What is worship? Is worship just something we attend each week because it's a Sunday? Or is worship a sacrifice - offering ourselves and our comfort to God, sacrificing what we want, for Him?And what is a sacrifice? What does sacrificing mean to you? Is it giving up control of the remote when your spouse wants to watch something? Not eating the last piece of pie because you know it's your wife's favorite and you want her to have it? Or is sacrifice something deeper? Something more meaningful?
The governor in our state has declared that the wearing of masks is mandatory in public buildings. Our church elders have determined that that means us and they have decided to obey the governor's mandate. Masks must be worn in church. I struggle with the whole mask thing, quite honestly. It's like someone is taking away one of my freedoms.
Other pastors have determined that government meddling in a worship service is beyond the government's authority and therefore have decided to disobey the governor's mandate. So who's right? Is anybody? Does it matter?
For the Christian, I think, what matters most is God and worshipping Him. If you have to wear a mask, so be it. Worshipping God trumps all. That's not what I felt yesterday however. This conclusion came to me during my morning solo worship.
You see, I stayed home from church yesterday, partly because of the mask wearing requirement, but mostly it was because my heart was not right before God. I am glad to report that it is now.
I sang half a dozen worship songs yesterday morning before driving over to the state park. I had communion (1 Corinthians 11:23-26), and I wrote this story.
The time I spent alone with God allowed me to examine myself and to pray - just me and The Lord. The singing of the worship songs allowed me to hear songs again that had a special meaning to me - and to God I think. The chills I received verified that and were welcome and needed.
Here is the chorus from one of my morning worship songs. It is quite a prayer for today.
Open the blind eyes
Unlock the deaf ears
Come to your people
As we draw near
Hear us from heaven
Touch our generation
We are your people
Crying out in desperation
"But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in Spirit and truth, for also the Father seeks such to worship Him. 24 God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in Spirit and truth.” - John 4:23-24
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