Devotion for August 01, 2011 – Worship – Anywhere, Any When
Today's Scripture Reading
Isaiah 2:2-4
2 It shall come to pass in the latter days
that the mountain of the house of the Lord
shall be established as the highest of the mountains,
and shall be lifted up above the hills;
and all the nations shall flow to it,
3 and many peoples shall come, and say:
“Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord,
to the house of the God of Jacob,
that he may teach us his ways
and that we may walk in his paths.”
For out of Zion shall go the law,
and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.
4 He shall judge between the nations,
and shall decide disputes for many peoples;
and they shall beat their swords into plowshares,
and their spears into pruning hooks;
nation shall not lift up sword against nation,
neither shall they learn war anymore.
Today's Devotion
Sometimes we worship God in silence and solitude. A deep, meaningful communion passes between us and God. But today, as I worshiped with DiscipleNet Church this morning in yet another country (yes, I know it’s Monday, but internet access is not always available on Sunday), my thoughts turned to why we find it important to have a special service to praise and honor God. When Christians come together (physically or virtually) before God, barriers fall down. Differences disappear.
Sometimes, even language is irrelevant: English, French, Spanish, German, Flemish, Greek, Russian, Nepali, Lingala, the “content” of the service may be incomprehensible, but there is never a question that this is worship. Through song, ritual, motion, and prayer, the leaders and the congregation offer up their best thoughts, their deepest needs, and their thanksgiving to the God who knows no boundaries, no walls, no time zones. Whether you understand the words or not, you know that God is listening. We can worship alone, but there is a special something that happens when the family of God is together, sharing in the joy and sorrow as one body.
I am thankful that wherever I am, there is way that I can be together in worship with other believers in spirit, anywhere, anywhen. Peace to all of you who share my thoughts this day.
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God, I thank you for your church universal. I wait for the day when all nations can worship you in spirit, when the day of justice and mercy will bring allow us to go up to the mountain of the Lord together.
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