Why Worship?

Last week, we began our series taking a closer look at church – why we do what we do. We started with the Bible, because without the Bible there is no church. And we looked at how we understand God’s Word to us in the Bible knowing that no interpretation of Scripture is correct if it conflicts with the life and message of Jesus, knowing that the context of the passage is important – what is written only makes full sense when we also consider who wrote it, to whom, where, when, why, seeking the guidance of the Holy Spirit we read and live the Word and remembering that the two greatest commandments are to love God and to love one another.

Today, we take a closer look at worship. Until the printing press made Bibles accessible to common people, Scripture was read by the leaders of worship. But now we have Bibles at home that we can read. So, why do we come to worship?

According to Pew Research Center Americans are attending worship less and less. Between 2003 and 2013, the percentage of Americans who said they rarely or never attend worship has steadily increased from 26 to 30 percent. The percent who said they worship somewhere between once a year and once a month has stayed about the same. And the percent who said they come to worship weekly declined from 39 to 37%.

It’s easy to sit here and wring our hands wondering what will happen to the church. While maybe the more important question is what is happening in the church’s worship. After all, why do you come? Out of habit? To see your friends? To satisfy a sense of requirement? Why are you here this morning? What motivated you to come here instead of stay home? Or enjoy a favorite hobby? What do you expect to happen? Really, what happens in worship?

Presbyterians have not been known as movers and shakers in worship. In fact, we have a tendency to be fairly formal and even a little bit boring. For example, in The Presbyterian Handbook there is a section on “How to Stay Alert in Church” with recommendations like getting a good night’s rest on Saturday night, drinking plenty of water, eating a high-protein breakfast, arriving early and finding the coffee pot, and focusing on your posture. Those seemed common sense, but, sure, you won’t be alert in church if you are sleepy, hungry, and slouched down in the pew. But, then it suggested that “If you have difficulty focusing on the service, divert your attention. Occupy your mind, not your hands” it advises. Stay alert by flexing your muscles. Clench your toes and feet, calf muscles, thighs, keep going up, your abdomen, hands, arms, chest, and shoulders. It does advise to avoid shaking, rocking, or other movements that attract undue attention. But, if you repeatedly are shrugging your shoulders, I’ll know what you are doing. And, finally, it says “If all else fails, consider pinching yourself. Dig your nails into the fleshy part of your arm or leg, pinch yourself, bite down on your tongue with moderate pressure. Try not to cry out.”

Really? That’s worship? If it takes all we can muster to stay awake, is that worship? We may call it worship, but if we are struggling to keep from sleeping through it, I dare say, it’s not worship. The definition of worship is “an expression of reverence or adoration of God.” Worship is about connecting with God!

Presbyterians have a section of our constitution that is called the Directory for Worship. The first paragraph describes the purpose of worship for Presbyterians:

“Christian worship joyfully (worship is joyful!) ascribes all praise and honor, glory and power to the triune God (Worship is about God). In worship, the people of God acknowledge God present in the world and in their lives (In worship we remember all that God has done for us). As they respond to God’s claim and redemptive action in Jesus Christ (we remember that we belong to God, and we remember that God wipes the slate of wrongs clean and redeems us every time we ask) , believers are transformed and renewed (worship forms our identity). In worship, the faithful offer themselves to God and are equipped for God’s service in the world.”

Every week we print a bulletin for worship with the liturgy. The word liturgy comes from two Latin words – leit, means people and ergon means work. Liturgy is the work of the people. And our work has three main sections, every week: we gather in God’s name, we proclaim God’s word, and we respond to God. I tried to think of an analogy that would be helpful…and I finally thought, worshipping might be a little bit like making a smoothie.

First, you gather – oh, and you are excited that you have fresh strawberries for your smoothie, and you remember you have that banana that was ripe that you put in the freezer (get that out)…it’s going to be so good! That’s what we are doing as we gather joyfully for worship – welcome, greeting each other, call to worship, hymn of praise.

Then, you remember that you used your favorite smoothie glass yesterday, and it is dirty. So, you need to wash it. It is smudged and sticky. When we gather for worship, we realize we’ve gotten sticky and smudged since the last time we were in God’s presence, and we seek forgiveness. God’s ready to wipe the glass clean…but we have to realize it is dirty and bring it to the sink.

Then, you put it all together and blend and as it blends together, you see the transformation. At first, it’s still awkward and lumpy, you have to pulse the blender because it will burn out the engine if you force it too much, but then it smooths and finally, you can’t see any part of it that is not smoothie. Just like in worship, we read the Word that transforms us. At first, you can still see the parts of us that are individual, hard, lumpy, and we act like Jesus in fits and starts…but then the ways of Jesus blend into our very being, and you can’t see any part of us that is not disciple.

OK, so that’s it, right? You get the ingredients together, you get a clean glass, you blend. If you stop there, you’ve missed the best part, right? You want to drink the smoothie – to take it in and let it nourish you. The same thing is true in worship. The best part is the part after you gather together and hear the Word. The best part is taking it in and letting it nourish you. We respond to God’s Word and go into the world transformed.

So, how could you need to pinch yourself under the arm, if you are excited all the way through worship like you would be if you were making and enjoying a strawberry banana smoothie?

Perhaps Presbyterians, and for that matter most American Christians, are a lot like the Israelites when David was king. One writer says of the Israelites in this time, “They found it easy to go about their business, oblivious to the presence of God.”

So King David believed that they needed something that would remind them, that would call them back to remember God’s presence. And he decided they needed someplace central to unite the scattered tribes.

He chose Jerusalem to be the center of politics and religion. First he built his buildings, and then he had a place constructed for the ark of God.

Remember that the ark of God had a long history with the Israelites. Moses made it, and he put the two stone tablets inscribed with the Ten Commandments inside. They carried it with them everywhere. It was the sign of God’s presence to them. They carried it into battle. They marched it around the walls of Jericho. It led God’s people across the Jordan into the Promised Land. And then, strangely, like we all do when life is good and flowing with milk and honey, they forgot about it. They got settled into their twelve tribes. It was at Shiloh with Eli and then Samuel. Safely tucked away with dust on it.

And then the Philistines came to Palestine, and Israel lost in battle. Oh, they remembered, we forgot the ark! Get it out! So, they retrieved it from Shiloh, but they lost again…and the Philistines took the ark! But, the Philistines came down with bubonic plague and gave the ark back. And Israel was so happy to have it back!!! They had the presence of God back with them…so they tucked it in a closet and promptly forgot about it. King Saul never had any interest.

Then David became King. And he saw the need for unity…so the place for the ark was prepared, and a grand parade took place with bulls and rams sacrificed, and horns and trumpets, lyres and harps and cymbals crashing, and David was so excited he danced and celebrated in front of the ark in his linen ephod. You know what ephod are right, underwear. This is grand! No one is sleeping through this call to worship!

They have remembered…and in worship we remember too. God has been faithful! We are God’s children. Here, we reconnect with God and express our devotion. We proclaim God’s vision for all creation, and we respond with thanksgiving dedicating ourselves to living into that vision. No pinching required…thanks be to God! Amen.