Songs of Salvation

Readings for today: Luke 2-3, Psalms 113

I love to sing. I’ll sing just about anything, any style, from any era. I have a deep appreciation for music which I learned from my mother who taught elementary music school music for forty years. Perhaps that’s why I love worship so much. I love to sing the great hymns of our faith. I love to sing the praise songs currently being written. I love to sing Gregorian chant, the Psalms, and other meditative, prayerful music. I love the pipe organ. I love praise bands. I love brass and woodwinds and percussion. I love the human voice most of all. I’ve sung sung songs in small groups, sanctuaries, cathedrals, even stadiums. I’ve songs in different languages around the globe. All of it fills my heart and stirs my soul.

One of the features I appreciate most about Luke’s Gospel is all the singing that accompanies the birth of Jesus. He records four separate songs from four separate people, all of whom are responding to the birth of the Messiah. Traditionally, these songs are known as “canticles” from the Latin term which means “little songs.” They are the Benedictus of Zechariah from Luke 1:68-79, the Magnificat of Mary from Luke 1:46-55, the Gloria in Excelsis Deo of the angels from Luke 2:14, and the Nunc Dimittis of Simeon from Luke 2:29-32. All of them praise God for what He has done. All of them express the wonder and awe at the great plan of God that is being fulfilled. All of them marvel at God’s steadfast love and faithfulness towards His people.

There is something about singing that taps into the deep places of our hearts. Something about music that moves our souls. I’ve sat with people in advanced stages of dementia or Alzheimer’s who can still remember the songs they sang when they were little. It’s miraculous to listen to them sing the Doxology or Gloria Patri or a hymn like Amazing Grace. It brings incredible comfort to those they love who stand vigil as they pass from this life to the life to come. And I’m quite confident that when they finally reach those heavenly shores, they will be met by the saints who’ve gone before them with even more singing. They will learn new songs, songs of glory known only to the residents of heaven who worship Jesus face to face. I can’t wait for that day and believe with all my heart that our worship here on earth is just the warm up act for the worship service we’ll join when we too cross over from the dimension of earth to the dimension of heaven.

Readings for tomorrow: Luke 4-5, Psalms 114

A Life of Praise

Readings for today: 2 Chronicles 1-4, Psalms 71

God wants us to live a life of praise. A life of continual thanksgiving for all He has done for us. A life of faith with our eyes continually focused on our Savior. God wants us to understand all of life is in His hands. All our days are numbered according to His sovereign will. All our resources counted out in advance by His plan. All our experiences - good, bad, and otherwise - are sovereignty used by God to shape us into the image of His Son. When we see life from this perspective, we cannot help but praise the Lord. We cannot help but fall to our knees in awe and wonder. We are humbled and honored and blessed and life takes on a glory we could never create for ourselves.

I find myself sitting in a cafe in Uganda reflecting on God’s goodness to me. Who could have known He would send me to the ends of the earth over and over again to proclaim his gospel to the nations? Who could have planned for my life to work out the way that it has? Since the day God delivered me on the campus of the University of Colorado in Boulder, He has used me to advance His Kingdom on the earth. Who am I that God would choose me? Who am I that God would use me in such a way? Who am I that God would honor me? I am nothing. My life is but a breath. My days pass so quickly. And yet God has favored me. Perhaps this is why the Psalm we read this morning hits so differently today.

“Lord, I seek refuge in you; let me never be disgraced. In your justice, rescue and deliver me; listen closely to me and save me. Be a rock of refuge for me, where I can always go. Give the command to save me, for you are my rock and fortress. Deliver me, my God, from the power of the wicked, from the grasp of the unjust and oppressive.” I can look back and see where God has answered this prayer in my life. He has been a refuge for me in times of trouble. He has never let me be disgraced. He has rescued and delivered me in so many situations. He has remained close to me and protected me. He has not allowed the wicked to triumph over me. My life is a testimony to His goodness and grace.

“For you are my hope, Lord God, my confidence from my youth. I have leaned on you from birth; you took me from my mother’s womb. My praise is always about you. I am like a miraculous sign to many, and you are my strong refuge. My mouth is full of praise and honor to you all day long.” From the day I said “yes” to Jesus, God has been my confidence. He has been my stronghold. He has filled me with His Spirit and anointed my days. He has made my life a miraculous sign to many. What can I do in response to all He has done for me? I can praise God. I can praise Him with my lips. I can praise Him with my heart. I can praise Him from the depths of my soul.

“Don’t discard me in my old age. As my strength fails, do not abandon me. For my enemies talk about me, and those who spy on me plot together, saying, “God has abandoned him; chase him and catch him, for there is no one to rescue him.” God, do not be far from me; my God, hurry to help me. May my adversaries be disgraced and destroyed; may those who intend to harm me be covered with disgrace and humiliation. But I will hope continually and will praise you more and more. My mouth will tell about your righteousness and your salvation all day long, though I cannot sum them up. I come because of the mighty acts of the Lord God; I will proclaim your righteousness, yours alone.” Now I am growing older. And as I age, I fully expect my outer body to waste away even as my inner body is renewed day by day. The days will fly by more quickly. My strength and energy will diminish over time. My wisdom and knowledge will eventually fail. But God will remain my hope and I will praise Him more and more. I will use every breath to tell the world of your righteousness and your mighty works.

