The theme for January 2012 was Worship. We were challenged to meet with God in John 21, to look beyond what God has provided for us in Genesis 22, to worship in spirit and in Truth in John 4 and to see clearly God’s eternal power in Revelation 4.
- In John 21 (Sun 1st Jan) we were challenged to meet with God (at work, in failure and success and at breakfast), being ourselves (taking the plunge, using our own words, without comparison to how others worship) and moving on (facing the past and following Jesus).
- There is a beautiful simplicity to the requirements of worship in Micah chapter 6: in answer to the question of what the LORD requires of us, it is, to act justly, love mercy and walk humbly with our God (Thu 5thJan).
- The challenge in Genesis 22 (Sun 8th Jan), is that loving and trusting God is more than loving what God has provided. God calls us to face this in thought, word and deed; not knowing the consequences. We are called to worship God through our obedience.
- The temptations of Jesus as recorded in the first 11 verses of Matthew 4 (Thu 12th Jan), give us an insight into worship and service: Jesus says “Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only”, Jesus and the devil are different in this critical aspect of worshipping of God – there is a disturbing similarity in that they both quote scripture.
- Jesus’ statement in John 4 (Sun 15th Jan) that “God is spirit, and his worshippers must worship in spirit and in truth” may be clarified by remembering that he spoke this by Jacob’s well. Like Jacob we may need to see the Lord (Genesis 28), and wrestle with him (Genesis 32). Jesus makes it clear that our worship is not restricted by place, but is fuelled in us by a spring of water welling up to eternal life.
- King David (Psalm 95 – Sun 22nd Jan) encourages us to have an open heart to the Great God of Creation and Salvation, and that we should travel his way through depths and heights, singing and shouting thanks, bowing down and kneeling in worship.
- We delude ourselves if we think that the worship of things and persons other than God is the exclusive preserve of those outside the community of faith. In Exodus 32:1-6 and 33:1-11 (Thu 26th Jan) we find Aaron building an altar in front of a calf and announcing, “Tomorrow there will be a festival to the LORD.”
- Revelation (chapter 4 – Sun 29th Jan) gives us a glimpse into worship in heaven in which day and night they never stop saying: “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was, and is, and is to come. Here there is an invitation to all living creatures to see clearly God’s eternal power. “
May our worship be enhanced as we study these passages together and work out what it is to put them into practise.