4 minute devotion: What is Worship? - Acts 24:11

Acts 24:11 You can easily verify that no more than twelve days ago I went up to Jerusalem to worship. 

When I think about the Apostle Paul, it tends to be that I see him more as a preacher and teacher rather than a worshipper. Here, however, in this passage, we read of Paul’s intent to worship at Jerusalem, as opposed to stirring up the people with his powerful messages and dynamic messages. He takes and makes time from his busy schedule to honor God with what used to be called ‘divine worship.’

These days, we talk about contemporary worship, traditional worship, or even blended worship, but all worship is meant to be focused on God and rendered to Him. To make it divine, the Reformers removed all kinds of ornaments, statues and stained glass windows from their sanctuaries and left the churches almost entirely bare. Even the Communion Table was set to the side or put at the back of the church. Only when the Lord’s Supper was actually being celebrated, did the table come out into its central position.

I think we should restore the concept of ‘divine worship,’ because it would make us all realize how important it is to be in God’s House on Sundays and offer Him our best songs, praise, and devotion. For far too long, we’ve been taken God for granted and rate worship as an extra-curricular faith activity or spiritual pursuit on the same level that we treat a football game or one of our favorite television shows.

If we reinstated the aspect of ‘divine worship’ to our thinking, we would soon realize that this is not only something different, holy, and sacred; it is also something that is infinitely important to connecting ourselves eternally to God. At worship, both the human and the Divine are meant to encounter each other. If we take worship for granted, it will neither be meaningful or spiritually substantial to us; however if we treat it as divine, it will become precious and purposeful in our lives.

Prayer:                        Lord Jesus, each Sunday You invite and call us to divinely worship our Creator, so that our lives may be guided by Your Holy words, our spirits enthused by Your Presence, and our lives changed by Your ways. Help us to keep worship as a focus of our lives and a sacred means of being connected to you forever. In Your Holy Name, we pray. Amen.

John Stuart is the past or Erin Presbyterian church in Knoxville, Tennessee. If you would like to offer feedback on this message, please send him an email to pastor@erinpresbyterian.org.

Today’s image is one of John’s latest patriotic drawings. It’s called “As American As…” and features apple pie and baseball…J. If you would like to see a bigger version of this print, please go to the following link: http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4125/4975521640_1331ec5a8d_b.jpg