“God, you have taught me from my youth, and I still proclaim your wondrous works. Even while I am old and gray, God, do not abandon me, while I proclaim your power to another generation, your strength to all who are to come. Your righteousness reaches the heights, God, you who have done great things; God, who is like you? You caused me to experience many troubles and misfortunes, but you will revive me again. You will bring me up again, even from the depths of the earth. You will increase my honor and comfort me once again. Therefore, I will praise you with a harp for your faithfulness, my God; I will sing to you with a lyre, Holy One of Israel. My lips will shout for joy when I sing praise to you because you have redeemed me. Therefore, my tongue will proclaim your righteousness all day long, for those who intend to harm me will be disgraced and confounded.” (Psalms‬ ‭71‬:‭1‬-‭24‬ ‭CSB‬‬) What an incredible privilege it is to proclaim God’s power and works to yet another generation. To remind everyone yet again of the glory and honor and power and splendor and majesty of God. To teach everyone to number the days they’ve been given and count the hours God has blessed them with and use all the time they have to tell others about Christ. God has taught us from our youth…so we proclaim His good works. God has blessed us in our old age…so we proclaim His power to another generation. God has caused us to go through trials and temptations, good times and bad…so we tell of His deliverance and salvation. God has brought us up over and over again from the depths of the earth to increase us in honor and comfort…so we praise Him yet again. Praise Him with all that we are and all that we have and all the energy we have left. We proclaim His praise all the day long!

Readings for tomorrow: 2 Chronicles 5-8, Psalms 72

The Power of Corporate Worship

Readings for today: Nehemiah 7-9, Psalms 50

I remember attending a men’s conference when I first became a Christian. Tens of thousands of men gathered together to sing and pray and hear some of the best preachers in the world at the time. They came from every tribe, tongue, and nation. They come from every ethnicity and socio-economic class. They came from every denominational background and church experience. Worshipping in that environment was one of the most powerful experiences of my life and I will never forget it.

Human beings are worshipping creatures. Our earliest records from the prehistoric cave paintings in places like Spain and France to the depictions on walls of temples and palaces to the written accounts we have from the ancient world show how important worship has been to the human race. There is something deep inside that seeks transcendence. Something within that is drawn to contemplate eternity. One of my favorite professors at Princeton, a leading intellectual in the science and religion debate, believed this was one of the features that made Homo Sapiens unique. We seem to be hardwired for worship.

We see this on display in our reading today. All of the families who have returned from exile in Babylon gather in Jerusalem, within the safety of her newly rebuilt walls, to worship. And what is at the center of their worship experience? The reading and preaching of the Word of God. What we read today is one of the main reasons the church still centers her worshipping life largely around preaching. We believe the “foolishness of preaching” is the primary vehicle God has ordained to advance His Kingdom here on earth. For days, the people of Israel listened to Ezra read the Law. They celebrated as it was interpreted by their leaders for their understanding. They feasted and prayed and sang together. It must have been Woodstock on steroids!

Now reflect on your own worshipping experience. How do you feel when you gather with God’s people? How much do you participate or do you find yourself holding back? When the songs are sung and the prayers are prayed, are you part of it? Or do you consider yourself to be more of a spectator? And what about when the Word of God is read and proclaimed? Do you find yourself hungering and thirsting for more? Or does it barely make a mark? The most important thing you can do as a Christian is come to worship fully prepared to engage. The more you give yourself to the experience, the more you will get out of it. Furthermore, you will find yourself influencing those around you to join in as well. And the more God’s people get engaged, the more the Spirit moves, transforming and changing hearts, and lifting us up into the Lord’s very presence where there is an abundance of joy.

Readings for tomorrow: Nehemiah 10-11, Psalms 51

Humility

Readings for today: Job 40-42, Psalms 146

Worship is intimately tied to humility. In fact, I would argue it is essential. It’s why we struggle to worship. It’s why we struggle to develop a passion for worship. We have little to no understanding of the vastness and splendor and overwhelming majesty of God. We also have little to no understanding of the depths of our sin and brokenness and weakness and insignificance in this universe. We think too highly of ourselves and too little of God. This is why worship can seem so foreign and so boring. This is why we struggle to find any consistent connection with God. The final chapters of Job offer an antidote to our pride. They reframe our understanding of our position in the world. They put us in our place.

I love how Job responds to God. “The Lord answered Job: Will the one who contends with the Almighty correct him? Let him who argues with God give an answer. Then Job answered the Lord: I am so insignificant. How can I answer you? I place my hand over my mouth. I have spoken once, and I will not reply; twice, but now I can add nothing.” (Job‬ ‭40‬:‭1‬-‭5‬ ‭CSB) Job is humble. Job acknowledges his insignificance. Job sees the error of his ways. He knows he has no right to demand anything from God. “Then Job replied to the Lord: I know that you can do anything and no plan of yours can be thwarted. You asked, “Who is this who conceals my counsel with ignorance?” Surely I spoke about things I did not understand, things too wondrous for me to know. You said, “Listen now, and I will speak. When I question you, you will inform me.” I had heard reports about you, but now my eyes have seen you. Therefore, I reject my words and am sorry for them; I am dust and ashes.” (Job‬ ‭42‬:‭1‬-‭6‬ ‭CSB‬‬) Job repents of his ignorance. He repents of his foolishness. He repents of speaking of things to wonderful and infinite for him to know. Job sees God and bows before Him. Job hears God and kneels in the dust and ashes.

I have often thought it would be good to read these final chapters from Job on a daily basis. Just to remind myself of who God is as Creator and who I am as creature. It is healthy to know my limits. It is good to know my place in God’s world. It takes all the pressure off to know how deeply insignificant I am in comparison to God. To know how weak and ignorant I am when it comes to the things of this world. For all my knowledge and understanding. For all my training and education. For all my experience and travels in the world. I know so very little. I am able to do so very little. The impact I make is so very small. And yet - because of God - there is a ripple created that He uses to change so many things. Because of God, even the faith of a mustard seed can move mountains. Because of God, even the meager offering a few loaves and a few fish can feed thousands. Because of God, even the smallest and most insignificant acts carry eternal weight and glory. When I repent of my pride and arrogance. When I empty myself of all my selfishness and greed. When I bow before the Lord and kneel in the dust and ashes of my own life, God is more than able to fill me and restore me and take me to heights I’ve never dreamed of and show me things I could never have conceived of on my own. When I am weak, He is strong. When I am ignorant, He is wise. All He asks for is trust.

