This week in our Epiphany series we come to the discipline
of Worship.
Over the pat 3 weeks, we’ve looked at the Way
of Love practices of Learn, Go, and Bless. Worship is another core
component of any life of faith. It can take many forms, too.
Worship
is a time of drawing near to God, whether it is in a grand Cathedral, or a tiny
prayer gathering. The communal act of worship joins us with others and
with God who promises “where two or three
gather in my name, there am I with them." (Matthew 18:20)
We know Jesus took time to Worship. In the lesson
this Sunday from the Gospel of Luke (4:14-21) we learn that Jesus “returned to Galilee…When he came to
Nazareth, where he had been brought up, he
went to the synagogue on the sabbath day, as was his custom. He stood up to
read, and the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was given to him. He unrolled the
scroll and found the place where it was written: ‘The Spirit of the Lord is
upon me, because he has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent
me to proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to
let the oppressed go free, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor.’ And he
rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant, and sat down. The eyes of
all in the synagogue were fixed on him. Then he began to say to them, ‘Today
this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.’”
Jesus went to the synagogue in the town where he grew up to worship.
It was just a regular Sabbath service, nothing special. As is the right of any
adult Jewish man, he was invited to read the scripture. He had likely done this
many times before. He ’unrolled the
scroll” and read Isaiah 61. As customary, following the reading, he could give an interpretation or sermon on the lesson. Jesus amazed everyone by
stating, ‘Today this scripture has been
fulfilled in your hearing.’
It's a pretty radical claim for the carpenter's son! In next week’s lesson (and on this blog), you’ll discover
that the men in the synagogue didn’t like this statement. They renounced him
and attempted to literally throw him out of town.
When we claim our God-given gifts we may not find them
welcomed by the home town crowd. There can be too much familiarity to see the
new person we have become. The addict who is now clean, the paroled criminal,
the mother turned entrepreneur, the hometown kid who makes it big--each of these
has an uphill battle when they return home. People have a hard time seeing past
‘little Suzie with the pigtails’ to the sports star or successful business owner she has become.
The people of Nazareth had the same problem when Jesus claimed to be fulfilment
of one of the scriptures pointing to Messiah.
It can be difficult to claim, or even recognize, who we are
in God. Worship is one way to help figure that out. In a community at worship, we can find encouragement and discernment. The
worship
of a group helps put life in perspective as we come before God with awe and
wonder. Worship helps us put God back in the center. Worship
moves me to the proper position of child of God, not CEO of the universe.
At the end of our time of worship, ideally, we find
ourselves feeling more capable. As the D365 meditation on January 22 says, we
are to: “Go, a disciple, called and sent. Go, a disciple, equipped for justice.
Go, a disciple blessed in the strong name of God: one holy and undivided
Trinity. Amen.”
The same meditation begins with a quote from the former
Archbishop of Canterbury, Rowan Williams. He states, “Vocation is, you could say,
what’s left when all the games have stopped. It’s that elusive residue that we
are here to discover, and to help one another discover. (Rowan Williams in A
Ray of Darkness: Sermons and Reflections (1995))
It is in and through and during worship--in and through
and during dedicated time with God, that we can help one another discern
vocation. In worship, we can begin to look past our differences and how
‘little Suzie’ might have changed to acknowledge and support one another on our
faith journeys.
Jesus used the context of a worship service to announce his
vocation, his calling. The people were amazed. As we grow in God, people may be
amazed at the changes in us.
Do you find yourself strengthened as you worship?
How do you respond to Rowan Williams' definition of vocation?
Can you help someone discern their vocation, or can your worship community help you discern your own?
Prayer of course is part of worship, and we will look at the
Way of Love call to pray next week.
