services. He couldn’t get enough of exultations and shouts of joy and wanted all the upright and the righteous to join in giving thanks to the Lord. Some who read these words might have the impression that they don’t have an invitation to the party.…
Daily Devotions: March 7, 2019
March 7, 2019 For full passage click: Deuteronomy 26:1-11 …“you shall make this response before the Lord your God: ‘A wandering Aramean was my ancestor; he went down into Egypt and lived there as an alien, few in number, and there he became a great nation, mighty and populous.’” vs. 5 Sometimes Christians have a negative reaction to creeds and some congregations don’t use them in their liturgies. They don’t want any human devised doctrinal statement to stand in the…
Daily Devotions: January 23, 2019
January 23, 2019 To read full passage click: Psalm 19 …“The heavens are telling the glory of God; and the firmament proclaims his handiwork. There is no speech, nor are there words; their voice is not heard; yet their voice goes out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world.” vss. 1,3-4 Pastors, jealous of nature’s hold on our imagination, will often disparage those who would rather go to the mountains than sit in…
Daily Devotions: October 31, 2018
October 31, 2018 Psalm 24:7-10 …“Lift up your heads, O gates! and be lifted up, O ancient doors! That the King of glory may come in.” vs. 7 Those responsible for temple rituals in Jerusalem developed liturgies that could be used for special occasions and festivals. Fragments of those liturgies can be found in the psalms. They provide us windows into the worship practices of our ancestral faith community. Psalm 24 describes a kind of entrance ritual that involved a…
Daily Devotions: October 18, 2018
October 18, 2018 Psalm 91:13-16 …“When they call to me, I will answer them; I will be with them in trouble, I will rescue them and honor them.” vs. 15 The psalmist is convinced that those who love the Lord will be rewarded in a big way. Their prayers will be answered and they will be rescued and honored in the time of trouble. This isn’t a matter of believing in God, that’s not what the writer is talking about…
Daily Devotions: May 29, 2018
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…
Daily Devotions: May 2, 2018
May 2, 2018 Psalm 98:4-9…“Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth; break forth into joyous song and sing praises.” vs. 4 For many believers, congregational singing is a highlight of worship. They love to come together and lift up their voices with songs of praise and thanksgiving! It’s their one opportunity to actually sing out loud in public, and, since they don’t have to worry about hitting a wrong note, they can let loose! After all, as…
Read daily devotions by Steve Holm
This year, Steve Holm, a retired pastor living in Tempe, will be providing daily meditations for Spirit’s website. Steve served at Desert Cross Lutheran Church for 22 years. In the past he has provided meditations for Advent and Lenten illustrated devotional booklets. Now, we’re thankful that he’s providing these short devotions for visitors to the website. Read more.