Readings for tomorrow: Psalms 1-2, 147

Praise

Readings for today: Job 38-39, Psalms 145

When God reveals Himself to us, there is only one response…worship. Praise. Thanksgiving. Falling on our faces before Him as we realize how infinitely wide the gulf is between us. Today’s reading is a great pairing of some of the most awe-inspiring chapters of the Bible - where God answers Job from the whirlwind - and some of the most beautiful words of praise from the Psalmist. As I read them, I found myself on my knees before God offering up the words of the Psalm as a prayer.

“Then the Lord answered Job from the whirlwind. He said: Who is this who obscures my counsel with ignorant words? Get ready to answer me like a man; when I question you, you will inform me.” (Job‬ ‭38‬:‭1‬-‭3‬ ‭CSB‬‬) How often do I obscure God’s counsel with my ignorant words? How often do I try to remake God after my own image? How often do I lean on my own futile and finite understanding? For all my theological training, I have barely come to scratch the surface of my understanding of God. For all my years of ministry, I have barely begun to see the edges of His ways. For all the time and energy I put into my daily devotional time and weekly worship of God, I have barely dipped my toes into the depths of His love and grace. How can I then respond to Him? What words can I offer that won’t obscure His counsel or expose my ignorance? I can only offer words of praise. The words of the Psalmist. The Spirit-inspired words of David.

“I exalt you, my God the King, and bless your name forever and ever. I will bless you every day; I will praise your name forever and ever. The Lord is great and is highly praised; his greatness is unsearchable. One generation will declare your works to the next and will proclaim your mighty acts. I will speak of your splendor and glorious majesty and your wondrous works. They will proclaim the power of your awe-inspiring acts, and I will declare your greatness. They will give a testimony of your great goodness and will joyfully sing of your righteousness. The Lord is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and great in faithful love. The Lord is good to everyone; his compassion rests on all he has made. All you have made will thank you, Lord; the faithful will bless you. They will speak of the glory of your kingdom and will declare your might, informing all people of your mighty acts and of the glorious splendor of your kingdom. Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom; your rule is for all generations. The Lord is faithful in all his words and gracious in all his actions. The Lord helps all who fall; he raises up all who are oppressed. All eyes look to you, and you give them their food at the proper time. You open your hand and satisfy the desire of every living thing. The Lord is righteous in all his ways and faithful in all his acts. The Lord is near all who call out to him, all who call out to him with integrity. He fulfills the desires of those who fear him; he hears their cry for help and saves them. The Lord guards all those who love him, but he destroys all the wicked. My mouth will declare the Lord’s praise; let every living thing bless his holy name forever and ever.” (Psalms‬ ‭145‬:‭1‬-‭21‬ ‭CSB)

These words are worth meditating on. They are worth reading over and over again. Let them sink into your heart. Let them settle into your soul. Let your mind be shaped by them. Let your actions be inspired by them. Take up the challenge and declare God’s works to the next generation. Speak of His splendor and majesty to everyone you meet. Share His greatness. Offer your testimony. Tell others how good and gracious and loving our God is and how He has compassion on all He has made. Let the hurting know He is near. Let those who have fallen know the Lord is there to help. Let those who seek Him know He will be found. Bless His name day after day after day. This is our call.

Readings for tomorrow: Job 40-42, Psalms 146

Worship

Readings for today: 2 Samuel 4-8, Psalms 88

What is worship? According to the dictionary, it is an act, feeling, or expression of reverence or awe for a deity. A divine being of infinite worthiness who has a right to demand our total allegiance and obedience. Worship is typically accompanied by sacred rituals and rites designed to humble the human being. The goal being to highlight the vast gulf that exists between the human and divine or heaven and earth. Anyone profaning these rituals or making a mockery of worship places themselves at significant risk of angering God. And before we protest that God has no right to be angry with us when we make mistakes, we have to remember who God is and who He has revealed Himself to be. God is perfectly holy and righteous and just. He is infinite in power and majesty. His splendor fills the heavens. His glory fills the earth. He is not to be trifled with or taken for granted. He is not to be dismissed or ignored or set aside. He is not to be treated with anything less than total respect and honor.

Think about what you felt when you read through 2 Samuel 6 today. It’s not an easy passage for us because we cannot begin to fathom the Lord’s anger burning against someone enough that it would cost them their life. Sure, we might understand God getting mad at us in the abstract. We can grasp the concept. But to strike someone dead on the spot? For putting a hand out to steady the Ark of the Covenant? What is with God? We are in good company. David didn’t understand it either. It’s why he refused to bring the Ark into Jerusalem at first. He was afraid of God. He was afraid of what God might do. He didn’t have the proper respect for who God is and what God is all about. But then David hears that God has blessed the household of Obed-Edom. The same God who struck Uzzah down now blesses an entire family over the course of three months. What gives? Maybe it’s now safe to bring the Ark to Jerusalem? Actually, what David has learned is the proper reverence and awe of God. Look at the difference between verses one through five and twelve through nineteen. David’s first attempt was more of a military parade with the Ark of the Covenant at the center like a pagan talisman of sorts. David does what is convenient rather than what is required by putting the Ark on a new cart. It’s more a celebration of David and his mighty men than it is a worship event. Contrast that with the second attempt. Sacrifices are made every six steps. David is dancing in a linen robe with all his might before the Lord. The blow the ram’s horn and gather all the people of Israel. When they arrive at the tent, David offers up all kinds of burnt offerings and blesses the people in the Name of the Lord. Clearly, he’s learned something.

