In Spirit And In Truth

 

'For God is Spirit, so those who worship Him must worship in spirit and in truth.' John 4:24 (NLT)

In the conversation between Jesus and the Samaritan woman at Jacob's well, the woman commented on the various forms and places of worship practiced by the Jews and the Samaritans, each claiming to be more superior than the other. The Jews worship at the their temple at Jerusalem and insisted that Jerusalem is the only place of worship. The Samaritans worship at their temple on Mount Gerizim which they regard as the holiest place on earth.

However, Jesus dismissed the comparison of forms, rituals, places and styles of worship by simply stating,

'Believe me, dear woman, the time is coming when it will no longer matter whether you worship the Father on this mountain or in Jerusalem.' John 4:21 (NLT)

He then went on to say,

'The time is coming - indeed it is here now - when true worshippers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth.' John 4:22

If we are to worship God we need to understand what it means to worship in spirit and in truth. 

• Worship in Spirit. Worship is an experience of the heart, it must originate from within, from our spirit. Worship must be sincere, motivated by our love for God and gratitude for all He is and has done. Jesus said 

 'These people honor me with their lips but their hearts are far from me;in vain do they worship me.' Matthew 15:8-9a

Worship is not a mechanical ritual or a formality that takes place for an hour at the end of a hectic week - but an experience from deep within the spirit; deep within the heart.

• Worship in Truth. Worship must be based on the truth of all that we know of our Triune God. Jesus was quick to direct the Samaritan woman's attention from the 'where' and 'how' to worship to the 'whom' to worship. It must never be thoughtless but grounded on knowledge of who God is and what He has done for us.

Worship is facilitated by God's Word, in that we can meditate on God's Word when we worship. We allow the truth of God's Word to influence, fill us during worship.

• Worship in Spirit and Truth Simultaneously. Worship must have heart and worship must have head - that is to say, worship must engage your spirit and your thoughts at the same time. We do not worship in spirit as one setting and in truth in another setting, we engage the both simultaneously. Our minds and will as well as our emotions have to be moved. 

Psalms 95 aptly describes what it means to worship in spirit and in truth; worshipping with our spirit and vitality:-

'Come, let us sing to the Lord! Let us shout joyfully to the Rock of our Salvation. Let us come to Him with thanksgiving. Let us sing psalms of praise to him.' Psalms 95:1-2 (NLT)  

and with our minds and wills:-

'Come let us worship and bow down. Let us kneel before the Lord our maker, for He is our God. We are the people He watches over, the flock under His care. Psalm 95:6-7 (NLT)

The word 'worship' is derived from an old English word weorþscipe, which means 'worth-ship' or 'worthiness.' 

Thus, worship is giving value to something, to honour someone or something. Real worship of God means we ascribe to Him ultimate value, holding our God in the highest regard.

'For the Lord is a great God, a great King above all gods. He holds in His hands the depths of the earth and the mightiest mountains.' Psalm 95:3-4 (NLT)

The hymn 'O Worship The King' clearly and rightfully points to God's greatness and majesty, leading us to worship God and give him ultimate glory.

O worship the King all glorious above,
and gratefully sing his power and his love:
our shield and defender, the Ancient of Days,
pavilioned in splendour and girded with praise.

O tell of his might and sing of his grace,
whose robe is the light, whose canopy space;
his chariots of wrath the deep thunder-clouds form,
and dark is his path on the wings of the storm.

The earth, with its store of wonders untold,
Almighty, your power has founded of old;
established it fast, by a changeless decree,
and round it has cast, like a mantle, the sea.

Your bountiful care, what tongue can recite?
It breathes in the air, it shines in the light;
it streams from the hills, it descends to the plain,
and sweetly distils in the dew and the rain.

We children of dust are feeble and frail -
in you do we trust, for you never fail;
your mercies, how tender, how firm to the end!
our maker, defender, redeemer, and friend.

O measureless Might, unchangeable Love,
whom angels delight to worship above!
Your ransomed creation, with glory ablaze,

In true adoration shall sing to your praise!

Lionel

Teach Me To Worship You

'Therefore I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God's mercy to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God - this is your true and proper worship' Romans 12:1
 

'Teach Me To Worship You' was composed by Quek Li Huan, a Singaporean and the Music Minister at St John’s - St Margaret’s Anglican Church. A comment in the Blog - Voyages of the Pilgrim read, 'This song never fails to encourage me. I pray that you too will come to know the joy of coming before God in simple worship. No complicated chords, no mind-blowing revelations. Just the simplicity of wanting to walk deeper into His arms.' 

