“Incline your ear and come to me; hear, that your soul may live (Isaiah 55:3)”
The unfortunately named pop band Loverboy sang, “Everybody’s working for the weekend”, and “t.g.i.f.” is on many a worker’s mind as I sit in my church study writing. What does your weekend look like? We say we look forward to them, and anticipate them longingly as a respite from our activity packed whirlwind weeks. And yet what do they look like: chances are they are chock-a-block full of more activity!
More pointedly, what does Sunday morning look like? Is corporate worship something we set apart and dedicate ourselves to, or is it just one more scheduled activity among a long list of others? What exactly is Sunday morning worship? Though much could be written, and has been, regarding the nature, form, ministry, mission, and witness of the church, it is clear over the past two thousand years that it is precious to the people of God. And for good reason – it is precious to the Lord! Jesus told us that he is “building his church.” We are invited to gather together to fellowship with God and one another, through word, sacrament (communion), prayer, and song. Our earthly gathering is a beautiful picture of an eternal reality – people of varied personality and background, interests and pursuits, unite in their common worship of Jesus Christ. Pastor and theologian Edmund Clowney writes compellingly in his book “The Church” of Sunday morning:
“Above all, we must prize the blessing of corporate worship. The church of the Lord, gathered for worship, marks the pinnacle of our fellowship with the Lord and with one another. The church is the people of God, the new humanity, the beginning of the new creation, a colony of heaven… In corporate worship we experience the meaning of union with Christ.”
As a father of five I know the challenges of committing whole-heartedly to God’s house. Just landing in your row breathlessly, moments before the Call to Worship, with family in some semblance of order can seem like a huge accomplishment! But let the simple words I quoted from Isaiah at the start both challenge and encourage you. Read them again. Do you see that the Lord desires that your soul would live! Jesus spoke of himself as the “good shepherd”, the one who “lays his life down for the sheep” saying, “I came that they may have life and have it abundantly. (John 10:10)” Back to Isaiah we are told to “hear” so our soul would live. Do we come prepared to hear, even longing as a thirsty man for drink, for God’s word? God gives some simple advice to inform our “hearing”. Incline your ear, and come. Before we take that last gulp of coffee, do the ‘family head-count thing’, and dash out the door, have we inclined our ear? Below is a section of our e-bulletin called “Prepare”. You can listen to this week’s hymns and choruses, and find out what text we are preaching from. One way to incline your ear toward hearing the Lord on a Sunday is to prepare by reading and reflecting on the sermon text in advance. Why not make it a priority and let me know how the Lord honours your preparation with life for your soul!
Much love,
Pastor Gary
As we gather for Sunday worship, we want you to meet with God and be transformed by the Word. Prepare your heart by reading the passage and listening to the songs for Sunday.
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