Pastor Wells' Sunday Sermon
Based on Psalm 27
A frequent greeting that Americans use after the initial “hi” or “hello” is “How are you?” or “How is your day going?” You may find your day goes in a whirl, and it taxes you by evening to even think back to all the things you did that morning. Some days just go unnoticed.
Dorothy Bass, a historian of American religion, wrote about a mother she knew who, “has a different way of asking the same question. As she tucks her children into bed each night ... she asks them a question: ‘Where did you meet God today?’ And they tell her, one by one: a teacher helped me, there was a homeless person in the park, I saw a tree with lots of flowers in it. She tells them where she met God, too. Before the children drop off to sleep, the stuff of this day has become the substance of their prayer.
Where did you meet God today?”
Recognizing the presence of God in our life is very important! Our Confirmands have to seriously consider this as they write their Personal Statements of Belief. Within those statements is a Memory Verse, the explanation of why the verse is important, and how that Memory Verse relates to a personal experience of the presence of God. Do you ask yourself each day, “Where did I meet God today?”
Why are you here in this Worship Celebration? Do you come recognizing God is present? We are CALLED to be here to Worship our Creator God as the Psalmist reminds us with the words, “When You said, ‘Come Worship Me,’ I answered, ‘I will come LORD.’” Pleading for God to be present in Worship the Psalmist wrote, “Don’t hide Yourself from me!” Jesus promised that whenever two or three are gathered together in his name, he is with us! God is present in this room today, and it is crucial that you and I open ourselves to God’s presence and recognize this truth.
As we focus on Worship in this Five Part Sermon Series, it is critical for us to remember –
Unfortunately, it is all too tempting to not recognize God’s presence and role in Worship and instead focus on our own likes and dislikes. You might say we take the “consumer” approach to worship.
- God calls us to Worship God.
- God is with us when we Worship God.
- Worship’s focus is on God and not our personal wants and desires.
- Worship is about GIVING – not getting.
Mark Adams described “consumer worshipers” in this way: “They focus on sitting back with arms folded and saying to those leading worship, ‘Wow me. Do something that will grab my attention and catch my interest.’ They assume worship to be like watching a movie ... it’s something they critique afterwards. They come to worship each week to be entertained and tend to view worship as something done TO them or FOR them, rather than BY them. George Barna says that his research in this area has shown that unfortunately MOST Americans expect worship to satisfy or please them, not to honor or please God. He writes, ‘Amazingly, few worship - service regulars argue that worship is something they do primarily for God. A substantially larger percentage of attenders claim that attending worship services is something they do for personal benefit and pleasure.’”
Adams continues, “People who look at worship this way have it all backwards. It is not for us. It is for God. He is the audience ... not us. The word worship literally means, worth-ship which means that we worship that which is worthy. And the Bible of course teaches that ONLY God is worthy of our worship. As it says in Revelation 4:11, ‘You are worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power.’” Adams concluded, “So when we worship God, we are declaring HIS worth ... not our own ... which is what we do when we selfishly demand our own worship style.”
The Psalmist reminds us the nature of our relationship with God is one of needing God to guide us – to be our “light”, to protect us, and to save us. These words were also expressed through the Chancel Choir’s Anthem and through our Special Hymn. In the words of the Psalmist, “The Lord is my light and my salvation; I will fear no one. The Lord protects me from all danger; I will never be afraid. … I know that I will live to see the Lord’s goodness in this present life. Trust in the Lord. Have faith, do not despair. Trust in the Lord.”
When we come together for Worship, we need to come trusting in the truth of those words from the Psalmist. When we Worship God, we rejoice and praise, give thanks, and recommit ourselves to God. Frankly, the purpose of Worship is not to fulfill my spiritual needs or your spiritual needs. Worship’s purpose is to adore and show reverence to God. If we come to Worship trusting and having faith in God as our “light,” Savior, and Protector – the Fulfiller of our Spiritual Needs, then our strong focus on Worshipping God will result in the renewed awareness of God fulfilling our needs for light, salvation, and protection. That renewed awareness comforts us and gives us hope – we are spiritually blessed.
Unfortunately, the consumerization of Worship, which changes it from focusing on God to making us feel better or happy, leads to additional societal misperceptions. Russell Brownworth dealt with this subject explaining that a multitude of times people have said, “‘Preacher, you don’t have to go to church to worship.’”
Brownworth continued, “Now, I would say that that is true; I am also certain that if you say you believe that, you really need to say the whole sentence, which is: ‘You don’t have to go to church to worship, but if you don’t you probably won’t.’”
Brownworth pointed out, “… golf is my major hobby (if you can call something you do twice a year a bone-fide hobby).” “I will tell you this, I cannot recall the last time I recited the Lord’s Prayer or the Shorter Westminster catechism before the first tee.”
Brownworth concluded, “I have prayed to make a good shot; at least to not embarrass myself in front of a good golfer - but mostly I am not worshipping! I am thinking about back-swing, follow-through and putting. I have never sung a hymn of praise to Jesus on the golf course, and I know the only offering I ever gave was required - they called it ‘greens fees’ - and they didn’t use it for missions!”
Coming together to Worship God – our Light, our Protector, our Savior – because we trust God and have faith in God’s love, promises, and trustworthiness results in our being called to live as people, who actually trust and have faith in God fulfilling our Spiritual Needs and the meaning and purpose of our lives! As a result, we desire to frequently Worship God, as well as, go about our calling to share God’s love and invitation to Worship God with all people. The Psalmist expressed this truth in these words, “I have asked the Lord for one thing; one thing only do I want: to live in the Lord’s house all my life, to marvel there at his goodness, and to ask for his guidance. In times of trouble he will shelter me; he will keep me safe in his Temple and make me secure on a high rock. So I will triumph over my enemies around me. With shouts of joy I will offer sacrifices in his Temple; I will sing, I will praise the Lord.”
The Danish theologian Søren Kierkegaard told a parable of “a community of ducks waddling off to duck church to hear the duck preacher. The duck preacher spoke eloquently of how God had given the ducks wings with which to fly. With these wings there was nowhere the ducks could not go. With those wings they could soar. Shouts of ‘Amen!’ were quacked throughout the duck congregation. At the conclusion of the service, the ducks left commenting on the message and waddled back home. They never flew.”
The ducks heard, but unfortunately all too often, like the ducks, we just don’t get it! Instead of soaring, we simply waddle through life with all our doubts, worries, fears, and anxieties.
Come each Sunday to Worship God because you trust and have faith in God as your Light, your Savior, and your Protector! Expect, be open to, and recognize that God is with us in our Worship! Expect, be open to, and recognize God’s Light, Salvation, and Protection.
Worship God with eagerness,
celebrate with enthusiasm God’s wonderful deeds of love,
and go forth with joy committed to sharing God’s love and invitation!
God extends the invitation to Worship God to each of us. Join the Psalmist in saying, “‘I will come, Lord.’ Don’t hide Yourself from me!” Amen.
