Day Thirty-Seven

In Matthew’s gospel there is a specific detail of Jesus’ post-resurrection appearances that is worth noting. It happens both times we see Jesus after he has risen from the dead, appearing first to the women who had come to the tomb and then to the disciples who have gathered in Galilee:

“Suddenly Jesus met them. ‘Greetings,’ he said. They came to him, clasped his feet and worshiped him.”—Matthew 28:9 (NIV)

“Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted.”—Matthew 28:16-17 (NIV)

Worship is a significant part of encountering the risen Jesus. It was in those first hours after his resurrection, and it still is today. In light of that, it seems good to spend a week of these reflections specifically thinking about the act of worship. Not just music, but worship.

To guide us in our contemplation of worship we’ll be focusing on the call of Isaiah, from chapter 6, where the prophet is brought into the presence of God and is commissioned for his role:

In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord, high and exalted, seated on a throne; and the train of his robe filled the temple. Above him were seraphim, each with six wings: With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they were flying. And they were calling to one another:

‘Holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty;
the whole earth is full of his glory.’

At the sound of their voices the doorposts and thresholds shook and the temple was filled with smoke.

‘Woe to me!’ I cried. ‘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.’

Then one of the seraphim flew to me with a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with tongs from the altar. With it he touched my mouth and said, ‘See, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away and your sin atoned for.’

Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, ‘Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?’

And I said, ‘Here am I. Send me!’”—Isaiah 6:1-8 (NIV)

The experience that Isaiah has in God’s presence is a wonderful pattern for worship that many congregations use as they plan their weekly services. There are six distinct movements, and for this week we will examine one each day. As we look more deeply into Isaiah’s encounter with God, we can understand our own experience of worship with greater appreciation and understanding.

The first movement of worship is the most basic:

We are invited into God’s presence.

It is basic, but it is not trivial. Not in the slightest. The very fact that we are invited into the presence of the God who created all that is, who sustains all things by his powerful word (Hebrews 1:3), should fill us with awe…but more on that tomorrow.

For now, we sit with the invitation. Isaiah places it in a distinct, recognizable time: “In the year that King Uzziah died.” That’s how God’s invitation comes to us—smack dab in the midst of reality, both good and bad. It is not an invitation that waits for a convenient or opportune moment, but it invades our commonplace lives with an uncommon opportunity: come, meet with the God of the universe.

When we enter a time of worship, whether as part of our individual journey or as the body of Christ, we come from very real lives with very real concerns and needs, and that’s the point. God is calling to us in the midst of it all. And his invitation is not burdensome. It is, in fact, an invitation to lay our burdens down at his feet as we give him the honor and praise due his name. We take our focus away from the concerns of this world that so easily distract, and instead look to the very same God seen by Isaiah: “I saw the Lord, high and exalted, seated on a throne; and the train of his robe filled the temple.” What we see changes everything. And what we see is worthy of our worship.

But before that will happen, we need to first hear the invitation.

Come, let us worship and bow down
And kneel before the Lord, our Maker

Read the rest of the lyrics here.

Questions for Reflection

1) How do you prepare yourself for a time of worship? What could you do to more intentionally hear God’s word of invitation as you approach a worship service, or a personal time of fellowship and praise?

2) Spend some time reflecting again on the amazing truth that you personally are invited into the presence of the God of the universe. The one who flings galaxies into space desires to spend time with you—how do you respond to that?

3) Do you ever find yourself distracted during a time of worship, with the cares of this world invading your time with God? What can you build into your life to serve as a reminder of God’s invitation? Is there a verse of Scripture you could use to center yourself when distractions come your way?

4) Read and reflect on this passage of Scripture. Let it lead you into prayerful worship and gratitude:

Psalm 100 (TLV)

Shout joyfully to Adonai, all the earth!
Serve Adonai with gladness.
Come before His presence with joyful singing.
Know that Adonai, He is God.
It is He who has made us, and we are His.
We are His people, the sheep of His pasture.
Enter His gates with thanksgiving
and His courts with praise!
Praise Him, bless His Name.
For Adonai is good.
His lovingkindness endures forever,
and His faithfulness to all generations.