What about you? How do you engage in worship? When you worship, is it about God or about you? Do you approach worship with a critical eye? Always on the lookout for worship music you don’t like or preaching you don’t agree with? Is your heart open or is it guarded? Do you find yourself judging those around you? You need to be careful lest you arouse the anger of God. Much better to follow David’s latter example. Much better to give God the worship He deserves and demands. Much better to abandon yourself in the presence of God and let go of your need to be right or your need to be entertained or your need to agree theologically with everything that is said. I love how David puts it at the end of chapter six when his wife critiques him, “I will dance before the Lord and I will dishonor myself and humble myself even more.” That’s a man with a heart after God. May we have that same heart as well.

Readings for tomorrow: 2 Samuel 9-12, Psalms 89

Worship

Readings for today: Exodus 30-31, Psalm 27

“I have asked one thing from the Lord; it is what I desire: to dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, gazing on the beauty of the Lord and seeking him in his temple.” (Psalms‬ ‭27‬:‭4‬ ‭CSB‬‬) This is the heart of every believer. We long to be in God’s presence. We long to hear His voice. We long to experience the power of His Spirit. This has been true throughout the centuries going all the way back to ancient Israel. The cultural forms of worship have obviously changed since those days. We no longer need to engage in elaborate rituals in order to approach the throne room of grace. Jesus Christ, through His death and resurrection, has opened the way. His blood has washed us clean. Made us pure. Sanctified us so we can enter God’s presence without fear.

The Israelites didn’t have the benefit of Christ’s saving death but everything they engaged in prefigures what He does for us. The sights and smells and sounds of Old Testament worship is but a foreshadowing of Christ’s saving work on our behalf. Just as Aaron burned fragrant incense morning and night throughout the generations, so Christ Himself becomes the fragrant incense for us. Just as Aaron and his sons had to engage in ritual washing so they presented themselves clean before the Lord, so Christ washes us clean by His blood. Christ embodies and fulfills every single part of Old Testament worship and this is an important truth to keep in mind as we read. It helps bridge the cultural distance between us and ancient Israel and makes the readings more relevant to our lives.

Readings for tomorrow: Exodus 32-34, Psalm 28 (No devotionals on Sundays)

Making Room

Readings for today: Matthew 21:1-22, 26:6-13, Mark 11:1-26, 14:3-9, Luke 19:28-48, John 2:13-25, 11:55-57, 12:1-36

One of the things God continues to challenge me on in my life is making room for the hurting, the broken, the wounded, the suffering. Making room for the sinner as well as the saint. Making room for those who are going through all kinds of heartache and pain. Making room for those whom the world casts out. Making room for those the church often shuns. Making room for those who don’t have it altogether, don’t have it figured out, don’t seem to be on the road to success. It’s so easy to isolate people in these situations in the name of healthy boundaries and/or putting an end to toxic relationships. It’s so easy to justify cutting such folks out of our lives because walking with them is too hard, too awkward, too uncomfortable. It’s so easy to forget such people because we get so wrapped up in everything we want to do. But then we read these words from Jesus…

“Jesus went straight to the Temple and threw out everyone who had set up shop, buying and selling. He kicked over the tables of loan sharks and the stalls of dove merchants. He quoted this text: My house was designated a house of prayer; You have made it a hangout for thieves. Now there was room for the blind and crippled to get in. They came to Jesus and he healed them.” (Matthew‬ ‭21‬:‭12‬-‭14‬ ‭MSG‬‬)

At first glance, we cheer Jesus on. Throw those bums out! But when we actually dig into the text, we realize all those moneychangers served an important purpose. They were making life easier for the Israelites as they came to the Temple to make their sacrifices. Instead of bringing their sacrifices with them and running the risk that they may get hurt or injured or blemished along the way, they could bring money and buy an animal at the Temple. It makes perfect sense except for the fact that the moneychangers charged exorbitant rates. Not only that but they were so focused on making sure the Temple economy ran smoothly and the “worship” of God went on uninterrupted that they lost sight of the meaning behind the whole enterprise! The whole point of the sacrificial system was to make a relationship with God possible! It opened the door into heaven where God heard their prayers, answered their cries, healed their hurts, and ministered to their every need.

The same purpose remains for us. When the church gathers in worship, it is like a field hospital in the midst of a war zone. People often come in, beaten and bruised and often bloodied, by life in this broken world. They often come in carrying heavy burdens and struggling under the weight of their sin. They often come in with doubts and fears and anxieties and questions. They often come in looking for healing. Looking for hope. Looking for love. And the question for us is…will we make room for them? Will we make room for the blind and crippled and hurting to get in? Will we throw our doors open wide so people could come in and meet Jesus? Will we do this not only at church but also in our personal lives as well?

Readings for tomorrow: Matthew 21:23-46, 22:1-14, Mark 11:27-33, 12:1-12, Luke 20:1-18, John 12:37-50

The Importance of Worship

Readings for today: Malachi 1-4, Psalm 50

Human beings are worshipping creatures. The earliest records of the human race depict scenes of worship. We will worship just about anything given the right set of circumstances. We will worship animals. We will worship trees. We will worship the land and the ocean. We will worship money and sex and power. We will worship authority. We will worship other human beings. We will even make up our own gods to worship to fill in the gaps of our lives. It’s one of the traits that sets us apart from any other creature in the world. We crave a connection with transcendence. We want a relationship with the eternal. The catch is that we want it on our terms. We want to be in control. We refuse to bow the knee to any higher power that doesn’t “do for us” if we “do for them.” And that’s our problem with God.

