Engaging Worship
Psalm 100
June 8, 2008
During the past 3 Sundays and concluding today, we’ve been reading texts from the prayer book of God’s people.
During our times together, we have read Psalms 8, 46, 131 and this morning Psalm 100.
The theme that I have been identifying in these Psalms is "Finding our place in His world."
Finding our place - -amidst the expectations of others.
Living life well -In the midst of upheaval, turmoil and chaos.
Living a life that is well proportioned - in balance despite the needs, demands and
The voices of others.
As you’ve been able to be with us - a recurring theme has emerged-
A posture
A position
An activity we are to take.
In Psalm 8 - David said, "When I consider . . ."
When I slow down to consider.
To reflect.
To observe what’s going on.
I realize that you God are mindful of me.
I realize God that you care for me.
In Psalm 46 - God speaks telling his people of the posture, the position, the stance they are to take as a people trying to find themselves in His world.
God says (v. 11)
"Be still and know that I am God
I will be exalted among the nations.
I will be exalted in the earth."
And God’s people respond,
"The Lord Almighty is with us.
The God of Jacob is our fortress."
The Psalm affirms the truth, the reality that if we - that when we - sit down
Slow down
Be still - God’s presence is felt by us.
Last week, in Psalm 131, the writer identified his stance as a weaned child.
A stilled, quieted and contented child.
A child at rest.
A child living in trust.
A child in dependence on God alone.
And so with all this talk - talk - talk about stopping to consider -Psalm 8.
This talk about
Being still and to know that God is God, Psalm 46.
This image of a weaned child - quieted and still.
The overriding message.
The predominant theme has been one that to
Know whose we are
To know who we are
We have to be still
Quiet
We must slow down
We must be more like a librarian than a linebacker.
More like a careful gardener than a busy garbage man.
Into the business of our lives - I wanted to respect this message over and over again.
Are you hungry for God?
Seeking God.
Is there a spiritual stirring within you?
Slow down
Be still
Stop to consider
Allow God to permeate your thoughts and mind.
Put yourself in spot and allow God to marinate your soul.
Slow down and be formed, shaped, find balance - get your life’s proportions in check.
Clinging to the great verse James 4:9
"Come near to God and he will come near to you."
As we come near to God, he will come near to us.
That’s God’s promise.
Now this morning, I want to talk about an alternative way of finding/of knowing our place in His world.
I want to talk about an activity that shapes us. Forms us. Marks us. Identifies us. Resonates and confirms within us our primary role as a child of God.
This activity
This behavior grows out of.
Is the fruit of times of being still.
For lack of a better word, I want to call this activity - Worship. Worship.
Worship - as Psalm 100 talks about is a participatory activity that is formational.
In this Psalm, there is no choir doing the worship for the congregation.
There is not one stand up - sit down, these are the announcements person.
In this Psalm sitting still and quiet isn’t even imagined. This Psalm doesn’t allow for bystanders or bench-sitters.
This Psalm urges us to leave the conservative church blood.
The reserved nature.
The inhibited self.
Self-conscious self-behind in order to worship God.
Let’s read it together - Psalm 100, page 937
1Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth.
2Worship the Lord with gladness;
come before him with joyful songs.
3Know that the Lord is God. It is he who made us,
and we are his we are his people, the sheep of his pasture.
4Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise;
give thanks to him and praise his name.
5For the Lord is good and his love endures forever;
his faithfulness continues through all generations.
Notice:
#1 There are 6 verbs - 6 imperative verbs - 6 verbs calling for action.
Verbs calling for action.
Calling for a certain behavior.
Like a parent saying - wake up
Get dressed
Clean-up your room
The Psalmist says
v. 1 Shout for joy.
v. 2 Worship the Lord with gladness.
v. 2 Come before him.
v. 3 Know that the lord is God.
v. 4 Enter his gates.
v. 4 Give thanks
v. 4 Praise his name.
Like the PE teacher telling her students the exercise routine they are to follow.
Like a coach saying - gentlemen let’s begin with
Jumping jacks
Push-ups
Sit-ups
The Psalmist says;
Shout
Worship
Come before him
Know
Enter
Give thanks
Praise.
And when we say -no thanks.
I’d rather sit here and watch the pastors do it.
And when we say - I don’t feel like it.
And when we say - Nah
We read do these
With joy - v. 1
With gladness - v. 2
With thanksgiving - v. 4
With praise - v. 4
This behavior.
This action.
This call to worship - to be active - engaged and participatory in worship
predominates this Psalm.
Our actions are the focus.
This is to be your behavior.
"Come on -get your praise on" as Luke and Ben say at home when they lead us in worship.
And many of us - though we wouldn’t say it out loud say it non-verbally
No -I simply won’t.
-I don’t.
-I can’t.
-I won’t.
and yet if you would take them to a Mariners baseball game at Safeco Field
or if you would see them through your binoculars at a UW football game
or if you would sit behind them at a theatrical production-
would you might be able to catch these very same people - who are so self-conscious at church.
-who are so self-inhibited at church.
Shouting - clapping - cheering - praising and thanking the athletes, musicians, actresses for their efforts?
Do we not and I put myself here as well -
find little trouble
expend little effort to cheer our team
to root on our player
to applaud a great performance.
If we-
Loaded up the bus and took a road trip to Broadway, stopping at baseball stadiums and out door musical concerts along the way - we church people would become charismatic and Pentecostal.
Why? In part because we like the environment we feel free to stand and cheer when we
-are with others who cheer.
-are with others who have entered in.
-are with others who follow the team or band.
-are with others who know the names and stats.
And the Psalmist says -that’s what church, worship is to be like.
That’s what we are to do and be when we gather. Rather than viewing yourselves as the audience with the Pastors as the actors and God as the director, Augustine said no.
The pastors are the directors/or coach.
The congregation is the actor/actresses.
And God is the audience in worship.
And much of the time what God sees from his congregation is not too inspiring.
Now notice. Pay attention. The writer of this Psalm was very wise. He knew and recognized that then like it is now, people push back at hearing these commands.
So he tucks in.
He writes in some reasons
The foundations for doing so.
v. 3 "It is he who made us.
We are his.
We are his people
The sheep of his pasture"
v. 5 "For the Lord is good and his love endures forever his faithfulness continues through all generations."
Guys - Girls - Would be worshippers.
We’re God’s.
We’re His - You are
I am
He’s taken us in. He made us. He’s caring for us.
He’s the shepherd - we’re the sheep in his pasture.
Is he faithful? Will he be faithful?
His faithfulness continues through all generations.
Will he be good?
He will be loving? With an enduring love.
So here’s the deal.
Just as you and I have no difficulty, need no instructions to cheer on a team, a band, a drama, we love.
So too will you and I not have difficulty in expressing our thanksgiving to a God we love. The more we grow in our knowledge of God, the more involved our worship will be.
The more we experience God - the more attuned and participatory our actions will be.
While our church may never be as energetic as some, you and I have experienced those moments when others are
Attuned
Attentive
And responsive to service.
You and I have felt the Spirit of God settle in during a song, a prayer, and a message. And when that happens we give all the more of ourselves.
So a few things as we head into summer - a time when it is tempting to put Sunday mornings on the low end of the priority list.
Worship is foundational.
1. Rather than seeing worship as the last thing you need to do or want to do -Make it the first thing.
Rearrange your mind to think -My week begins Sunday mornings. I want to start my week right. To do that I need to Worship.
Worship is Formational
2. Once you leave this place -take the worship with you.
Re-read the texts -pray the prayers.
Continue to rehearse the words.
Allow our times of worship to form your outside of this place.