Teach me to worship You

Teach me to adore You
I want to love You with my whole being

To learn to praise Your name
Each day to do the same
Teach me O Lord the way
To worship You

I want to worship You
I want to adore You
I want to love You with my whole being

To forsake my sinful ways
To look upon Your face
And understand Your grace
O Lord my God

What does it mean to love God with your whole being? This song clearly defines worship which is the act of ascribing ultimate value in God in a way that it synergises and engages your whole person, your whole being. It involves our mind, our emotion and our will, our entire being, our everything.

There is another song in the Bible that describes worship as involving our entire being, Psalms 95

• Our Emotions. 'Come let us sing for joy to the Lord; let us shout aloud to the Rock of our salvation. Let us come before Him with thanksgiving and extol Him with music and song' Psalms 95:1-2

• Our Minds. 'Come let us bow down in worship, let us kneel before the Lord our maker, for He is our God and we are the people of His pasture, the flock of His care.' Psalms 95:6-7

• Our Wills. Today if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts as you did in Meribah, as you did that day at Massah in the wilderness.' Psalms 95:7b-8 

There are two expressions or forms of worship, the corporate and the personal acts of worship.

The Corporate Worship is usually exhibited in congregational worship in which worshippers praise God with singing and prayer usually following a ritual or liturgy in a church, hall or at home. Liturgy is a set of words, music and actions (usually in structured format), used in religious ceremonies. These church worship expressions help to reassure and strengthen our faiths in God , deepen our bonds with each other and provide us with a sense of purpose and mission. The writer to the Hebrews advocates and encourages such meetings where we vocalise our worship and praise God together

'Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise - the fruit of lips that openly profess His name.' Hebrews 13:15 

This regular congregational worship should then result in communal sharing and ministry to one another within and without the church, thereby pleasing God.

'And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased.' Hebrews 13:16  

The corporate worship service should be centred on the Holy Trinity. We worship the God the Father who calls us to be His people by sending His Son, Jesus Christ as our redeemer and giving us the Holy Spirit as our counsellor.  

The second form, Personal Worship, is usually done individually and privately. Personal worship is to spend time with God on a regular basis. It involves the Holy Scriptures and Prayer. Henri Nouwen wrote (Ref 1), 'The word of God should lead us first of all to contemplation and meditation. Instead of taking the words apart, we should bring them together in our innermost being;...  we should be willing to let them penetrate into the hidden corners of the heart. Secondly we need quiet time in the presence of God, this is when we pray, sometimes silently.' Henri Nouwen wrote, 'Being silent in the presence of our God belongs to the core of all prayer. In the beginning we often hear our own unruly inner noises more loudly than God's voice. But surely, very slowly, we discover that the silent time makes us quiet and deepens our awareness of ourselves and God.

The Christian who can worship God with such wholeheartedness, is a Christian who has a right understanding of God's nature and right value of God's worth. This is what is meant by worshipping God with all of our being. 

John Piper surmised (Ref 2), "The inner essence of worship is to know God truly and then respond from the heart to that knowledge by valuing God, treasuring God, prizing God, enjoying God, being satisfied with God above all earthly things. And then that deep, restful, joyful satisfaction in God overflows in demonstrable acts of praise from the lips and demonstrable acts of love in serving others for the sake of Christ."

It is often useful to begin worship with an Invocation prayer. The Invocation is a prayer for the blessing of God. The liturgy of the traditional Methodist worship service starts with an invocation hymn. This hymn, attributed to Charles Wesley, 'Come Thou Almighty King' helps  invoke in each one of us an awareness of the presence of the Triune God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. 

Come, Thou Almighty King, help us Thy name to sing.

Help us to praise:

Father!  All glorious, O’er all victorious

Come and Reign over us, Ancient of Days.

Come, Thou Incarnate Word, gird on Thy mighty sword

Our prayers attend!

Come and Thy people bless and give Thy word success

Spirit of holiness, on us descend.

Come Holy Comforter, Thy sacred witness bear

In this glad hour!

Thou, who almighty art, now rule in ev’ry heart

And ne’er from us depart, Spirit of Pow’r.

To Thee, great One in Three, eternal praises be

Hence ever more:

Thy sov’reign majesty may we in glory see

And to eternity, love and adore.

