| SEPTEMBER 1, 2025 -- Almighty God, to you all hearts are open, all desires are known, and no secrets are hid. Cleanse the thoughts of our hearts by the inspiration of thy Holy Spirit. Episcopal Book of Common Prayer
O worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness: tremble before him, all the earth. Psalm 96
O humanity! Worship your Lord, Who created you and those before you, so that you may become mindful ‘of Him’. Qu’ran
Worship is a central theme in the Bible. It is the connection between God and his followers. True worship involves honoring and adoring God with our whole heart, mind, and soul. The Bible also warns against two kinds of false worship: worshiping that which is not True God, such as idols and other animate or inanimate objects; and pretending worship by outward acts and ceremonies without true devotion within our hearts.
The prophet Isaiah warns us about pretend worship or empty worship when he says: “Do not go on bringing your worthless offerings. Incense is an abomination to me. New moon and Sabbath, the proclamation of an assembly—I cannot endure wrongdoing and the festive assembly.” And the prophet Amos proclaims God’s hatred of empty worship in these words: “I hate, I despise your feasts, and I take no delight in your solemn assemblies. Even though you offer me your burnt offerings and grain offerings, I will not accept them; and the peace offerings of your fattened animals, I will not look upon them. Take away from me the noise of your songs; to the melody of your harps I will not listen. But let justice roll down like waters, and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream.
The prophets are not saying that having singing and music during a public worship service is wrong; rather the point is that such should be in response to true worship and desire to love God and do what He commands. Indeed, elsewhere in the Psalms we are told to “Make a joyful noise before the Lord”, and in Psalm 68 “Sing to God, sing praises in His Name.” In the Gospel of John we read: But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshippers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father seeks such as these to worship him. So, remember the true purpose of worship, and the outward form of worship is then up to you. |