Malachi indicts God’s people for making a mockery of true worship. Instead of worshipping God in His terms, they worship God on their terms. They defile the altar. They bring the leftovers and the rejects from their flocks to sacrifice. They refuse to give the required tithes. Their priests ignore the truth. They play at religion, going through the motions as if it didn’t matter. But God will not be mocked. He refuses to play their game. He judges them with righteousness and the verdict is “guilty.” Listen again to what God says to His people through the prophet, “Instead of honoring me, you profane me. You profane me when you say, ‘Worship is not important, and what we bring to worship is of no account,’ and when you say, ‘I’m bored—this doesn’t do anything for me.’ You act so superior, sticking your noses in the air—act superior to me, God-of-the-Angel-Armies! And when you do offer something to me, it’s a hand-me-down, or broken, or useless. Do you think I’m going to accept it? This is God speaking to you.”(Malachi‬ ‭1‬:‭12‬-‭13‬ ‭MSG‬‬)

As a pastor in the American church context, I can’t tell you the number of times I’ve had conversations with Christians that reflect the same sentiment above. Believers who’ve been in worship their whole lives who begin to profane it by ignoring it or diminishing it or complaining about it. Excuses like, “I’m not being fed” or “they don’t play the right music” or “worship doesn’t do anything for me” are tossed around ad nauseam these days. Add to that the number of preachers who have exchanged the truth of God for the latest social/political commentary and the number of believers who refuse to sacrificially give and one can easily see why the church in America is so weak. God has withdrawn His favor. He simply will not bless our consumeristic approach to the gospel. He refuses to allow Himself to become a commodity. He will not diminish Himself or His glory to accommodate our self-centered worship. He calls us higher. He calls us deeper. He calls us to humbly submit ourselves to Him and embrace the path He’s laid out for us.

Friends, worshipping God in Spirit and in truth may be the most radical act of resistance the world has ever seen. When we gather to worship, we are taking our stand on the gospel and declaring to the world the coming of God’s Kingdom. When we gather for worship, we find the dividing walls of hostility that keep us apart generationally, ethnically, socially, economically, politically, sexually, etc. being torn down as God’s Spirit gives us new hearts and new minds built for the new world that is coming. When we gather for worship, we proclaim an end to evil, an end to sin, an end to death, and the final victory of Christ over all His enemies. This is why we worship, friends! And this is why God takes our worship so seriously.

Readings for tomorrow: Ezra 7-10

The Power of Worship

Readings for today: 2 Kings 18:1-8, 2 Chronicles 29-31, Psalm 48

There is nothing like true worship. Worship that is Spirit-filled, Christ-centered, and focused solely on God. There is nothing like gathering with God’s people in worship. There is something powerful that takes place when we get together to worship and offer ourselves as living sacrifices back to God. We’re moved to tears. We dance and laugh and rejoice. Our vision of the world and those around us is stretched and expanded. Our relationships deepen as we focus more on others than we do ourselves. Our hearts are opened in ways we could not have imagined. We come face to face with who we are and the reality of our sin and at the same time, are overwhelmed by the grace of God. We get in touch with the deepest love we can possibly experience…the love of God. We are reminded of our core identity…our identity in Christ. We are filled to overflowing by the presence of God through His Spirit. It’s amazing and awe-inspiring and it’s why we fall to our knees in humble adoration.

I love the picture of true worship from our reading in Scripture today. It’s a powerful reminder that every generation is an opportunity for revival. No matter how dark things have been, God is always at work drawing His people back to Himself. As evil as Ahaz was, his son Hezekiah is cut from a different cloth. He moves in the opposite direction of his father. He steps out in faith. Cleanses the Temple. Restores the Levites. Leads God’s people in true worship. I love how the author of 2 Kings describes him, “Hezekiah put his whole trust in the God of Israel. There was no king quite like him, either before or after. He held fast to God—never loosened his grip—and obeyed to the letter everything God had commanded Moses. And God, for his part, held fast to him through all his adventures.” (2 Kings‬ ‭18‬:‭5‬-‭6‬ ‭MSG‬‬) And how did the author of 2 Kings know this about Hezekiah? What clued him in? It was the vision Hezekiah cast as he began his reign. A vision not for military might or the expansion of the empire or an economic boom but a vision for the restoration of worship in Judah and Israel. “I have decided to make a covenant with the God of Israel and turn history around so that God will no longer be angry with us. Children, don’t drag your feet in this! God has chosen you to take your place before him to serve in conducting and leading worship—this is your life work; make sure you do it and do it well.” (2 Chronicles‬ ‭29‬:‭10‬-‭11‬ ‭MSG‬‬)

I have made a covenant with God to turn history around…what an audacious dream! What a heavenly vision! Only God could accomplish what Hezekiah proposed and that’s exactly what happens! Hezekiah places himself and his people and the future of his empire in God’s hands and God responds by pouring out His blessings. It reminds me of something a great friend of mine likes to say, “If you take care of the things God cares about, God will take care of the things you care about.” And what does God care most about? His glory. The worship of His people. Gathering the lost and least of these so that they too can hear and receive and believe the good news. That’s why Hezekiah sends out evangelists throughout the land to call God’s people back for Passover. He wants the whole nation to stand before the throne of God in worship and adoration and praise. Is this our heart as well? Is this our heart for our families, friends, neighbors, and co-workers? Is this our heart even for the strangers we meet on the street or the enemies we may have made along the way in life? Take some time today and ask the Spirit fill you with His love for His people. Both the lost and found. The broken and the whole. The hurting and the healed. Then step out in faith and invite them to join you for worship!

Readings for tomorrow: Isaiah 27-30

High Places

Readings for today: 2 Kings 14-15, 2 Chronicles 25-27

High places. We see them pop up all over the place in the Kings and Chronicles. (In fact, the picture for today’s blog is a “high place” from Petra that I climbed to when I was there last summer.) Often the righteousness of kings is judged on whether or not they tolerate them. What are they? Originally, they were sacred spaces where the Canaanite tribes worshipped their gods. If you flip back to Deuteronomy 12, you read these words, “You shall surely destroy all the places where the nations whom you shall dispossess served their gods, on the high mountains and on the hills and under every green tree. You shall tear down their altars and dash in pieces their pillars and burn their Asherim with fire. You shall chop down the carved images of their gods and destroy their name out of that place.” (Deut. ‭12:2-3‬) Yahweh had set His people apart. They would be different. They would not be like any other tribe or nation. Because they were a nation of priests, they would worship Yahweh in the way He prescribed. “But you shall seek the place that the Lord your God will choose out of all your tribes to put his name and make his habitation there. There you shall go, and there you shall bring your burnt offerings and your sacrifices, your tithes and the contribution that you present, your vow offerings, your freewill offerings, and the firstborn of your herd and of your flock. And there you shall eat before the Lord your God, and you shall rejoice, you and your households, in all that you undertake, in which the Lord your God has blessed you.” (Deut.‬ ‭12:5-7‬) 