Lionel

Ref 1: Henri Nouwen. Reaching Out - The Three Movements of the Spiritual Life. Chapter 8, The Prayer of the Heart. Image Books Doubleday, 1986

Ref 2: John Piper What is Worship? April 2016 Desiring God Interviews

https://www.desiringgod.org/interviews/what-is-worship

From Ritual to Relationship

Awe and Wonder - A Starry Night

 'Look! I stand at the door and knock. If you hear  my voice and open the door, I will come in, and we will share a meal together as friends.' Rev 3:20 (NLT)

Have you ever wondered in attending church services how leaders and congregation are more concerned about the conduct of worship than the experience of worship itself? Our Pastor in his opening sermon on the 1 Jan 2023, brought the congregation of Charis back to the basics when he encouraged us to experience worship as a meeting of God's people in God's presence. 

He asked two fundamental questions

1. What is worship?
2. What is needed in worship?

Let's ponder over these questions because many have become rather disillusioned with the way worship of God proceeds in our church worship services today. 

What is worship? Rev Lui stressed the point that worship happens when people encounter God. It happens when people meet God and vice versa. Rather than become distracted by the mechanics in the conduct of the service, we should experience the encounter. We should be cautious NOT to create the impression that God can be 'more present' when we use music, sermons, rituals to engender a more inspirational atmosphere. Rev Lui said, "Don't feel pressured to make God show up." The presence of God is entirely of God's doing. 

• God's Promised Presence. This is a gift of God's love for us individually and corporately. In the meeting between God, Moses and the people in the Sinai wilderness, God promised

'My presence will go with you and I will give you rest' Exodus 33:14

• God's Experienced Presence. There is no substitute for the manifested presence of God. Each time we enter a church or be called as a people of God to worship, we should feel or find the presence of God within us or around us, He is always present. How God would meet us is entirely up to Him, we cannot manipulate it. Moses understood this fundamental requirement when he rejected the suggestion to use angels to guide the people's journey in the wilderness

'If Your presence does not go with us, do not send us up from here. How will anyone know that you are pleased with me and Your people unless you go with us? What else will distinguish me and Your people from all the other people in the face of the earth?' Exodus 33:15-16

• God's Unveiled Presence. Cultivate a hunger for the Lord and not rely on methods and programmes. There is no substitute for God's presence. Over-polished, entertaining, professional atmospheres and environment  distract and detract from the raw presence of God. Anticipate that God will reveal himself to us as we enter into the worship relationship. Moses was bold when he asked the Lord to show His glory.

'Then Moses said, "Now show me Your glory" And the Lord said, "I will cause all my goodness to pass in front of you, and I will proclaim My name, The Lord, in your presence." Exodus 33:18 and 19a

What is needed in Worship? A hunger for God and an encounter with God. Moses asked God

"Teach me Your ways" Exodus 33:13.  

He was not asking for information or knowledge of God. Moses was not looking for facts but for the real experience of encountering God.

When we next come to Church for worship we should

1. Anticipate God's presence
2. Look for God's hand at work
3. Listen for God's voice
4. Open ourselves to God

Let's move from Duty to Devotion, from Ritual to Relationship. Come back to the 'Heart of Worship.'

Lionel

Ref: Sermon by Rev Lui Yuan Tze on the 1 January 2023 at Charis Methodist Church

Climb Up Higher

Starting the Climb to Mount Sinai

'When Moses went up on the mountain, the cloud covered it, and the glory of the Lord settled on Mount Sinai.... to the Israelites the glory of the Lord looked like a consuming fire on top of the mountain.' Exodus 24:15,16a and 17 (NLT)

On the 4 Dec 2010, the tour-pilgrimage group from Singapore reached St Catherine's Monastery. We journeyed by bus via a tunnel under the Suez Canal and through the Sinai Desert for about 7 hours.

At this spot at the foot of Mount Sinai, Moses encountered God in the burning bush, where he received the commission to lead the Israelites out of Egypt. On a second occasion, at the top of the mountain, Moses received the Ten Commandments. We all felt that we were on Holy Ground

A much smaller group, 5 out  of 37 of us, decided to brave the biting cold and make the 3 hours climb up to the summit, 2285 metres high. They wished to see the sunrise at the mountain peak. More importantly, in making the climb they hope in the stillness of the dawn to very personally find God at a most sacred place. The rest of us lesser mortals settled in our beds to rise up early to worship at the foot of the mountain.

The Bible passage in Exodus 24 describes a similar group of pilgrims; the Israelites arriving at this same location after several days of walking through the Sinai desert. Here, the Lord God called Moses and the Israelites into a covenantal relationship with Him. Just like us, at the invitation to climb higher up the Sinai, the congregation separated; this time into 3 groups. Bishop Robert Solomon expounding from the passage described this as 3 levels of intimacy, the general congregation at the foot of the mountain, the seventy elders at mid-level and Moses alone at the mountain top.

