Introduction
I have been going along to worship for as long as I can remember. My earliest memories are of going to Mass and being fascinated by it. My mother had no worries that I might cry, scream or throw things when we went to Mass. I was always transfixed by the colours, the smell, the sounds and the people. As I grew up I understood what these things actually meant in the context of worship and, as I grew even older, I came to know and appreciate different types of worship. In my teens I came to experience charismatic worship; here there was not as much colour or smell but lots of energy and sound. I became intoxicated with the joy of lively worship. As I have become friends with Fr. Ian at this church I have often joined him and members of his congregation for Evensong - indeed when he was on holiday a few weeks ago I took evensong on a couple of occasions. The quiet beauty of the sixteenth century language, the large sections of scripture and the responses asking for peace and quiet in a dangerous world also speak to me of worship.
Many of us have experienced many different types of worship and, when the chips are down, the differences between the denominational styles of worship are as much to do with taste as they are with theology. Today we start a three week series thinking about the place of worship in our lives, and today, in the context of this weekend of celebration, I want to explore for a short while what worship actually is.
Worship in Isaiah and Revelation
We start with our readings from the Bible. In the passage from Isaiah we get a glimpse of a vision that Isaiah had of worship. In this vision he was transported from the Temple in Jerusalem, where he had gone to pray, to a heavenly Temple. He saw the Lord seated on a throne and surrounded by heavenly creatures who were crying out with praise to God. Isaiah became concerned with his own sinfulness and went through a form of confession which then led him to respond to God's call on his life.
In our reading from Revelation we read of an incredible gathering of heavenly beings, martyred saints, four breathtaking creatures, all focused on a majestic throne occupied by a Presence too awesome and fearful to describe and there is a Lamb which has been mortally wounded - yet lives. The gathering is punctuated by loud cries, angels fall on their faces while multitudes wave palm branches and sing joyfully day and night without ceasing.
What in the world is going on?
Actually, this scene does not take place in the world at all. It takes place in heaven where the author of Revelation has been transported, like Isaiah, in a vision into the realm of heaven. Here an awesome and joyous celebration of God's redemptive plan takes place and the Lamb of God which was slain now is a shepherd who graciously cares for the whole redeemed population.
Our reading from the Book of Revelation is a window into heavenly worship. An innumerable gathering of people from every nation and every tongue stands waving palm branches while shouting:
"Salvation belongs to our God who is seated on the throne, and to the Lamb!"
Our Worship - A Reflection of the Worship in Heaven
As we gather for worship today, and each week, we move through the same aspects of worship that we read of in these two passages. We move through prayer, praise, and the word of God, and our hearts are united with the saints of all the ages. We join them as we pour thanksgiving from our hearts for the great gift of God's redeeming grace. It is as though in worship we join a heavenward procession of the saints into the presence of the One who is seated on the throne.
At last the hearts of all the saints of every age along with all the heavenly realm are united in praise. Listen once again:
And all the angels stood round about the throne, and about the elders and the four beasts, and fell before the throne on their faces, and worshipped God, Saying, Amen: Blessing, and glory, and wisdom, and thanksgiving, and honour, and power, and might, be unto our God for ever and ever. Amen.
Now all voices are joined and every heart is united in worship that shall never end. Here is the beautiful thing about worship - we are most fully who God created us to be when we are involved in authentic worship.
Our Need to Worship
Now all this makes us ask, why do we worship. I think sometimes we think as if our worship is doing God a favour. Maybe we think that by offering our worship to God we will gain some form of benefit. But if we think this we fall short of what the purpose of worship is. For worship is for our benefit, not God's. God does not need our worship which is only true and authentic if it is freely given.
When Moses was commissioned by God to bring the people of Israel out of bondage and into a promised land, he was told to deliver this message to Pharaoh, Then the LORD said to Moses, "Go to Pharaoh and say to him, 'Thus says the LORD: Let my people go, so that they may worship me. [Exodus.8:1] The whole trial which fell upon Pharaoh and the land of Egypt was precipitated when Moses told Pharaoh that he and his people had to leave Egypt so that they could worship the Lord. Finally, Pharaoh had enough:
Then he summoned
Moses and Aaron in the night, and said, "Rise up, go away from my people,
both you and the Israelites! Go, worship the LORD, as you said. Take your flocks
and your herds, as you said, and be gone.
[Exodus 12:31-32a]
Worship is not a peripheral activity in the Christian life, nor a duty to be endured. Worship is the central reality of a soul which is freed from the oppression of the world and delivered into the presence of God where worship is the heartbeat of heaven.
