Palm Sunday provides a great opportunity to ask the question, "What is Worship?"
On Palm Sunday it is easy to get caught up in the excitment and the drama of worship. Everyone is waving palm branches and shouting, "Hosanna!" In the midst of the excited crowd, it was easy to cheer and worship this king who came into town riding on a donkey. Even now, centuries later, we still get excited about waving Palm fronds and shouting "Hosanna!"
Worship certainly is celebration. But, as we worship God, we realize that there is much more than simply celebration. We see as the rest of Holy Week unfolds, that worship also involves listening, following and upholding God's word (think of Jesus' acts in the Temple). Worship also means serving others (Jesus washed the disciple's feet). Worship means spending time in prayer and keeping watch over friends who are in trouble (Garden of Gethsemane). Worship meanss that we, like the "beloved disciple" need to stay close to Jesus when everything else seems to be going wrong.
Worship is celebration for all that God has done, but worship is so much more. True worship happens through the way we live our lives.
How can we be more intentional about living and worshiping in God's presence this week?
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2 comments:
I sometimes think that we confuse the corporate discipline of worship with the individual discipline of meditation. Eastern religions, new-age mysicism, and self-help secularism creep into (and between)our relationship with God.
Do we honor the Lord of the Dance by sitting on our hands staring at the floor and thinking deep thoughts? Do we respect the Lord of the Sabbath when we make His day a day of glum demeanors? Do we see the cross in church and fail to notice that it is empty? Is the bride sad when she takes the bridegroom's hand?
HOSANNA I say, HOSANNA!
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