At the foot of Sinai, the general congregation experienced their first introduction into a relationship with God :

'Moses then wrote down everything the Lord had said. He got up early the next morning and built an altar at the foot of the mountain and set up twelve stone pillars representing the twelve tribes of Israel' Exodus 24:4 

Sacrifices were made and blood was shed. This reminds us of baptism, which hinges on the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross and His blood shed as atonement for our sins.

The second level is represented by the elders who went with Moses halfway up the mountain. It was recorded that they ate and drank at the feet of God:

'Moses and Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, and the seventy elders of Israel went up and saw the God of Israel. Under his feet was something like a pavement made of sapphire, clear as the sky itself. But God did not raise his hand against these leaders of the Israelites; they saw God, and they ate and drank.' Exodus 24:9-11

The scene depicted the communal relationship of God's people, among themselves and with God. In the church we express this in the Holy Communion.

Then, Moses was invited alone into a deeper relationship with God; he was called to come up to God.

'The Lord said to Moses, "Come up to me on the mountain and stay here, and I will give you the tablets of stone, with the law and commands I have written for their instruction.' Exodus 24:12 

There was a cloud covering the mountain, which appeared to be on fire. In a spiritually charged atmosphere, Moses worshipped God alone.

Pilgrims from Singapore by the walls
of St Catherine Monastery

On that cold morning on 4 Dec 2010, every one of the 37 pilgrims who came from Singapore to Mount Sinai wanted to feel very close to God.

The five that went up the mountain will no doubt always remember the physical feat that led to a very special spiritual experience. At the summit, they worshipped and sang 'How Great Thou Art'. The rest of us worshipped by the walls of the Monastery of St Catherine, at the foot of the mountain. We sang 'To God Be The Glory'.

Here, on this historical site, God revealed himself so dramatically in ages past. 'This is holy ground.' We were glad that we came. During our worship, a special communion transpired between  our human spirit and the Holy Spirit. We knew that wherever we are and whatever level we are at, God will still beckon us to 'Come Up Higher'.

This is holy ground,

We’re standing on holy ground,
For the Lord is here
And where He is holy.
This is holy ground,
We’re standing on holy ground,
For the Lord is here
And where He is holy.

These are holy hands,
He’s given us holy hands,
He works through these hands
And so these hands are holy.
These are holy hands,
He’s given us holy hands,
He works through these hands
And so these hands are holy.

We are standing on holy ground

And I know that there are angels

All around

Let us praise Jesus now

We are standing in his presence

On holy ground

We are standing on holy ground

And I know that there are angels

All around

Let us praise Jesus now

We are standing in his presence

On holy ground

We are standing on holy ground

And I know that there are angels

All around

Let us praise Jesus now

We are standing in his presence

We are standing in his presence

We are standing in his presence

On holy ground

Lionel

Updated 1st published 4 Dec 2010

Welcome To The Family

The Charis Methodist Church Family

'Great is the Lord and most worthy of praise; His greatness no one can fathom. They tell of Your mighty acts. They speak of the glorious splendor of Your majesty. They tell of the power of Your awesome works. They celebrate Your abundant goodness and joyfully sing of Your righteousness. ' Psalm 145:3a,4a,5a,6a,7

 

Why do we go to church?

• To worship God
• To sing praises
• To sing hymns
• To pray
• To hear God's Words read from the Bible.
• To hear inspirational sermons
• To hear good music and chorale singing
• To enjoy sanctuary.
• To fellowship with friends and encourage one another.

The answer to the question should be all of the above and in that answer we give the full expression for church attendance, as one family and the body of Christ,  Total Church. 

There is a special meaning for me to come for the worship service of my church, Charis Methodist Church. I come to join my friends, my brothers and sisters in worship and confession of my faith. It is my spiritual refreshment at the start of every week. King David wrote of the joy of corporate worship.

'I was glad when they said to me, "Let us go to the house of the Lord.' Psalms 122:1 (NLT) 

Nowadays the standard of the preaching or the quality of the music seem to be the main attractions. Many move from church to church, now from zoom to zoom, to hear the great speakers that can inspire and deliver good sermons every week. Others are attracted to the praise singing or the choir. Unfortunately not all local churches will be so endowed or gifted, thus leaving some members disappointed. 

If we come for Sunday service only for the sermons and music, we fail to understand the two imperatives for regular church attendance

• To worship God -the Triune God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit
• To profess the spirit of the Christian family - the Body of Christ

Every Sunday serves to bring out these two aspects of the church, the Corporate Worship and the Family of Believers. 

