A sermon from The Rev. Dr. David A. Marcus, Jr. preached on June 14, 2009 that examines our experiences when we come together to worship God
A sermon based on Isaiah 6:1-8
Next Sunday is a very special Sunday in my ministry in the Moravian Church. 13 years ago at Little Church on the Lane in Charlotte I was ordained as a deacon. While my actual ordination date was June 23rd making Tuesday of the following week the actual anniversary date, we ministers often associate things with Sundays. Many things about ministry have certainly changed a great deal since 1996 when I was ordained. The technology that we use in the church office and when we are out and about has increased our efficiency and our ability to respond to members more quickly. The chances I would have been able to receive a cell phone call yesterday from Worth informing me of his brother in law’s passing and the need for me to preach today in replace of him may not have been possible. While the cell phones were available in 1996 few ministers actually used them. In a similar way, we no longer have to pick up a telephone to get an answer to a question from a church member; we can simply email them and receive an almost instantaneous response.
One thing that has not changed too much at least for me in ministry is the way we worship God on Sundays. During my four years at Covenant Moravian we used the 1995 Hymnal in worship so there was an adjustment period of moving back into the 1969 Hymnal when I came to New Philadelphia in 2000. Despite that difference, we prayed a liturgy, sang hymns, read Scripture, collected an offering and listened to a sermon. Having worshipped in our Moravian Unity in Nicaragua and in Tanzania with the exception of language barriers and the length of services, we worship in much the same way.
As I think of the subject of worship, one question I have often been asked from friends is whether I would be in worship every Sunday if I were not an ordained minister. They say, “Dave, there are fun activities to do with your wife and child, chores to be done at home, books to read, movies to see, games to watch, and golf courses to play. What motivates people to abandon the television set or put off another event in order to worship each Sunday? Thinking about that question, I suspect that for some, their answer would be “habit.” Study habits, exercise routines, good financial management and budgeting are all good habits it is good self discipline. Attending worship is no different it is a good spiritual habit. Some of us are here because it is our habit. But there is something lacking in that answer, because sometime earlier in our lives, we didn’t come to worship out of habit. We had to make the decision that this was a discipline we wanted to follow. Others of us may come to worship because we are struggling with God. We are grieving or we are hurting. We are lost, or we are lonely. Our attendance at worship is part of our search for answers. Still others may be here against our will. You come here because your parents make you or a spouse wants you to come, and if you want your life to go smoothly over the next day or two, giving into them about coming to worship is the easy thing to do.
In the Scripture passage I read this morning we see the prophet Isaiah begins with the description of an awe-inspiring vision of God as a King on a throne. Surrounding this throne was a creature called a seraphim. Scholars believe that these seraphim belonged to an order of unearthly beings that cared for the throne of God. Isaiah later wrote about this significant encounter he had with God in greater detail. We too can have a significant encounter with God in worship if we apply some lessons learned through this passage.
This morning we will take a look at three things that should happen to us in worship. The first thing we need is an awareness of God in worship. The most significant occurrence in worship happens when we focus our attention on God. Isaiah’s awareness of God produced some great assurances for him. During this time Isaiah came to the temple, King Uzziah, who became king of Judah at the age of 16 and served as king for 52 years, had just died. Despite the political unrest in his country, Isaiah in this temple realized that God should always be the focus of worship. Genuine worship starts with God. At times in our lives, at times in worship, God seems strangely absent, but the problem is not that God has disappeared it could be that we have disappeared.
A story is told about a person who dreamed that an angel escorted them to church one Sunday. The person saw the organist playing, the choir singing along with the congregation all with great enthusiasm. However for this person, they were unable to hear anything and the same thing happened when the minister began preaching—they saw the pastor moving his lips but they could not hear the message. When the person asked the angel for an explanation they replied, “This is the way it sounds to us sometimes in heaven.” The angel said, “People are engaged in the form of worship but their thoughts are on other things and their hearts are far away.” In a magazine article entitled, “Everything Goes Better with Worship!” the author wrote, “A rowboat in the sand is hard to move. But when the tide comes in, it is easy. The church is like that. When genuine worship is absent from the church she struggles to do her work, but when a tide of praise uplifts her heart everything goes better.”
When Isaiah became aware of God in worship, he began to view himself differently. In doing so, Isaiah recognized the second thing that should happen when we worship. The second thing we need to do in worship is seek forgiveness for our sin. Isaiah described this using two words, iniquity and sin. The word iniquity in Hebrew is defined as “to twist.” The word sin can be defined in countless ways but sin is anything in life that allows you to fall short of God’s purposes. With these two definitions in mind, “How often do we feel we are twisting away from God’s purpose in our lives? As Isaiah became aware of his sin, he realized how much he needed God in his life. In return for this self-discovery, God began to grant him forgiveness and he sensed what freedom was all about.
Thinking of the subject of freedom, there is the story told of a young girl who recently came to the Washington Monument and noticed a guard standing by it. The little girl looked up at the guard and said, “I want to buy this.” The guard stooped down and said, “How much do you have?” She reached into her pocket and pulled out a dollar bill which of course depicts George Washington. “That’s not enough, the guard said smiling. She answered, “I thought you would say that so she pulled out another five one dollar bills. The guard while amused at this interaction took this as an opportunity to provide what he hoped would be a teachable moment for this child. He looked at the young girl and said, “Young lady you need to understand three things: First, one dollar is not enough to buy this Monument. In fact, a billion dollars is not enough to buy the Washington Monument. Second the Washington Monument is not for sale. And third, if you are an American citizen, the Washington Monument already belongs to you.”
Likewise, we need to understand three things about forgiveness: First we cannot earn it, second it is not for sale and third, if we accept Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior, we already have it. As our Scripture passage from 2nd Corinthians says:
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has passed away, behold the new has come. (2nd Corinthians 5:17)
Isaiah teaches us one final thing we need when we come to worship God, the discipline not to leave God behind in the pews when we depart. In worship, we must depart with a willing spirit to serve God. Isaiah did not just have an encounter with God in the temple. His experience led to service in the world. All kinds of needs existed in Judah. People there needed to learn more about God and how God could provide for those who are in need. To meet these human needs God will always provide human instruments. God is always searching for volunteers as evidenced by these words from Isaiah:
And I heard the voice of the Lord saying: Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Isaiah responded, “Here I am; send me!” (Isaiah 6:8)
As we think of service in God’s kingdom, I think it is up to all of us to determine whether or not we practice what I call basin theology. A basin according to Webster’s Dictionary is a circular vessel with sloping or curving sides used typically for holding water for washing. In the Bible there are two accounts we should all be familiar with where a basin was used. In one instance, Pontius Pilate when he had the chance to release Jesus to the crowd called for a basin and washed his hands symbolically of the whole situation. But Jesus, the night before his death, called for a basin and proceeded to wash the feet of His disciples. When we leave worship this morning what type of basin theology will we practice? Will we wash our hands of our morning worship upon entering the parking lot, or will we remember the love of God we have and try to share His love with others through our words and actions?
In one of the beatitudes Jesus says,
“Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled.” (Matthew 5:6)
If we enter into worship with little or no appetite for God, then we will leave with having never tasted of Hs majesty and goodness. We come to worship hopefully to be filled with a hunger. There is an old French proverb that says, “A good meal ought to begin with hunger.” It is hard to enjoy a good meal when you are not hungry, but when you are starving anything tastes good! The same is true with worship. When we approach worship with a hunger for God, starving for a spiritual connection with Him we will always be fulfilled and satisfied. My hope and prayer for us this day is that we will always have a hunger for worship.
Finis
The Rev. Dr. David A. Marcus, Jr.