“Worship is just a chore.” “Sundays are just so hard for my family.” I’ve heard it so many times. Sunday mornings are often the most conflicted days of the year for many families. What should we do? Where should we go? How can we spend “family time” together over the weekend and not look at Sunday morning worship in our church as necessary and good? What do we teach our children and others about the necessity of worshipping God together with those we commit to as a church family? In my 32 years of ministry, there seem to be so many reasons people replace worship with other desires. Today we look at Psalm 122 and the psalmist’s perspective on worship.
Worship is exciting
“I was glad when they said to me, “Let us go to the house of the Lord! Our feet have been standing within your gates, O Jerusalem” (vv.1-2)! I’m not going to sit here as I write and say that every Sunday I’ve been in church has been exciting and that I’ve always looked forward to going to worship. I think everyone experiences some days when it isn’t very easy. However, as we can see in these first two verses, there was gladness in going to the house of the Lord. Why was this? Because he was actually going to the place where God dwelled. In the Old Testament, God dwelled in the temple. That is so different than today, where we have immediate access to God. You can certainly imagine the excitement as the psalmist got closer and closer, block by block, to the house of the Lord.
We drive by the car dealership……one block closer. We drive by the grocery store…..one block closer. We drive by the Burger King…..one block closer. Each block brings more and more excitement. Almost like a child watching the clock on Christmas eve waiting for morning to arrive. There was anticipation because this psalmist had been within the gates of Jerusalem and now was making his way to the Lord’s house. Do you experience this anticipation on Sunday?
Worship is engaging
Family reunions are exciting events because they bring people together who most likely haven’t seen each other for some time. The grumpy old uncle and the cousins you treasure. The psalmist actually writes about a type of family reunion in verses 3-5. He mentions that the tribes of Israel all go up to Jerusalem to give thanks to the name of the Lord. There is a community of worship that takes place that breaks down family barriers and allowed them to see long lost friends from different tribes and different lands. It was a way to bring the families of Israel back together again to worship the one and true God.
Worship is peaceful
The next several verses show us the importance of prayer. In vv.6-9, the psalmist prays for peace in Jerusalem so that their worship can be done in peace and not in private. So that their worship can be done in security and not volatility. So his prayers are for peace in Jerusalem and peace within its borders for the sake of his brothers and companions. Have you prayed lately that your city experience peace for the sake of those who will come and worship? It is an interesting concept.
He ends this chapter by writing, “For the sake of the house of the Lord our God, I will seek your good.” He will seek the good of Jerusalem for the sake of the house of the Lord. But notice what he writes. “For the sake of the house of the Lord OUR God. The psalmist doesn’t have a familial kind of relationship with God; he has a personal kind of relationship with God.
He is thrilled to go to the house of the Lord. He has anticipated this time. He looks forward to worshiping with his friends and family. He considers it an honor to pray for peace in Jerusalem so that worship will be uninhibited by those who are enemies. And He considers God to be his God.
What a fantastic encouragement to all of us!
Some questions…
- What was your disposition that last time you went to worship at church?
- Do you look forward to worship, or is it more of a chore to you?
- In what ways do you think God cares about you, and how should that foster even more worship?
- What changes do you need to make in your worship life?