When a person enters the house of God, he should be struck by reverential awe. The architecture of the sanctuary, whether simple or ornate should help the worshipper sense peace and beauty. 

St Peter's Church, Munich

'One thing I ask from the Lord, this only do I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze on the beauty of the Lord and to seek Him in His temple.' Psalm 27:4

The Orthodox Christians celebrate Christ, the Lord of Hosts and adorn their churches with gilded icons and golden coloured frescoes to uplift the Christus Pantocratos. The crucifix in Catholic churches draws attention to the suffering and sacrifice of Christ. The simple cross in Protestant churches celebrates the victory of the resurrected Christ. Yet some others, like the Quakers believe in making their sanctuary simple and minimalistic. 

Some churches used the organ, piano and choir in the prelude, during and postlude to help in the worship. Others use prayer and praise sessions. Still others use silence and prayer. All should help direct the congregants' attention to God and enhance the spirit of connection.

The song, 'Come Now Is The Time To Worship' helps express this connection.

 

Come, now is the time to worship
Come, now is the time to give your heart
Come, just as you are to worship
Come, just as you are before your God, Come

One day every tongue will confess You are God
One day every knee will bow
Still the greatest treasure remains for those
Who gladly choose You now

The second imperative to come to church is the gathering of the family of God. This gathering allows 'Koinonia' or Fellowship. We build our friendships and learn to grow along with others as Christian brothers and sisters. We help, comfort, and strengthen each other. The Bible encourages us to meet together regularly for mutual encouragement and spurring each other to remain faithful.

'And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another...' Hebrews 10:24-25

This expression of family strengthens the church and in turn allows the congregation to go beyond themselves to consider outreach and service to others. We engage as one family in missions, evangelism, witnessing, social concerns and outreach. Just as worship enables the vertical relationship between Church and God, fellowship strengthens the horizontal relationships between friends, families and reaches out to the the community. This is an expression of the Total Church

This song, 'Welcome to the Family' sends a powerful message of our Christian bonds and expressions of love for one another.

Welcome to the family
We're glad that you have come
To share your life with us
As we grow in love and
May we always be to you
What God would have us be
A family always there
To be strong and to lean on,

May we learn to love each other
More with each new day
May words of love be on our lips
In everything we say
May the Spirit melt our hearts
And teach us how to pray
That we might be a true family

Going to church is not personal, the church is family. It is timely that we free ourselves from personal preoccupations with sermons or music, important though they may be, but to consider brothers and sisters, coming together, to express 'Total Church.'

Lionel

“Hear Only the Good Stuff” – the dangers of Glitz and Gizmo Christianity

'Be still and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.' Psalms 46:10

Some years back, a Singapore radio station Gold90.5FM, ran a series of clever ads on TV with the tagline 'Hear only the Good Stuff.' It depicted a tennis coach commenting to a father how talented his son was at tennis, when the boy was missing every single ball. Better put, the father only wanted to hear the good stuff about his son. It was a clever ruse for persuading listeners to switch to the radio station - Gold90.5FM only give its listeners what they want to hear.

Until the Covid Pandemic hit our shores, the mega-churches were very successful in attracting huge crowds each Sunday. Some would say that they used the latest entertainment and media techniques to communicate their message. Each worship service was chock a block full, with worshippers enjoying making music with songs of praises. They often reached ecstatic emotional levels during the service. The sermons were delivered by skilled and polished motivational speakers, moving about on stage not unlike entertainers on TV.

There is a very good reason for turning to glitz and gizmos during worship services. We live in the era of one minute commercials and 30-second sound bytes. Children grow up surrounded by every communication device delivering connections at breakneck speeds. The conventional wisdom seems to be that if one wants to get a message across, it had better be entertaining enough to attract attention and capture imagination. It is not surprising that churches have turned to these techniques. But aren't we, like the advertisement, guilty of pandering to the audience when our duty should be to worship and focus on the Triune God?

Some years back, Rev Andy Goh then a young pastor of Charis Methodist Church bravely spoke from Micah Chapter 3, telling the Charis congregation that the temptation to pander to the wants instead of the needs of society is not new. In Micah’s days, the Lord condemned the spiritual leaders and prophets for hypocritically feeding the people a diet of distorted messages to please the congregation and for their own profit.

'As for the prophets who lead my people astray,

if one feeds them, they proclaim 'peace';

if he does not, they prepare to wage war against him.

Therefore night will come over you, without visions,

and darkness, without divination.

