Devotionals Detail

Reading: 2 Samuel 6:1-22

Why do you worship?

Is it because worship is an important part of your relationship with God?

Is it because worship connects you with other people of faith?

Is it because you want your children to be raised in the church?

Is it because you want a sacred time set aside to rest and pray?

Is it because you are looking for purpose and meaning in the routine of your week?

Is it because you are looking for healing and hope in the troubles of your days?

All of these (and more) are absolutely wonderful reasons to make worship a weekly part of your life. And the more we know our why, the more likely we are to make worship a priority. It is very easy to get out of the habit of worship. There is always a reason to miss, because life can take over in the many options Sunday provides. Whether brunch with friends, or an extra hour to catch up on sleep, or even the continual baseball and soccer games that never take a Sabbath. Who doesn’t want to do all those things? They are all good stuff. Making worship a priority takes intention: it requires planning, forethought, and spiritual discipline, so knowing your reason “why” is pretty important.

Because the more you miss worship, the more you start to think you don’t need it.

I hesitate to call people when they have not been in worship for a while, because most of the time the conversation seems to make them feel guilty. I hear a lot of “I’m sorry” and reasons why people aren’t present in worship, but piling on guilt is not the intent of my call. The intent is to let people know they are genuinely missed. We are not the same church without them, and we can’t be the fullness of who God needs us to be without their presence. And I truly want them to experience THAT presence!

Because as much as our “why” might be what gets us to worship, what keeps people coming back week after week is the joy of experiencing God’s presence. Worship allows us to experience God’s presence in ways that we can’t when we are at brunch, or at a soccer game, or even when we are in our PJs watching the sunrise. Worship is a true blessing when you let yourself experience the pure joy of God’s presence in it.

And it makes you keep wanting to come back, week after week, because then you realize– how much you actually need it!

Our Scripture today speaks of that joy – specifically David’s joy in worshipping in the presence of God as revealed with the ark of the covenant. Like David, as we worship, we rejoice in a purpose and a pleasure that is holy – unlike anything we can experience in our daily lives. Worship is energizing, renewing, and refreshing, giving us what we need to make meaning and purpose during the rest of our week.

And the more we worship, week after week, month after month, the more we realize we can’t get enough of it!

So here we are, establishing our fall calendars, and getting back into our new routines and schedules. I encourage you to realize why you do need worship, and to come back, again and again, week after week, to experience the joy of the Lord’s presence!