Tanakh portion for 29 October 2005
Worship
In the year of King ‘Uziyahu’s death, I saw Adonai sitting on a high, lofty throne! The hem of his robe filled the temple. S’rafim stood over him, each with six wings---two for covering his face, to for covering his feet and two for flying. They were crying out to each other,
“More holy than the holiest holiness is Adonai-Tzva’ot! The whole
earth is filled with his glory.”
The doorposts shook at the sound of their shouting, and the house was filled with smoke, then I said,
“Woe to me! I too am doomed!---because I a man with unclean lips,
living among a people with unclean lips, have seen with my own
eyes, the King, Adonai-Tzva’ot!”
One of the S’rafim flew to me with a glowing coal in his hand, which he had taken with tongs from the alter. He touched my mouth with it and said,
“Here this has touched your lips. Your iniquity is gone,
your sin is atoned for.”
Yesha’yahu (Isaiah) 6:1-7 Complete Jewish Bible
As I read this passage and contemplate it, I think of much of the music which has been based on this passage, and the common denominator in all of this music is worship. We see in this passage the worship of the Seraphim, declaring the holiness of God. They are shouting and crying out to each other and worshipping.
What is worship? Today’s church seems confused as to what worship is. Many churches have changed the name of their music or choir director to minister of worship as if the worship is entirely centred in song (Usually at the very beginning of the church service)as if singing were the only way to worship God. It seems that this type of worship is aimed at making us feel good.
Let us face the challenge then to look at worship in a different light. Marva Dawn, whom I have heard quoted (Thanks Jerry), states that worship should be “a royal waste of time,” instead of something aimed at meeting our needs. What she is saying is that worship is not about us, but about God. The therapeutic paradigm of the church is not the one Yeshua had in mind. The church is to be built up in order to grow, to evangelise, to heal, but most important of all to worship. All these other items have the goal of worship. In other words, worship is about a relationship, about love, a love which truly puts God above all others. This is why it is a crime to relegate worship to the first fifteen minutes of the services. When the body of Christ gets together to pray, the whole thing should be worship. Our attitude towards worshipping God, should be something like my cat’s attitude towards me. When I am in the house he is always close to me. If I am sitting where he can get in my lap, that is where he will be whether I am awake or asleep. When my wife isn’t home he sleeps next to (or in winter on) the bed. In other words, he cannot get enough of me.
This too should be our relationship to God. How much do we love God. When we are gathered together as the church, our goal should be worship. How much do we love him? Do we love him enough to confess our faults to him? This is worship. Do we love him enough to listen to the Bible readings to hear his instructions for us? This too is worship. When we receive the holy communion, this too is worship, in other words all of our liturgy is worship, it is loving Jesus more than ourselves or our circumstances. It is remembering that he is king, and allowing him to be King of our lives.
There are things we can do to help this truly happen. First, we must truly accept Jesus as Lord and Saviour. Too many Christians desire a Saviour, but not a Lord. Too many do not hear his voice because they (we) do not apply his written Lord. Worship begins in a relationship, acknowledging the Lordship of King Jesus. The vestments worn in Benim Avra’am reflect the clothing worn in the Imperial Court of Constantinople. The clergy wear these vestments to show that they are courtiers of the great king, and that we are joined together to do him homage and worship him.
Secondly, we must know his word. True, over the course of several years, you will hear all the Bible read in our congregation, but this does not compare with reading and studying the word. The Bible is both God’s love letter to us, and our operator’s manual. If you truly know the word of God, then the readings in the church will make more sense. You will be able to place it in context, and the Holy Spirit will bring it to life within you. Knowing the Bible, will allow you to worship more and strengthen your relationship with the Lord.
Thirdly, be Holy as the Lord is Holy. As we work with God to allow us to transform ourselves into the image of Jesus, the more we can truly worship him. Holiness is both a goal and a means to the end.
Fourth, worship the Lord during the week with your family, daily at least, and during the day on your own and with others. Begin and end each day with worship. Try worshipping on your knees, worship prostrate, worship in you car. Praise and thank the Lord for all his blessings as he gives them to you. Invoke his name at the beginning of every activity. As a certain Nigerian preacher once said, develop the activity of Thanksliving. Dance as you praise the Lord, clap, bow (my favourite), truly worship him with body, mind and voice, at home and at church.
Fifth, participate fully in all. If you do all in God’s fullness you will truly enter worship. The Eucharistic service is balanced between word, sacrament, prayer, confession to allow us to fully worship.
Sixthly, receive the communion in a worthy manner. You are taking the body of Christ, you are drinking his blood. No one is worthy of this great honour, but the Lord condescends to be manifest to us in the form of bread and wine. The power, which created the universe, is given to us unworthy sinners to give us power to conquer sin and death. Do we rush forward to accept the communion? Nay rather let us draw near in fear and trembling and fall down and worship the Lord.
When we truly learn to worship in all we do and say (that is with all our heart, mind and strength), then we shall draw near to him and will experience the worship of the S’rafim and the K’ruvim, of Thrones, Dominions and Powers, of Angels and Archangels, and we will learn to love our neighbour as ourselves.
