Today's Scripture Reading (December 31, 2024): Leviticus 17
There is a belief in our culture that where we worship doesn't really matter. A couple of decades ago, I had a friend I never saw in church on sunny days during the summer. His predictable absence was because he had chosen to worship God on the golf course. He said he could worship just as easily by hitting a small ball while going on an eighteen-hole walk as he could in the church. So, he would enjoy God's creation and the magnificent outdoors on Sunday mornings rather than attend church. Unfortunately, it was wasted breath on me. I had spent some time walking with him on those eighteen-hole strolls and had heard some of the language he had used after a missed shot. Let me just say that what came out of his mouth was nothing like the sounds of praise I heard in the church.
Another friend often stresses that he can worship God just as well camping and sitting by the fire at a nearby mountain retreat as he can in church. I like the mountains, so I get it; I might even agree with him, except I firmly believe we are commanded to gather together.
Leviticus begins to talk about a trend frequently enjoyed by the people of the day. The belief was that it didn't matter where you worshipped or where you made your sacrifices. As a result, people would often build their own altars for sacrifice on the top of a mountain or at a favorite place that they felt connected them to God. If golfing had been invented, maybe they would have built an altar at the clubhouse where it would be convenient to sacrifice before they stepped into that first tee box.
However, Leviticus wants to make sure that they realize that this is not acceptable behavior. Sacrifices intended to be part of the faith needed to be made at the Temple. And there might be a few reasons for this. First, that is where the gathered priesthood worked. The people needed a mediator between them and God; they needed the advice and wisdom of the priests trained to make the sacrifices. Second, some of the sacrifices were actually destined to be consumed by priests. It was part of the way that the priesthood was supported. After all, sacrificing an animal on a mountain and eating the sacrifice yourself is just called camping.
Possibly, the most critical part of the sacrificial worship experience was the communal portion. It was essential to come together and worship, not to isolate and do it alone. It is something that the author of Hebrews stresses in his, or I admit I think it might be her, letter.
Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching (Hebrews 10:23-25).
And this is still the reason that we gather together for worship. We come together to worship because we are commanded to worship in community. We need each other. Maybe our New Year's Resolution this year should just be that we will be part of the Christian community and not give up on meeting with each other.
Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Leviticus 18
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