Where was this place? Originally, it was the Tabernacle that traveled with them in the wilderness. After Solomon, it was the Temple in Jerusalem. This was the place where God had set His name and indwelt with His presence. This was the “place” the Israelites were commanded to seek when they worshipped. However, the travel could be difficult. The cost was high. It meant time away from the fields. Time away from home. After the kingdoms split, it meant possible defection by the northern tribes so the Israelite kings set up their own shrines (the sin of Jeroboam) and forbade their people from traveling to Jerusalem at the prescribed times. The people set up their own shrines to Yahweh on the very high places He once commanded them to destroy. If we assume the best of them, they were trying to worship Yahweh. Trying to remain faithful. Just not in the way He demanded or the way He deserved. At their worst, they adopted the worship practices of the locals and worshipped false gods.  

God cares about our worship. He cares about what happens week in and week out in local churches all over the world. Not because God is taking attendance but because God seeks worshippers who will worship Him in Spirit and in Truth. Worshippers who will give Him the worship He demands in the way He deserves. Worshippers who will not compromise. Worshippers who will honor Him as holy. Worshippers who refuse to make themselves the center of the experience. Worshippers who lay aside their wants, their needs, their desires, their preferences to come before the Lord in humility. To do anything else is to create a “high place.” A shrine to another god. And most of that time, that “god” is Self. The besetting sin of the Western Church is the idolatry of self. We are the object of our worship. Our satisfaction is the key performance indicator. We engage worship based on our own personal preferences. We refuse to honor God as holy. God as supreme. God as Lord. We are proud. We are arrogant. We think far too much of ourselves. And if the lives of the kings teach us anything it is this...God will not be mocked. We will be judged on the basis of who or what we worship. 

Readings for tomorrow: Jonah 1-4

Praise the Lord!

Readings for today: Psalms 146-150

I love these final Psalms. My heart leaps every year when we get to this point in our Bible reading. Probably because I love to sing. I was taught to sing by my mother from the moment I came into this world. She was a gifted musician and teacher who instilled in me a deep love for music. It didn’t matter the style. The instrumentation wasn’t important. We sang in the home around her piano. We sang in church at her side. We sang as we did our chores. In fact, I still sing while I do the dishes to this day! Making up words to silly songs to simply pass the time. My family looks at me like I’m crazy. Ha!

The Psalms are songs. I know it sounds so basic and yet it’s so easy to forget. Reading the words in English just doesn’t do the Hebrew poetry justice. We lose something important in translation. We aren’t familiar with the tunes and so we reduce the Psalms to just words on a page rather than songs in hearts. But the Psalms represent the hymnal for ancient Israel. These were the songs they sang when they came to worship. Over and over again, they would repeat them. They knew each of them by heart. They sang them with all their might in the congregation, especially when it was time to gather for festivals in Jerusalem. These songs focus their attention on God. His greatness. His faithfulness. His goodness. His grace. Very little attention is paid to us or our feelings or our experiences. The Psalms send our thoughts soaring as we contemplate the immensity of the Lord. Can you imagine worshipping with God’s people at the Temple? Can you imagine joining all of Israel at the Temple and singing them at the top of your lungs.? Wave after wave of sound ascending to the heavens? Hearts on fire? Passion for God enflamed? Love for Him crescendoing? The worship of God overwhelming the senses? It must have been so powerful to witness and experience

I have worshipped with Christians around the world. I have worshipped with Christians in cathedrals and stick huts, in beautiful auditoriums and living rooms in homes, in prisons and in stadiums. I have worshipped in formal and informal settings. I have worshipped in churches with elaborate ritual and liturgy and churches that were free-flowing and extemporaneous. I have worshipped with Roman Catholics, Anglicans, Presbyterians, Methodists, Lutherans, Baptists, charismatics, and Pentecostals. I have worshipped in African-American churches, Asian-American churches, Latino-American churches, ethnic/immigrant churches, and suburban white churches. Again, the style doesn’t matter. The format doesn’t matter. The instrumentation doesn’t matter. What matters is the heart. Worshipping without any self-conscious pride or ego or insecurities or worries or anxieties. Worshipping without any sense of judgment or personal preference. In such places, the joy is palpable. The sense of love is extraordinary. The fellowship is rich. And the worship is powerful.

How do we get from here to there? We worship like Israel. We praise the God “who executes justice for the oppressed, who gives food to the hungry. The Lord sets the prisoners free; the Lord opens the eyes of the blind. The Lord lifts up those who are bowed down; the Lord loves the righteous. The Lord watches over the sojourners; he upholds the widow and the fatherless, but the way of the wicked he brings to ruin.” (Psalms‬ ‭146:7-9‬) We recount God’s goodness. We praise God’s greatness. We sing about God’s provision. God’s protection. God’s miraculous healing. God’s deliverance from evil. 

Like Israel, we praise the God who “determines the number of the stars; he gives to all of them their names. Great is our Lord, and abundant in power; his understanding is beyond measure...He covers the heavens with clouds; he prepares rain for the earth; he makes grass grow on the hills. He gives to the beasts their food, and to the young ravens that cry...He gives snow like wool; he scatters frost like ashes...He sends out his word, and melts them; he makes his wind blow and the waters flow.” (Psalms‬ ‭147:4-5, 8-9, 16, 18‬) We thank God for the rain that brings life to our dry land. We praise God for the flowers as they bloom, the crops as they rise, the herds as they flourish, the grass on the hillsides as it grows rich and full and green.  

