Written by Jeff Duncan
For those who had the privilege of being with us Palm Sunday, wasn’t it an amazing time of worship with our children at the front waving palm branches? So good! We had a glimpse of what it would have been like as Jesus entered Jerusalem. The simplicity of a child’s worship! With all that is happening in the world today, we may be asking ourselves, “What are we to do?” We have our answer. God painted a picture for us: Worship!
In the Palm Sunday story that we find in Luke 19, it says, “the whole crowd of disciples began joyfully to praise God in loud voices." What is interesting to note is that not everyone was happy with this joyful worship lavished on Jesus. Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to Jesus, “Teacher, rebuke your disciples!” “I tell you,” he replied, “if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out.” Luke 19:37-40
We were made for worship. Many things try to stop us from worship. Sometimes it can be the voice of criticism in our own minds, to others or even to ourselves. Several years ago, I had a dream that convicted me of my own Pharisee-like attitude, particularly when others led worship. At the time I was one of three worship leaders in the church we attended. It was common for me to have judgmental thoughts when others were leading: “Why did he pick this song?... He doesn’t play that song very well… This song is too slow…” On and on the criticisms would go (too many to list here), not realizing I was robbing myself of the joy of participating fully in worship.
During this time, I had a dream where I was in a worship service at our church and the typical thoughts of criticism were going through my mind. However, in the dream, there was a microphone plugged into the side of my head and every negative thought I had was being broadcast over the PA, so everyone could hear! I was shocked and humiliated!
I woke up and said, “Lord!” He responded and said, “That’s the way I hear it in heaven!”
I repented. Some of you have heard me tell this story before, but even retelling it here reminds me to worship as freely and joyfully as I saw our kids worshipping last Sunday and also to not criticize others, or even myself. Worship is an offering. We give what we have. 2 Cor. 8:12 says "For if the willingness is there, the gift is acceptable according to what one has, not according to what one does not have."
We were made to worship. You are invited to bring an offering of worship this Easter Sunday.
Give unto the Lord the glory due unto his name: Bring an offering, and come into his
courts. O worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness. Ps. 96:8,9
