Today’s
Scripture Reading (February 9, 2012): Psalm 141 & 142
I am always
intrigued by spiritual experiences that include all of the senses. Worship
experiences that include the smell of incense, and the touch of oil or water,
the taste of bread or wine, the sound of bells and the sight of art. All have
the ability to enhance our worship. And I love it when we find innovative ways
of allowing these things to enhance our worship times – and admittedly I don’t
find enough ways to utilize them.
But they also
present a danger. These items can become a substitute for the essentials of
worship. There is a running theme throughout the Bible of the community of God
doing exactly that. They wanted to substitute the sacrifice of animals for
obedience to God. They wanted to replace a molding of the heart with the
keeping of rule. Rule keeping and sacrifice are so much easier than obedience.
The Psalmist
reminds the worshipper that incense might be nice in our worship, but to God
our rising prayer is his incense. God desires to be in communication with us,
our prayer – our praises and petitions – carry a pleasant smell to God. Even
the simple act of lifting of our hands indicate our worship and our honor of
God.
One of the
common elements between prayer and the lifting up of hands is that it
acknowledges the existence of the other. In those actions, we come in contact
with God and we affirm that we believe in him. It is in that act of faith that
God is allowed to move.
A medical
missionary that I had the privilege to speak with recently remarked that when
he went to Africa he thought that he was bringing with him the medical marvels
of the west. Except that they didn’t work as well as he thought they would. But
what did was prayer. It was what they expected to work. God moves through our
faith, our knowledge that he is there. Our prayers and lifted hands are the
start of a faith through which God will move. And we need to see God move.
Tomorrow’s
Scripture Reading: Psalm 143
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