Shalom and blessings in the Name of Yeshua
+Mar Michael Abportus
mjthan@quik.com
In the year of King ‘Uziyahu’s death, I saw Adonai sitting on a high, lofty throne! The hem of his robe filled the temple. S’rafim stood over him, each with six wings---two for covering his face, to for covering his feet and two for flying. They were crying out to each other,
“More holy than the holiest holiness is Adonai-Tzva’ot! The whole
earth is filled with his glory.”
The doorposts shook at the sound of their shouting, and the house was filled with smoke, then I said,
“Woe to me! I too am doomed!---because I a man with unclean lips,
living among a people with unclean lips, have seen with my own
eyes, the King, Adonai-Tzva’ot!”
One of the S’rafim flew to me with a glowing coal in his hand, which he had taken with tongs from the alter. He touched my mouth with it and said,
“Here this has touched your lips. Your iniquity is gone,
your sin is atoned for.”
Yesha’yahu (Isaiah) 6:1-7 Complete Jewish Bible
As I read this passage and contemplate it, I think of much of the music which has been based on this passage, and the common denominator in all of this music is worship. We see in this passage the worship of the Seraphim, declaring the holiness of God. They are shouting and crying out to each other and worshipping.
What is worship? Today’s church seems confused as to what worship is. Many churches have changed the name of their music or choir director to minister of worship as if the worship is entirely centred in song (Usually at the very beginning of the church service)as if singing were the only way to worship God. It seems that this type of worship is aimed at making us feel good.
Let us face the challenge then to look at worship in a different light. Marva Dawn, whom I have heard quoted (Thanks Jerry), states that worship should be “a royal waste of time,” instead of something aimed at meeting our needs. What she is saying is that worship is not about us, but about God. The therapeutic paradigm of the church is not the one Yeshua had in mind. The church is to be built up in order to grow, to evangelise, to heal, but most important of all to worship. All these other items have the goal of worship. In other words, worship is about a relationship, about love, a love which truly puts God above all others. This is why it is a crime to relegate worship to the first fifteen minutes of the services. When the body of Christ gets together to pray, the whole thing should be worship. Our attitude towards worshipping God, should be something like my cat’s attitude towards me. When I am in the house he is always close to me. If I am sitting where he can get in my lap, that is where he will be whether I am awake or asleep. When my wife isn’t home he sleeps next to (or in winter on) the bed. In other words, he cannot get enough of me.
This too should be our relationship to God. How much do we love God. When we are gathered together as the church, our goal should be worship. How much do we love him? Do we love him enough to confess our faults to him? This is worship. Do we love him enough to listen to the Bible readings to hear his instructions for us? This too is worship. When we receive the holy communion, this too is worship, in other words all of our liturgy is worship, it is loving Jesus more than ourselves or our circumstances. It is remembering that he is king, and allowing him to be King of our lives.
There are things we can do to help this truly happen. First, we must truly accept Jesus as Lord and Saviour. Too many Christians desire a Saviour, but not a Lord. Too many do not hear his voice because they (we) do not apply his written Lord. Worship begins in a relationship, acknowledging the Lordship of King Jesus. The vestments worn in Benim Avra’am reflect the clothing worn in the Imperial Court of Constantinople. The clergy wear these vestments to show that they are courtiers of the great king, and that we are joined together to do him homage and worship him.
Secondly, we must know his word. True, over the course of several years, you will hear all the Bible read in our congregation, but this does not compare with reading and studying the word. The Bible is both God’s love letter to us, and our operator’s manual. If you truly know the word of God, then the readings in the church will make more sense. You will be able to place it in context, and the Holy Spirit will bring it to life within you. Knowing the Bible, will allow you to worship more and strengthen your relationship with the Lord.
Thirdly, be Holy as the Lord is Holy. As we work with God to allow us to transform ourselves into the image of Jesus, the more we can truly worship him. Holiness is both a goal and a means to the end.
Fourth, worship the Lord during the week with your family, daily at least, and during the day on your own and with others. Begin and end each day with worship. Try worshipping on your knees, worship prostrate, worship in you car. Praise and thank the Lord for all his blessings as he gives them to you. Invoke his name at the beginning of every activity. As a certain Nigerian preacher once said, develop the activity of Thanksliving. Dance as you praise the Lord, clap, bow (my favourite), truly worship him with body, mind and voice, at home and at church.
Fifth, participate fully in all. If you do all in God’s fullness you will truly enter worship. The Eucharistic service is balanced between word, sacrament, prayer, confession to allow us to fully worship.
Sixthly, receive the communion in a worthy manner. You are taking the body of Christ, you are drinking his blood. No one is worthy of this great honour, but the Lord condescends to be manifest to us in the form of bread and wine. The power, which created the universe, is given to us unworthy sinners to give us power to conquer sin and death. Do we rush forward to accept the communion? Nay rather let us draw near in fear and trembling and fall down and worship the Lord.
When we truly learn to worship in all we do and say (that is with all our heart, mind and strength), then we shall draw near to him and will experience the worship of the S’rafim and the K’ruvim, of Thrones, Dominions and Powers, of Angels and Archangels, and we will learn to love our neighbour as ourselves.
Shalom and blessings in the Name of Yeshua
+Mar Michael Abportus
mjthan@quik.com
posted by The Synod of Saint Timothy at 23:24
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