Sunday Morning Starters – Worship

A Song of Ascents. Of David. I was glad when they said to me, “Let us go into the house of the LORD.” Our feet have been standing within your gates, O Jerusalem! Jerusalem is built as a city that is compact together, where the tribes go up, the tribes of the LORD, to the Testimony of Israel, to give thanks to the name of the LORD. For thrones are set there for judgment, the thrones of the house of David. Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: “May they prosper who love you. Peace be within your walls, prosperity within your palaces.” For the sake of my brethren and companions, I will now say, “Peace be within you.” Because of the house of the LORD our God I will seek your good. (Psalms 122:1-9)

I Was Glad

The spirit of David extols the virtue of worship and gladness to share in praise with the people of God. A psalm of ascent is defined as a psalm that would be sung as the flock of Israel would journey toward Jerusalem for worship. David felt a deep kinship with his Father when he could come to the house of the Lord. At the writing of this psalm David spoke of the Tabernacle as the house of the Lord. Later when Solomon would build the Temple the people would see the magnificence of the house of the Lord rising up from Zion. But David loved to worship the Lord with the people of the Lord.

Every Lord’s day is a special day for all of the saints of God. We are privileged to journey to a place where we can sing songs of praise and glory to the Father. It is a time of prayer when on bended knee the family of God can hold hearts together in thanksgiving. On this day we can be like the early Christians who hungered for the manna from above studying the word of God. As the saved enrolled in Heaven our life is bowed in sorrow as we commune together in the supper of Christ. Yet we lift up our eyes in joy knowing the Lord’s Supper also proclaims the return of our Lord. And we get to spend this day with our spiritual family. PRAISE GOD.

This day is a day of wonderful praise. This day is a day we should eagerly prepare for and say like David, “I WAS GLAD WHEN THEY SAID, ‘LET US GO INTO THE HOUSE OF THE LORD.’ What we do today is not drudgery. It is not a burden. We do not do this because we are forced to. This day is a day we join pilgrims from around the world and make our way to the house of the Lord and WORSHIP. Thank God for WORSHIP. Sing today with a thankful heart. Pray fervently today with a devoted heart. Take of the Supper with a heart filled with the grace of God. Greet everyone today with PRAISE GOD. It is good to be at the house of the Lord. Be glad.

Worship arises as spontaneously in the heart of the religious devotee, as love arises in the heart of the youth who has found in the maiden beauty, inspiration, and understanding. (Charles C. Jasey, Journal of Religion XV, October, 1935)