The sun will set for the prophets, 

and the day will go dark for them.

The seers will be ashamed and the diviners disgraced.

They will all cover their faces because there is no answer from God." Micah 3:5-7

Preachers and spiritual leaders should take heed because:

• the medium of communication these days may distract and detract from true worship.
• the Church's agenda may not necessarily be God's agenda. 
• what the congregation wants to hear is not necessarily God's message for us.

'Her leaders judge for a bribe, her priests teach for a price,

and her prophets tell fortunes for money.

Yet they lean upon the LORD and say,

"Is not the LORD among us?

No disaster will come upon us.' Micah 3:12

Any church or church leader can fall into this trap sometimes. Hence the average church goer, like myself, should learn not go to the worship service just for the singing, nor the preaching or even the fellowship. Instead we go to worship and all these other activities in the service and programme should point and help us in that direction.

After a hiatus of more than two years, with the Covid restrictions lifted, our churches will no doubt be filled once more. Did we learn anything, any lessons during the silent years? Will our churches be houses of worship or halls of performances? 

During the enforced isolation of Covid, I learnt to meditate and I realised that silence speaks louder than sound; that in the solitude, God speaks. Hence, I will value the quieter atmosphere of a worship service at which there can be joyful singing intermixed with quiet prayers and God's Word read and preached. That is just a preference, others may think differently

Then there are times when we enter a sanctuary not just during the worship service but to sit quietly and gaze at the crucifix (for Catholic churches) or the plain cross (for Protestant churches). At Charis Methodist Church we will have the chance to look at the depiction of the Triune God through the stain glass that will dominate the chancel. We may contemplate the passion, crucifixion and the resurrection of Jesus Christ. There are people who come early to church services to be in God's presence and pray.

"Go out and stand before on the mountain," the Lord told him. And as Elijah stood there, the Lord passed by, and a mighty windstorm hit the mountain. It was a terrible blast that the rocks were torn loose, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. And after the earthquake there was a fire, but the Lord is not in the fire. And after the fire there was the sound of a gentle whisper. When Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face with his cloak and went out and stood at the entrance of the cave. And a voice said, "What are you doing here, Elijah?" 1 Kings 11-13

David Haas wrote the song You are Mine beginning with the phrase, 'I will come to you in the silence.' In the silence of the Covid years, this song helped me to know that God is present even when we could not go to church and worship Him.

I will come to you in the silence
I will lift you from all your fear
You will hear My voice
I claim you as My choice
Be still, and know I am near

I am hope for all who are hopeless
I am eyes for all who long to see
In the shadows of the night,
I will be your light
Come and rest in Me

Do not be afraid, I am with you
I have called you each by name
Come and follow Me
I will bring you home
I love you and you are mine

I am strength for all the despairing
Healing for the ones who dwell in shame
All the blind will see, the lame will all run free
And all will know My name

I am the Word that leads all to freedom
I am the peace the world cannot give
I will call your name, embracing all your pain
Stand up, now, walk, and live

Do not be afraid, I am with you
I have called you each by name
Come and follow Me
I will bring you home
I love you and you are mine

Lionel

Updated, 1st published 31 Oct 2010

In Search Of Worship – Sanctity

Stain Glass Basel Cathedral

'Woe to me! I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the LORD Almighty.' Isaiah 6:5.

The prophet Isaiah saw the Lord God Almighty seated on a throne, high and exalted. A train of angels attended the Lord, worshiping and calling to one another, "Holy, holy, holy is the LORD Almighty; the whole earth is full of his glory." At the sight of the majesty and grandeur in encountering God, Isaiah shuddered and uttered, "Woe to me! I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the LORD Almighty." Isaiah 6:5. Isaiah recognised the sanctity of the moment. 

The Rev (Dr) Ben Witherington at the Singapore Aldersgate Convention (Ref 1) observed that an encounter with God in true worship simultaneously and paradoxically widens and narrows the gap between God and us. Worship happens when we realise the distance and distinction between the creator and the creation. This revelation smacked in Isaiah's face as he exclaimed, "Woe is me. I am a man of unclean lips yet I see the Lord." "Such encounter will make clear that God is God and we are so not god" said Dr Witherington, "and worship happens when the creature realizes he is not the creator and bows down to the One who is." 

Is this happening in our worship services? Today, our attitude to worship is to treat it as a consumer's product. The modern worship services are in danger of becoming more and more a show for man, directed to man, with man-pleasing songs, entertaining musical performances and speeches which tickle the ears of listeners. We come to church to consume, not to worship. It is all about ourselves, we need to be inspired, we need to learn, we need to feel good, we need to enjoy the singing, we need to enjoy the music. We approached worship as a consumer but we failed to be consumed by the presence of God. 