Like Israel, we acknowledge that when we praise our God, we are joining our voices with the heavens and the earth. The heavenly host and the saints who have gone before us. We join the great cloud of witnesses around the throne of God to give Him the worship due His Holy Name. “Praise the Lord! Praise the Lord from the heavens; praise him in the heights! Praise him, all his angels; praise him, all his hosts! Praise him, sun and moon, praise him, all you shining stars! Praise him, you highest heavens, and you waters above the heavens!” (‭Psalms‬ ‭148:1-4‬) 

Oh, how I hope and pray for the day when we can abandon ourselves to worship in the way Israel once did! Oh, how I hope and pray for the day when we can put aside all pretense and pride and self-consciousness and insecurity and consumeristic thoughts and attitudes and worship God like so many of our brothers and sisters throughout history and around the world! Oh, how I long for the day when we would come face to face with our God! See Him for who He is! Worship Him in Spirit and in Truth! Give Him the praise He deserves! The worship He demands! Fall on our faces before His throne, casting all our crowns before Him! Let everything that has breath praise the Lord!

Readings for tomorrow: 1 Kings 9, 2 Chronicles 8, Proverbs 25-26

The Worship God Demands

Readings for today: 2 Samuel 5:11-25, 6, 1 Chronicles 13-16

What is true worship? Is it a feeling? A style? An experience? How do we know if we’ve engaged in true worship? Is it because we leave feeling inspired? The preacher’s message warmed our hearts? We’ve eaten the bread and drunk of the cup? The music for the morning matched our musical tastes? What are the hallmarks of true worship? Authenticity? Sincerity? We’re able to identify something we get out of it? 

Sadly, all of the above are true. Worship in 21st century North America has turned largely inward. It is focused, evaluated, planned, produced for the human experience. It caters to the preferences and tastes of the worshipper. It is designed primarily to make the human being feel inspired, motivated, and connected. This “inward turn” is as true for the small church as it is for the mega-church and every church in between. And it’s why we see so many American Christians bounce from church to church to church over the course of their lives. Long gone are the days when one would invest their entire lives into one community come what may. Long gone are the days when American Christians would heed the biblical command to actually practice forgiveness and reconciliation when relationships get hard. Long gone are the days when American Christians would die to self, laying aside the consumer tendencies of taste. Preference. Personal favorites. As a result, long gone are the days when the American church produced robust, courageous, bold, self-sacrificing disciples of Jesus who would give their lives for the sake of the gospel and the Kingdom of God in this world. Not that it never happens, it just is more the exception rather than the rule. 

So what is true worship? It is the worship God both deserves and demands. Believe it or not, God cares deeply how He is worshipped. In 1 Chronicles 13, we see what happens when God’s people - with sincere and authentic devotion in their hearts - fail to worship God in the way He commands. The people have gathered. They’re excited to bring the Ark of the Covenant into Jerusalem. They call the priests. They call the Levites. They plan a huge celebration.  The whole nation is present to witness this incredible moment. They build a new cart to carry the ark in the procession. David and all of Israel are celebrating, singing, dancing before the Lord with all their might. But then an ox stumbles. Uzzah, seeking to protect the ark, puts out his hand to keep it steady. The Lord strikes him down. One can imagine the shock of the crowd. In an instant, all the music and dancing and celebration stops. Silence. Long, prolonged, awkward silence as the people come to grips with what’s just happened. David is angry. He pouts for three months, refusing to come to grips with the fact that he himself is somewhat responsible for what happened. His decision to do what was convenient (build a cart to carry the ark) rather than what God demanded (Levites carry the ark on their own shoulders) is ultimately what cost Uzzah his life. Fast forward to 1 Chronicles 15. A different picture emerges. David is ready. He is humble. He submits to God’s will. He decrees that “no one but the Levites may carry the ark of God, for the Lord had chosen them to carry the ark of the Lord and to minister to him forever.” (1 Chron. ‭15:2‬) Once again, the celebration commences. Singing. Dancing. Music. Right sacrifices. God is pleased. God accepts the worship David offers because it is singularly focused on honoring God. 

What does true worship look like in our context today? Obviously, none of us know where the Ark of the Covenant resides. (Except Indiana Jones, of course!) The ceremonial laws that governed Old Testament worship have been fulfilled in Christ. Does this set us free then to worship as we choose? To do what feels good? To set the needs of the worshipper above the clear, biblical command to worship God and Him alone?

Pastors/worship leaders...is the primary thrust of your worship planning to bring honor and glory to God? To set Him high and lifted up? Or is it to meet the needs of your people? When you evaluate worship, do you measure it in terms of attendance and the emotional engagement of God’s people or the clarity of the gospel message preached through music, Word, and Sacrament and the experience of God through the Holy Spirit?

People of God...is your primary goal in worship to get something out of it? To walk away feeling inspired, emotionally uplifted? Do you evaluate your own experience based on whether you liked the songs that were sung or felt moved by the experience? Do you evaluate the message based on its applicability to your own life?  

Please hear me clearly...I am not saying these things are all bad or even that they should be divorced from our worship experience. I am simply saying they are secondary to our primary duty in worship which is to worship God as He both deserves and demands. This, in fact, is the chief end of our existence. 

