Worship and prayer are those sacred times set aside to encounter the living and vibrant God who will change our lives, and set us about the task of “thy Kingdom come, on earth, as it is in Heaven.” Worship and prayer are the keys which open the liberating door to the horrible dungeons of fear and uncertainty. Worship is when we look for God asking, “Who are you? May we see Your face, listen to Your heart, and touch the hem of Your Garment? We tell God, “You who are so mighty, we sense Your Power and Holiness. We seek Your Presence and Your Essence.” We confess admitting, “We have fallen short of living in The Image in which we were created.” We admit our reliance upon God, begging, “Give us this day ‘our daily bread’, and deliver us from the messes we have made of all Your Perfect and Abundant Blessings.” We ask God to change our lives— “Let us be more of a joy to Your Heart and a benefit to Your Kingdom tomorrow than we were yesterday. When we look into the mirror, please let us find reflections of You, rather than a creations of our own making. We pursue God’s wisdom, declaring “We are lost without You, so reveal to us Your Purpose and Path.”
Worship is where we sign the contract, “We will be good stewards of the Image in which we were created!” Prayer is the two-way street where upon we graciously invite God’s voice, “Speak! Your servants are listening!”
How many, many hours of our lives are spent each week in some form of fellowship. How few minutes of our are spent in prayer and worship.
In well-crafted, inspired, true-hearted worship, every word read, prayed, and spoken is an Avenue to the Divine. Every note of music played or sung is a Boulevard to The Spirit.
Now, don’t get me wrong. The fellowship of Sunday School class and choir, of circle meeting and mens’ club, of Bible study and work day—these things are true treasures. And, please save me a spot at “covered dish.”
But, as spiritually searching Christians, worship is absolutely our highest calling. Worship is the time we submit. It is the time when we roll on our back like trusting puppies, saying,“We trust You with the tender, vulnerable, boneless skin of our bellies and all our vital organs. Stroke, caress, and soothe us. Then, O God, let us live by your rules, gazing with every heartbeat into Your eyes, believing in untold, exquisite tomorrows in Your Loving Care.”
We “fellowship” in the car, in the store, at the computer, in Sunday School class, in choir practice, on the cell phone. We fellowship a lot. How many, many hours of our personal and church lives do we spend in fellowship?
How few minutes each week at home, in the car, and at church do we give to true worship and prayer? How many times each week do we look through the window and try to catch a glimpse of The Divine?
So, I find myself back at my original question: Is one more important than the other? Fellowship? Worship? And, I remember the ancient direction “Remember the Sabbath, and keep it holy.”
