All in Worship
I love to watch a woman in our neighborhood when she goes for an exercise walk. She does not simply walk. I think I would describe it more as a dance. She does it with great enthusiasm and seemingly little care as to what others observing her might think. Her enjoyment of her activity is quite evident and inspiring.
As I sorted boxes of my children’s artwork, I admired how their childhood imaginations defied rules of perspective and laws of nature. Time has since redirected their imaginations from free-form artwork to the demanding issues of adult problem-solving. However, a quote by Oswald Chamber recently challenged me to rekindle my own child-like imagination:
“Magnum opus”, meaning masterpiece or great work (Merriam Webster), is not a term that comes to my mind frequently. But when Erica Wiggenhorn called the transfiguration of Jesus a “magnum opus” moment in her study of Luke (Unexlainable Jesus, p.108) it caught my eye.
One reason I love our church is singing our praises together each Sunday. Whether we are on key or not, we have the privilege to vocalize our love for Jesus. Some enjoy quiet hymns others fast-moving praise songs. If we are truly showing the Lord how much we love Him, it’s worship!
Wow, Hebrews is intense! I am becoming more and more aware of that since I’ve been sauntering through its pages. I see that even God’s man Moses, at the base of Mount Sinai (12:21) said, “I am trembling with fear”.
For a year and a half my husband and I lived in a remote mining town in northern British Columbia. We loved the changes in the seasons; but when the winter months came to that place, the lack of direct sunlight took us by surprise. The sun never rose above the surrounding mountains. Cabin fever is a well-known syndrome in the far north, high doses of vitamin D the answer.
She listened to Jesus’ words, believed them, and embraced them. It was Mary who later acted in belief of Jesus’ words that He would be killed in Jerusalem and raised to life.
I love the little aside about the sailors. No way did they want to throw Jonah into the turbulent waters. They did their best to row back to land, but the sea grew even wilder than before (1:13).
We once lived in “tornado alley,” the East/West path tornados travel through our state. The first tornado that barreled through our little town left a lasting impression on me. While warning sirens blared, I rushed all four children into the bathtub then squeezed in among them.
My daughter and I used to be angels. Years ago, we participated in our church’s annual Christmas concerts. We were angels with other women and girls, garbed in white gowns and barefooted.
And so, as King Cyrus decreed: everyone whose heart God had moved—prepared to go up and build the house of the LORD in Jerusalem (Ezra 1:5). Under the leadership of Zerubbabel, the building began with the altar so the morning and evening sacrifices could be offered and the sacred feasts celebrated. Next the foundation of the temple was completed with much fanfare. But then the enemy intervened, frustrating the work and eventually bringing it to a standstill (Ezra 3-4) for fifteen plus years.
My summer reading showered me with surprise this year ladies. First, the book of Haggai in our June study. Then I was handed the historical novel by Lynn Austin, Return to Me, (Bethany House 2013). Don’t you just love God’s coincidences!
In one way, all of Scripture is both good and true as well as “profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction and for training in righteousness.” (2 Timothy 3:16)
And, as most of us will testify, these benefits of Scripture have saved, guided and protected us on more than one occasion.
But there are special passages called benedictions that are some of the most powerful and beautiful passages in Scripture.
The Lord’s case against His people comes to a head in Micah 6. In His own words, He has not “burdened” them (6:3). Rather He has “redeemed” them from slavery and sent able leaders in Moses, Aaron, and Miriam (6:4). And so Micah proceeds to clarify that worship of the exalted God is really not a matter of burnt offerings or sacrifice of a firstborn (6:6-7) as was the pagan custom.
A five-year old’s aunt visited for the week end and attended church with the family. When the pastor came up to the podium to give his sermon, the little boy leaned over to his aunt and exclaimed, “Pastor Duane always reminds me that God is magical.”
It’s the beginning of December ladies, and the carols are ringing out loud and clear. “Joy to the World” keeps running through my head:
“Joy to the world! The Lord is come;
Let earth receive her King!”
Joshua and the Israelites were marching into the Promised Land and were, therefore, engaged in battle against the Canaanites. Repeatedly, they witnessed God’s power working on their behalf as they defeated their enemies in the south. Their enemies in the north were yet to be defeated. But instead of marching northward, Joshua led the Israelites back to Gilgal.
The long-awaited day finally arrived. The Magi beheld the Christ-child. They bowed. They worshiped. They presented their gifts.
We continue our look at the Magi’s journey to worship the newborn king. “Worship” (derived from the Old English word “weorth”) means to attribute worth to something. The Magi were on a journey to attribute worth to Jesus. Would you say that is your life pursuit—to attribute worth to Jesus?