Readings for tomorrow: Psalms 15, 23-25, 47

Holy and Common

Readings for today: Leviticus 8-10

“This is a fixed rule down through the generations. Distinguish between the holy and the common, between the ritually clean and unclean.” (Lev. 10:10)

Today’s reading challenges us. Two young men make a mistake as they go about their fairly new, priestly duties and die as a result. They offer “unauthorized” or “strange” or “profane” fire before the Lord and, as a result, fire breaks out from the Shekinah glory of God and consumes them. It’s a sobering reminder of what happens when the unholy comes into contact with the holy. Reminds me of the experiments we used to conduct in science class in middle and high school where certain elements would immediately burn when coming into contact with water. This is what I imagine happening as I read this passage. The two men come into God’s presence with fire that has not been consecrated and the reaction is deadly. Moses’ explanation says as much, “To the one who comes near me, I will show myself holy; before all the people I will show my glory.” (Lev. 10:3)

The holiness and glory of God is a double-edged sword. On the one hand, it inspires awe and wonder. Reverence and fear. It brings us to our knees in humility. On the other hand, it puts us in danger for we are, by nature, unclean. We are, by nature, unholy. We are, by nature, impure. Entering into God’s presence requires a ritual of consecration so that we can stay safe and not be consumed. It requires great intentionality and attention to detail lest we pay the price for being careless or flippant about our worship. As many of the prophets will later say, “It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the Living God.” God is, by nature, pure. He is, by nature, clean. He is, by nature, holy and though we were originally made to stand without fear in His presence, our sin corrupts us and separates us thus our need for a Savior.

Thankfully, we no longer need to be afraid. God has done what we could not. He has sent His Son to be the pure and spotless sacrifice that makes us clean once and for all. On the cross, Jesus takes all our uncleanliness, all our impurities, all our unholiness on Himself and, in return, gives us His cleanliness, His purity, and His holiness. Now when we can approach God’s throne of grace with confidence. Now we can come into God’s presence without fear. Now we can bask in the glory of God for we have “put on” Christ and are “covered” by Him. Furthermore, we are made a holy priesthood called to intercede for the world just as Aaron and his sons did for the people of Israel. As we come to worship each and every week, may we fix our eyes on Christ and ask the Spirit to continue to do His sanctifying, purifying work in us!

Readings for tomorrow: None

Worship

Readings for today: Leviticus 8-10

I have this vivid memory of sitting in worship when I was a young teenager, goofing off with my best friend during the Lord’s Prayer. An older member of the church turned around and confronted me. She looked me in the eye. She spoke in a calm but firm voice. She was deadly serious. “You are aware, young man, that we are in the presence of Almighty God.” My friend was able to blow her off. I was not. I have no other words to describe what I felt in that moment other than the “fear of the Lord.” For some reason I still cannot comprehend, I received that woman’s rebuke with great seriousness. To this day, whenever I pray the Lord’s Prayer, I find myself returning back to that balcony seat and feel the same fear come over me. To be clear, the fear I feel is not anxiety. It’s holy reverence. It’s awe and wonder. It’s utmost love and respect and devotion for who God is. I wish I could go back and thank that woman for the gift she gave me that day. It was one of those moments that changed the trajectory of my life. 

I thought about that woman when I read about the deaths of Nadab and Abihu today. Worship for the Israelites was a dangerous proposition. Not because God is capricious or reckless or mentally unstable. But because God is holy. Pure. Dwelling eternally in unapproachable light and glory. His presence is a consuming, purifying fire. It separates gold from dross, wheat from chaff, clean from unclean by its very nature. It’s a double-edged sword. Piercing to the deepest recesses of our souls and joints and marrow. Cutting away all that is rotten and septic within us. Every time we invoke His name. Every time we enter His presence. Every time we come before Him in worship, we are literally entering the Most Holy Place. And this is essentially what that older, wiser believer was challenging me on all those years ago. She wanted me to become more aware of the gulf that exists between an unholy people and a holy God. She wanted me to appreciate the character and nature of the God we worship and adore and not act flippantly or casually in His presence.  

The Israelites knew all this, of course. And yet even they could become far too casual about worship. “Now Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, each took his censer and put fire in it and laid incense on it and offered unauthorized fire before the Lord, which he had not commanded them. And fire came out from before the Lord and consumed them, and they died before the Lord. Then Moses said to Aaron, "This is what the Lord has said: 'Among those who are near me I will be sanctified, and before all the people I will be glorified.'" And Aaron held his peace.” (Lev. 10:1-3) I cannot imagine watching my children die in worship. I cannot imagine watching them burn to death before the Lord. I cannot imagine the fear and anger and frustration I would feel. But then again, I have not seen God face to face. I’ve not had to endure His fiery presence. I’ve not felt the fear the Israelites experienced when they approached God in His sanctuary. Christ, thankfully, saves me from His righteous wrath. Christ, thankfully, turns aside the Father’s burning anger and takes it on Himself. Christ, thankfully, satisfies all the demands of God’s justice and because of His shed blood, I am made pure. I am made clean. I am made holy. Aaron and his sons had none of these benefits. They had to tread very carefully in the presence of God. They had to perform their duties with devotion and carefully do all God commanded. 

We do not understand the true nature of our sin. We tend to think of sin in rational terms. Errors in judgment. Honest mistakes. Poor choices. Leviticus uses completely different categories. Sin is impure. Unclean. Unholy. It is rotten. Decaying. Festering. Decomposing. Corruption. In order to really grasp the nature of sin, we have to leave the rational behind and think in Biblical terms. The other day, my children took one of our dogs on a walk. Along the way, he found the corpse of a rabbit that had been dead a while. He naturally grabbed it and my kids were disgusted. How many of us have been hiking in the mountains and have come upon the worm-filled, decomposing corpse of some animal and been similarly repulsed? I think of the clean up work we did in the wake of Hurricane Katrina and the smell of rot and decay we had to put up with as we gutted homes and cleaned out refrigerators. It was nasty work that made us routinely gag. That, friends, is the stench of sin and it’s why sacrifices had to burn continually before the Lord. 

How seriously do you take your worship? How committed are you to gathering with God’s people on the Lord’s Day to bring Him the honor and glory He is due? When you enter into worship, do you come with an awareness that you are entering the presence of Almighty God? Entering into the Holy of Holies in heaven? When you sing the songs, pray the prayers, give your gifts, listen to the Word of God preached, and participate in the Sacraments; do you find yourself filled with reverence and awe at what God has done?