We have failed to recognise the sanctity of the moment, the hour that is hallowed and sacred. Perhaps this maybe the reason we are forced to reboot, to reconsider our worship at this time of restrictions due to the pandemic.

The 2020 Easter Season was perhaps the least celebratory we have witnessed for many decades. In his sermon on Palm Sunday, Bishop Emeritus Robert Solomon shared that while we cannot enjoy the whole festivity of Palm Sunday, "I suspect it has forced us not just to join a crowd but to experience the Lord Jesus Christ riding into our hearts. The limitation we have today does not stop us from worshipping. lifting our hearts in praise of Jesus. It is as if the Lord has chosen to ride into our hearts so that we can focus our hearts on Jesus." (Ref 2)

These words from the Bishop inspired our niece-in-law, Angela Goh, to write the lyrics and music of this lovely, inspiring song, 'Hosanna.'

I sing Hosanna when at home

I sing Hosanna though alone

No palm to palm greeting we give

Confined to home so we can live

I sing Hosanna from the heart

From friends and family far apart

Uncertain times, when fears arise

Look at the world, God hears our cries

Hosanna, we lift our voice in praise

Hosanna, our prayers to you we raise

In trials, give us joy

This sickness, you destroy

Hosanna, we lift our voice in praise

Hosanna, our hearts to you we raise

Set our hearts ablaze

Hosanna till the end of our days

We sing Hosanna in one accord

From home to home to our Lord

United together, one spirit, strong

Distanced, not forlorn

We sing Hosanna loud and proud

Spirit united, we are a crowd

Bless the Lord oh my soul

Hosanna we extol 

Angela understood that congregational worship has been replaced by personal worship, at least for these times. And it does not matter where and how we worship, so long as we do this with reverence; as Angie said, "from the heart." In personal worship we will meet with God and it will do us well to know that God is to be met and listened to, not sat down and talked to. Here God communes with man and we become overwhelmed by the sheer presence of God. 'Let us be thankful and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, for our God is a consuming fire.' Hebrew 12:28-29. We can sing 'Hosanna.'

Lionel

Ref 1 Methodist Message 110(7) Jul 08

Ref 2: The Methodist Message June 2020

In Search of Worship - Seek

No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who loved him.' 1 Cor 2:9

  

The movie August Rush tells the story of a boy who grew up in an orphanage. A Irish guitarist and a sheltered young cellist had a chance encounter one magical night above New York's Washington Square but were soon torn apart leaving in their wake an infant, Evan Taylor. The movie has a captivating opening sequence of the young boy moving around in a corn field, en-rapt it seems, by enchanting music. Despite taunting by the other boys in the orphanage, Evan aka August Rush believes the music will lead him to his parents from whom he was separated from birth. Eventually, led by the music and his prodigious musical talent, a fairy tale re-unification with his parents occurred for August. It is a heart-wrenching movie, well worth the watching. August's tagline at the end of the movie, "The music is all around us, all you have to do is look" reminds of 'Seek and You will find.'

There is another quest, the Quest for God, which Calvin Miller wrote in his book 'Into the Depths of God' (Ref 1). A reviewer wrote, "Drawing upon the Word of God and a rich treasury of spiritual insight, ancient and modern, Calvin Miller makes the familiar phrase, 'the deeper life' means something personal to the searching contemporary Christian." The expanded title of the book reads:

'Into the Depths of God

Where Eyes see the Invisible

Ears hear the Inaudible and

Mind conceive the Inconceivable.'

Both searches, the uncanny impulsive search of August Rush and the intellectual quest of Calvin Miller are real and valid because they are searches by the soul. Like August, we should believe that there is music all around us, all we have to do is listen and see; this time the music will lead us to God.

There is a hymn "This is my Father's World" written by Maltbie Babcock. He would take strolls along the Niagara Falls to savor the overlook's scenic view, telling his wife that he was "going out to see the Father's world."

This is my Father's world,

And to my listening ears

All nature sings, and round me rings

The music of the spheres.

This is my Father's world:

I rest me in the thought

Of rocks and trees, of skies and seas--

His hand the wonders wrought.

This is my Father's world:

The birds their carols raise,

The morning light, the lily white,

Declare their Maker's praise.

This is my Father's world:

He shines in all that's fair;

In the rustling grass, I hear Him pass,

He speaks to me everywhere.

