Word for the day by Christian Education Forum

-
WORSHIP - COMMUNION WITH GOD
Psalms: 50
"The one who offers thanksgiving as his sacrifice glorifies me; to one who orders his way rightly I will show the salvation of God!" (V.23)
Psalms:50 is a prophetic exhortation through a liturgical sermon. Most of the words in this Psalm are framed in the divine first person. It means the prophetic preacher delivers the word of God. God calls the people away from self-centered life to have proper communion with Him. This Psalm addresses two problems in the worshiping community- 1. Misunderstanding about worship & 2 Hypocrisy. Worship is the communion with God. To have a proper relationship with God we need to know who God is. We have to understand ourselves and the world we are living in- in relationship with God.
Right Attitude towards God determines True Communion
V.7 is the reflection of the Shema, "Hear O Israel", in Deuteronomy 6:4, which follows the greatest commandment, "You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your heart." Like the Deuteronomist, the Psalmist calls for the renewal of covenant with God. People does not understand the proper meaning of worship and it leads to the misuse of sacrifices. Many Prophets and Psalmists criticized the attitude of worshipers. Isaiah says, "Bring no more vain offerings."(Isaiah 1:13). Worship and all our offerings to God should be emerged out of our gratitude to God. Worship is not a means of asserting one’s own merit and self-sufficiency. God is self sufficient and needs nothing from us. As the people in diaspora God blessed us with so many gifts and possibilities. We may face a temptation to project our own merit and self sufficiency in the worship and other church activities.
Proper Understanding is necessary for True Worship
If we understand God properly, we get a proper vision about ourselves and about the world we are living in. When we understand God as one and the only creator, we get a true picture of ourselves. God has created us and the universe we are living in. "For every wild animal of the forest is mine, the cattle on a thousand hills."(V.10) When we understand the universe more we become more humbled before God. Albert Einstein says: "The more I study science, the more I believe in God." True understandings about ourselves and our surroundings will enable us for  a true worship.
Prayer: O God the creator! Open our eyes to see your glory in the universe you have created and help us to keep an attitude of gratitude always in our life. Amen.
Thought for the day: "Our knowledge of God is made larger with every discovery we make about the world." (Joseph H. Taylor, Jr., Winner of Nobel Prize in Physics)


Rev. Joe John, St. James MTC, New York

Popular posts from this blog

Word for the day by Christian Education Forum

-
  Constant, patient and welcoming love of God   St. Luke 15: 11-32  V.21: And the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight, and am no longer worthy to be called your son.’ The parable of the ‘Prodigal son’ is one of the most frequently quoted parables that Jesus told His disciples. The parable contains the rich mine of human virtues and emotions. This parable is lived and re-lived in progressing civilizations from time immemorial and continuing. It brings out in vivid detail the pathetic depth of human sinfulness and the glorious heights of God’s forgiveness.      As a story of human nature, fathers are generally merciful to their children in any circumstance. They are very protective and are eager to provide for and secure the lives of their offspring. Jesus is telling this parable to underscore the superlative love of God to His children. The nature of such love is reiterated by Jesus in Matthew 7:11. Humankind wh...
Read more

Word for the day by Christian Education Forum

-
Revelation for Liberation Acts 27:18-26 Sherine Thomas Long Island MTC, NY 20  When neither sun nor stars appeared for many days, and no small tempest raged, all hope of our being saved was at last abandoned. “After winter comes the summer.  After night comes the dawn.  And after every storm, there comes clear open skies” so said a Scottish clergyman from the 1600s. It’s been said, that hope can sometimes be the most dangerous weapon.  However, it’s sometimes the hardest weapon to carry when you’re living with the loss of a loved one, something that almost feels like a terrible nightmare that’ll never go away.  It’s a weapon difficult to carry when day in and day out no one seems to hear or see those tears that are shed or silent cries that are made during a heartfelt prayer. It’s a weapon difficult to carry as you see your loved one lying on that hospital bed.  It’s a weapon difficult to carry as you search and seek out answers to tel...
Read more

Word for the day by Christian Education Forum

-
PRIESTHOOD: THE ANOINTED MINISTRY Exodus 40:12-16 Bring Aaron and his sons to the entrance to the Tent of Meeting... wash them with water. Then dress Aaron in the sacred garments, anoint him and consecrate him so he may serve me as priest (Exodus 40: 12-13). Priesthood among the people of God was a divine command and initiation. God wanted some people to be separated for the special ministry among his people. God appointed Aaron and his descendants to take up this kind of ministry among the people of God. Priests are always separated and appointed as channels that connect God with his people. All throughout the history of Israel, priests played an important role in connecting people with God and to lead and guide them in the statutes of God. But there are incidents in the Bible where the priests failed in their duties and that led the people to go away from God. So the priests have a special and significant ministry to perform in this world among his people. Two important things...
Read more