Views From The Pews – Proper 17 – Pentecost 15 – Sunday, September 1, 2024

Brothers & Sisters,

I want to worship the Lord
With all of my heart,
Give him my all
And not just a part;

Lift up my hands to the King of kings.
Praise him in everything.

Today, my focus will be on worship, and the text I commend for your reflection is Psalm 95:1-7, a glorious invitation to worship that is recited daily by millions of Anglicans around the world who say the office of Morning Prayer.

We must be troubled that so much that passes for worship in our churches today lack the authenticity, the vibrancy, the reverence and the joy that should characterize true worship.  We therefore fail to experience the transforming power of worship, and sense the absence among us of a genuine longing for God.  Dressing up the worship with certain cosmetic changes may help to make some of us a little happier, but there are certain fundamental requirements that we cannot afford to ignore that would radically change the way we worship. 

Let me share with you two things at this point that I consider to be absolutely essential.  I start with the ‘knowledge of God’.  This is what salvation is all about, and it is humanity’s greatest reason to glory.  We need to know the One whom we worship, for knowing God is a relationship that will thrill the human soul.  Those who know God have great thoughts about God.  Next we need to be filled with the Spirit, for this enables us to “sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs among ourselves….making melody to the Lord in our hearts” (Ephesians 5:17-18).   Blessed with this knowledge of God and filled with God’s Spirit, our approach could well be expressed in the chorus:

Here I am to worship, here I am to bow down

Here I am to say that You’re my God

You’re altogether lovely, altogether worthy

Altogether wonderful to me.

My prayer is, may we all experience true joy in our worship always.

Contributed!