Worshiping Together
We’ve reached the final week of our Lenten study using Rick Warren’s book “40 Days of Community: What on Earth are We Here for?” as our primary resource to remind us of all the ways we are better together. The title of the final chapter is “worshiping together” and the main emphasis includes giving. Giving refers to our stewardship of our time, our talents, our gifts and our witness. Warren uses the example of Rehoboam to demonstrate the importance of turning our hearts toward God as we prepare to worship.
The sabbath is the day set aside each week for corporate worship and rest (Leviticus 23:3). It is a special day in which we “join together with one voice, giving praise and glory to God” (Romans 15:5-6). As we enter the sanctuary, our focus is directed toward the presence and power of God. As we pray, we focus upon the Will and the Word of God for our lives both individually and corporately. As the ecclesia, the gathered body of believers, we express our gratitude for the grace of God. We also give our gifts and we dedicate our talents to God as we remember that everything comes from God—we are able to give to God only because God has provided for us (1 Chronicles 29:14b).
Because of the generosity of God, we are inspired and compelled to give to others. Our willingness to give is first modeled by God. The word philanthropy is derived from two Greek words philos (meaning love) and anthropos (meaning humanity). “God so loved the world that he gave…..” (John 3:16). To learn to give and to learn to live selflessly can be quite challenging in a culture that measures value by the accumulation of things. However, as we learn through corporate worship to direct our praise to the source and not the object, we are able to express God’s love for the world.
The final Sunday of our Lenten study is also Palm Sunday—the day we celebrate the triumphal entry of Jesus into Jerusalem. Almost everyone was overjoyed to witness the arrival of Jesus, but some were joyful because they were expecting an outcome that was focused upon retaliation and selfish exaltation. Jesus demonstrated a depth of love that was characterized by humility and service. His love was expressed by the willingness to lift the lowly and to establish peace through justice (Micah 6:8).
As the end of the season of Lent draws even closer, we pray that during these 40 days, we have become closer to God and more attentive to the needs of our neighbors (Psalm 86:11-12). May our community of faith, our ecclesia, reflect the love that God reveals daily. Each day, may we “take hold of the life that is truly life” (1 Timothy 6:19). We are looking forward to seeing you in worship Sunday morning. Invite someone and bring someone as we shout glad hosannas as we come into the presence of Christ!
In Christ,
Jon McCoy
