SUNDAY THOUGHT - 23

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Our Threefold Activity in Worship Text: 1 Chronicles 16:4   What should Christians do when they come for worship? What activities are appropriate to be included in the worship service of the church? Different denominations include different activities in the worship meetings. Some do focus on sharing testimonies; some would include a session of prayer; some include a number of exhortations and some give emphasis on singing. But there are three essential elements in worship to make our worship appropriate and complete. They are commemoration, thanksgiving and praising. David appointed priests to do all these three in their worship of the LORD God of Israel (1Chron. 16:4). Though the reasons are different from Israel, Our worship service should consist of these three activities. In each worship meeting time should be allotted appropriately for all these three.   1.       Commemoration: This is the act of bringing back to memory what the Lord had done for us so that we may express our joy in it. No worship is complete without an act of remembrance. A Christian has a lot of things to bring to memory at the time of worship. The very reason of observing the Lord's Table is for this. Remembering the death, resurrection and ascension of the Lord Jesus Christ is central to the worship of Christians. We commemorate God's love mercy and grace towards us by means of the table. Therefore Christians gathering for worship without observing the Table of the Lord is never an acceptable practice. The table helps our commemoration. Sometimes believers tend to think about the 'here and the future' only during worship. Ie, Who we are now and what we will become? To think about this and to state it is important. But how did we become what we are now cannot be ignored.  That is where commemoration is necessary. The Lord commanded,  "Do this in remembrance of Me." During the worship service we need to commemorate all what the Lord had done to make us true worshippers.   2.       Thanksgiving: Commemoration leads to thanksgiving. Unless we make effort to commemorate we will not be motivated to give thanks. A survey of the worship performed by people (in the Scripture) testifies that they all did it as expressions of thanksgiving. In thanksgiving we express by our words and voice our gratitude to God. it is the attitude of an informed  heart. Having realized the deep misery which we were in and the great rescue made possible for us we willingly give thanks to God (cf. Rev.5:8-10). Thankfulness generates Love. Genuine thanksgiving therefore results in genuine love. This is imperative from the worshippers. Time for thanksgiving must be part of the worship service.   3.       Praising: Memories and thankfulness together leads us to praise God. This is the way we exalt God the father and His son and our savior the Lord Jesus Christ. Praise means to exalt, to eulogize, to bless, to laud or to commend. In praising we talk about the greatness of God and the greatness of his acts. When God and His glory is praised, we do something which God himself desires from us.  God deserves praise and desires it too. We make the heart of God rejoice and feel fulfilled when we give undiluted praise to Him. A Christian is called to praise God now and in the future (Ephesians 1:6; Romans 15:9). Separating time in worship services to praise God is therefore necessary.   In the worship meetings of our churches, the order we follow has determining influence- determining the effectiveness and meaningfulness of our worship. Though the New Testament is not giving us any binding pattern for collective worship, commemoration, thanksgiving and praises are the mainstay of any worship session. Though we might include different other activities in worship these three cannot be sidelined. Every believer who joins the church for worship must be prepared to commemorate, give thanks and praise God. Every worship meeting should have time for all these three.   As we prepare to worship God this week, let us commemorate what God had done for us and be prepared to give thanks for the same and praise God in the midst of the congregation of the saints.       Yours in The gloriuos ministry of God Joji George Abraham