Worship! (?)

The story of the Good Samaritan is an example

Often I wonder what is to worship the Lord! Is it the weekly mass/fellowship that we attend in churches every week? There used to be a time when I attended church religiously. Listening the priest chant hymns of praise, the sermon, time of confession, partaking in the communion was all deemed as the only means of worship. Over time there was a feeling of: Is there something more to worship than chanting of adoration to our Lord.

Looking into the Bible, I could see that the first mention of worship in the bible was by Abraham to his servants, when he had gone up the hill to sacrifice his only son, Isaac unto the Lord( Genesis 22:5). Abraham called the sacrifice of his son, as worship to the Lord. And so, it is clear that worship involves sacrifice – sacrifice of the self and /or sacrifice of whatever is most dear to you. What is more dear to us than our own physical self/body. Romans 12:1-2 urges us to offer our bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is our true and proper worship. How can we offer our bodies to Christ? Isn't it to toil for the Lord. While offering our bodies to the Lord which is created in his likeness, we are called to worship Him in truth and spirit (Hosea 6 :6).

So to say, when we worship at gatherings and churches it essential that the believers who gather together must be one in mind and heart ( Acts 4 :32). Each individual is a part of the body of Christ. This is highlighted in the encounter of Peter with Ananias and Sapphira. The believers were one in spirit with the Lord and the chapter points out that no one was in need. If one part of our body is ailing, how can the rest of the body be at rest. It is the same with the body of our Christ. When our brethren is in need, when they cry out to our Lord, how can our Lord accept our adoration. Our praise and adoration is complete when the Lords heart is at peace. Let me conclude by drawing your attention to Isaiah 58:5,6 where our Lord says:

Is this the kind of fast I have chosen,

    only a day for people to humble themselves?

Is it only for bowing one’s head like a reed

    and for lying in sackcloth and ashes?

Is that what you call a fast,

    a day acceptable to the LORD?

Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen:

to loose the chains of injustice

    and untie the cords of the yoke,

to set the oppressed free

    and break every yoke?

  Is it not to share your food with the hungry

    and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter—

when you see the naked, to clothe them,

    and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood?

  Then your light will break forth like the dawn,

    and your healing will quickly appear;

then your righteousness [a]  will go before you,

    and the glory of the LORD will be your rear guard.

Then you will call, and the LORD will answer;

    you will cry for help, and he will say: Here am I.

If you do away with the yoke of oppression,

    with the pointing finger and malicious talk,

and if you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry

    and satisfy the needs of the oppressed,

then your light will rise in the darkness,

    and your night will become like the noonday.

  The LORD will guide you always.