PASSIONATE WORSHIP: A LIVING HALLELUIAH

Sermon Summary 3/24/19, “Passionate Worship: A Living Halleluiah” (Psalm 9:1-2; Psalms 95, 96, 100)

During our Lenten journey we are going looking at practices for individuals and congregations that are essential to fulfill our mission of “Making Disciples of Jesus Christ for the Transformation of the World.”  This week, Passionate Worship. When was it that you had your most impactful worship?

First, a definition of worship: “The creature responding to the Creator”—Evelyn Hill.  She includes all of creation, seen and unseen.  “The heavens are telling the glory of God.” Psalm 19.  The rest of creation responds without thought.  We choose.  We choose to worship God, to respond to him.

Adoration and gratitude are our best responses: I will give thanks to the Lord with my whole heart.  I will tell of all his wonderful deeds.  I will exult and be glad in him.”  Ps 9:1-2.   Psalm 100 adores the creator from the first to last word.  We should have it memorized to bring it often to our lips: “Make a joyful noise to Lord, all the earth.  Worship the Lord with gladness, come into his presence with singing.”

Our liturgy strives to lead you to respond.  We begin with a Call to Worship, today Ps 9:1-2.  We then lift our voices, “Holy, Holy, Holy.. Cherubim and Seraphim falling down before Him.”  He pray to the One that can hear our prayers.  We listen to Scripture read and exhorted and respond in song.  We offer our gifts.  (We do not expound much on offering, but it was the original form of worship: Cain and Abel gave an offering.  Noah responded with an offering.  The whole sacrificial and Temple system was formed around an offering.  When our offering in the plate, it is our response to the Creator.) We then go into the world as a response.

The Psalms were the hymn book of ancient Israel, the “gut” response of a people to a very personal God.  “The Lord is my shepherd.”  Also one who understood our pain: “My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?” And there were congregational songs.  Psalms 95 and 96 were calls to worship.  As we read the Psalms we can see how a people with deep belief worshiped their Creator.

We have a choice. We may worship.  We of all the creatures can respond with gratitude to the Creator. “I will give thanks to the Lord for he is good.  His steadfast love endures forever.” 

And we can gather to worship anywhere, homes, backyards, around the table.  There is a United Methodist church near Austin that calls itself “The Church with No Walls,” moving from place to place to where the people are.  What if we were to show up during the summer months with lawn chairs to worship in the backyard of shut-ins so that they could worship too, so that they could respond too?  What if?

Folks.  All of Creation was made for you.  Be grateful.  Let us respond as creatures to the Creator.  Let us worship him.  Amen.