Download - Mt. Calvary Lutheran Church & School of Redding, CA

Worship the KingThe word worship has a curious background.It’s related to the word worth.When we worship God, we are proclaiminghow much he is worth. The songs of Revelationcome to mind. Several of them startwith words like “Worthy is the Lamb whowas slain!”Worship is a word that can easily be misunderstood.The focus can easily shift fromthe one who is worthy (Jesus ) to the oneswho are expressing how much he is worth(the worshipers). Many Christians todaysee worship as merely the praises thatChristians express when they are praying orsinging to God rather than as the proclamationof the gospel, which (have you noticed?)takes place every time we worship.Worship is not merely a response or an expressionof how the believer feels aboutJesus. The best way to proclaim how muchJesus is worth is to tell what he has done.One of the most important parts of worship—evenmore important than the worshipers’response of praise — is the proclamationof what Jesus has done. Proclaimingwhat Jesus has done is the best way topraise him!The events that surround the birth of Jesusas recorded in the Bible are beautiful examplesof worship. When the people saw thebaby Jesus — and even before he was born,when his coming birth was first announced— their words again and again expressedhis worth. They praised God because ofwhat he was doing. It was the saving deedsof God, not their feelings about thosedeeds that they expressed. Mary, for instance,in the song she composed duringher pregnancy, sang,“My spirit rejoices in God my Savior. . .Forthe Mighty One has done great things forme.. .He has performed mighty deeds withhis arm.”Zechariah was also inspired to compose asong just before the birth of Jesus. It beings,“Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel,because he has come and has redeemedhis people.”The patterns for New Testament worshipare so clearly evident in the incidents surroundingthe birth of Christ. When the angelsappeared to the shepherds on thenight that Jesus was born, one angel proclaimedthe gospel: “I bring you good newsof great joy that will be for all the people.Today in the town of David a Savior hasbeen born to you; he is Christ the Lord.”And this proclamation was followed by themasses of angels responding with a song ofpraise:“Glory to God in the highest, and on earthpeace to men on whom his favor rests.”It’s striking how worship was bound upwith the birth of this child. Those to whomthe birth of God’s Son was revealed clearlygrasped from the very beginning that hewas more than just a special child — he wasGod! Even the Magi who were summonedfrom afar recognized who he was. Whenthey came into the presence of the Christchild, “they bowed down and worshipedhim” The gifts they brought to him werealso an act of worship that reflected hisworth. They presented him with gold, incenseand myrrh.May God enrichyour Advent,Christmas andEpiphany worshipthis year,highlighting foryou that worshipbegins withGod proclaiminghis good newsto us and culminatesin uspraising him forhis saving deeds.Adapted from St.Mark’s Lutheran, CitrusHeights, CAPage 9