This is my Father's world:

O let me ne'er forget

That though the wrong seems oft so strong,

God is the Ruler yet.

This is my Father's world:

Why should my heart be sad?

The Lord is King: let the heavens ring!

God reigns; let earth be glad! 

I remember the first time I saw the Niagara Falls. I was so overcome by the sight and the rush of falling waters; I wept. I realised that in weeping I was worshiping God and this hymn came to mind. As tears came down my cheeks, the refrain, "This is my Father's world. All nature sings and round me rings the music of the spheres" resounded in my ears.

King David exclaimed "He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God" Psalms 40:3.

We do not have to go far to worship God. Put a song in your heart, come out of your shell into God's creation for all of creation join together in offering God's praise.

Lionel  

Ref 1: Calvin Miller, Into the Depths of God Bethany House, 2000.

In Search Of Worship - Simplicity

James (5 months) and Ah Kong

' Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.' Matthew 18:3

I used to sing the praise song, “I love you Lord” to my grandson James every night before he slept. James is 12 years old now, then he was 5 months old. Like every 5 month old, James will fight sleep but when he listened to this song, he would stop crying, become calm and would soon be ready for bed. It is a simple four line tune: 

“I love You Lord and I lift my voice to worship you. 
O my soul rejoice! 
Take joy my King in what you hear. 
May it be a sweet, sweet sound in Your ears.” 

James just loved to hear this song repeated to him over and over again. In the singing I imagined we were praising God together, grandfather and grandson.

Worshiping God with a five month old in tow does not trivialise the act of worship. True worship is hard to find. If one could capture the right inspirational moment, an unfettered time, one should take the opportunity to worship. Make it simple. It is quite natural to worship with James in hand, for this baby is indeed a blessing from God; a clear and present evidence of God’s creative power and of His goodness.

Falzarego Pass, The Dolomites

In the same way if you happen to chance on a very simple church when you are hiking up some mountains go inside to pray and worship. Do not miss the opportunity to seize one sublime moment of simple worship. No need to be intellectual, nothing to be complicated about; even better if worship can be impulsive.

Once, when Jesus was in the temple in Jerusalem, the little children were shouting, "Hosanna to the Son of David," The priest and scribes were indignant at the commotion and they complained, "do you hear what these children are saying?" meaning to accuse him of instigating the children to blasphemy, "Yes," Jesus replied, "have you never read, "from the lips of children and infants, You have perfected praise?" (Matt 21:16 and Psalms 8:2). Perfect praise exudes from pure simplicity. Babies, by their very lives are testaments to God’s bountiful grace.

In contrast, there is much that is contrived and showy when adults worship. Words that come out forced can be hypocritical. Catchy tunes are sung repeatedly without thought to the adequacy and appropriateness of the lyrics. The Rev (Dr) Ben Witherington, Asbury Theological Seminary speaking in Singapore at the Aldersgate Convention in May 2008 asked the question, “Who is doing the worshiping? Who is the beneficiary?"

Speaking about congregational worship Dr Witherington (Ref 1) said, “We often hear people say I don’t go to that worship service because I don’t get anything out of it. But who is supposed to be doing the worshiping here? If it is the congregation, then the primary question should be where can I go to best give praise and worship to God, not where I can go to get the most out of it. Any experience that put us on God’s level is not worship. It is inappropriate and even shocking familiarity; indeed it can even be called idolatry. God condescends and remains God, we do not ascend and become as gods. Worship happens when the creature realizes he is not the creator and bows down to the One who is.”

In speaking to the Samaritan woman at the well, Jesus told her that where one worships, what styles one would use do not really matter. He told her one day, the true worshiper will be worshiping in spirit and in truth. No hypocrisy. God is more concerned with the attitude of the heart than the melody of the song; the motive of the people than the performance.

A poor Methodist woman (Ref 2), probably a labourer in the work houses or a farmer’s wife in 18th century Britain wrote, "I do not know when I have had happier times in my soul than when I have been sitting at work with nothing before me but a candle and a white cloth, and hearing no sound but the sound of my own breath, with God in my soul and heaven in my eye. I rejoice in being exactly what I am – a creature capable of loving God and who, as long as God lives, must be happy. I get up and look for a while out of the window and gaze at the moon and stars, the work of an almighty hand. I think of the grandeur of the universe, and then sit down, and think myself one of the happiest beings in it."

When we worship, it is not fulfilling an obligation, it is a human delight. Come back to 'The Heart of Worship.'

Lionel

1 Methodist Message 110(7) Jul 08
2 Mary Tileston, ed. Daily Strength for Daily Needs