We Are Made to Glorify God
Most of the established churches have written a set of questions and answers about the Christian faith called catechisms. In the one I learnt as a child the first question was: "Who made you" and the answer was, of course "God made me". The second question was "Why did God make you?", to which the answer was "God made me to know him, love him and serve him in this world and be happy with him forever in the next". (Please excuse the lack of inclusivity!) The Protestant Westminster Catechism points to the highest goal of human living as it says almost the same thing:
Question 1: What is the chief and highest end of humanity?
Answer: Humanity's chief and highest end is to glorify God, and fully to enjoy God forever.
St Augustine taught that our hearts are restless until they find their rest in God - who created us.
Taking Time to Worship
If this is true, then the most significant act any human being can accomplish is the act of worshipping God. And yet, many people consider worship a waste of time. In an interview with Time magazine, Bill Gates said in effect that worship is a waste of time because it had failed to pass his cost-benefit analysis. In other words Mr Gates felt that the time spent in worship did not give a good enough return to him.
But Gates is not alone. According to theologian Marva J. Dawn, worship is a waste of time. Listen to these words from her book on worship.
"To worship the Lord is -- in the world's eyes -- a waste of time. It is, indeed, a royal waste of time, but a waste nonetheless. By engaging in it, we don't accomplish anything useful in our society's terms."
There is a critical point here. None of us who have gathered here today would agree with Bill Gates - and yet - we do live in a society which values productivity and measures the value of a person's life by what they do and how much they accomplish.
Even though we would not go all the way with the attitude of people like Mr. Gates, there is a pressure on our commitment to worship that subtly begins to make worship one of the many "things" that make up our busy lives.
Be very careful of this trap. Worship is not one of the "things" in our lives that takes time, it is the central reality of a Christian's life where we discover and rediscover the wonder of who God made us to be. Worship is not so much something that is done "out there" in the church, but something that flows from "within" and is then joined with the worship that flows from your heart. Our hearts and souls are united in celebrating the redemption we have in Jesus and our worship here is joined with the worship of all of God's people on this earth and with the worship of the saints of all the ages. Worship is where we come together and participate in the one reality that will endure forever.
So What is Worship then?
Our text in Revelation points to three enduring and enriching realities concerning worship:
Worship is Inclusive
The countless multitude that is gathered before the throne of God is made up of worshippers from, "All tribes and peoples and languages." All are invited to respond to the grace of God and join in worship and none should be prevented. One of the blights on Christian history is when one group of human beings prevents another group from being included in worship. All people are created in the image of God and discover their true worth in the worship of God. The church is made strong and its witness made real when worship is inclusive.
Worship is Rooted in Redemption
Why does the multitude worship? An elder explains to the writer of Revelation that the multitude is made up of persons who, "...have washed their robes and made them clean in the blood of the Lamb. For this reason they are before the throne of God, and worship day and night..."
We worship because God has broken down every barrier that stands before us and God's own self and has given the gift of Jesus so that we might live in righteousness before the throne of God.
Worship Celebrates God's Gracious Care
Revelation says: "The one who is seated on the throne will shelter them." Worship and the care of God for the children of God are closely connected. As we worship, we are embraced by the one who reigns over all things and has all things under control. In worship we join with all who hear and respond to the call of God, we celebrate the redemption we have in Jesus Christ and we rest in the arms of the one who will care for us forever!
Conclusion
We worship because we are made to do so; how we worship is not as important as the fact that we offer worship to God. We do so because it is good for us! In worship we realise that God's realm is bigger than our human limitations are comfortable with; we give thanks for our redemption and we experience God's gracious care. All this means that worship is a vital activity for us. We need therefore to strive to be in worship each week. We have different options for worship - at the moment our main Sunday service and a monthly quieter service focused on ancient and modern chants, periods of silence and reflection. Over the next year we hope to make this monthly service a weekly one and to offer a new service on Sunday morning designed to appeal to those who want a more traditional, Catholic experience of worship. Whatever our tastes are, however, in terms of worship, we need to realise that the style is not as important as the actual fact that we are worshipping. We need to make attending worship a top priority but when we can't come use the Internet to connect with our church home. On the internet we can read the sermon and discuss it with others. We worship, not because we need to please God, but because it is for this we were made. Amen.
This sermon was first preached in the Metropolitan Community Church of Manchester. Click here for further information.