Thoughts for the Day

* St Anne's, Tenby.

The Joy of Worship in the Temple. To the leader: according to The Gittith. Of the Korahites. A Psalm.

How lovely is your dwelling place,
O Lord of hosts!
My soul longs, indeed it faints
for the courts of the Lord;
my heart and my flesh sing for joy
to the living God.

Even the sparrow finds a home,
and the swallow a nest for herself,
where she may lay her young,
at your altars, O Lord of hosts,
my King and my God.
Happy are those who live in your house,
ever singing your praise. Selah

Happy are those whose strength is in you,
in whose heart are the highways to Zion.
As they go through the valley of Baca
they make it a place of springs;
the early rain also covers it with pools.
They go from strength to strength;
the God of gods will be seen in Zion.

O Lord God of hosts, hear my prayer;
give ear, O God of Jacob! Selah
Behold our shield, O God;
look on the face of your anointed.

For a day in your courts is better
than a thousand elsewhere.
would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God
than live in the tents of wickedness.
For the Lord God is a sun and shield;
he bestows favour and honour.
No good thing does the Lord withhold
from those who walk uprightly.
O Lord of hosts,
happy is everyone who trusts in you.

(Lectionary, New Revised Standard Version)

Thoughts

The title for Psalm 84 is 'The Joy of Worship in the Temple'. The writer likely wrote numbers 42 and 43, and is exiled away from Jerusalem. A descendant of a rebel leader he and his brothers were either door-keepers or singers and musicians, and he misses the Temple with its worship of God. We do not have a Temple, but what makes us long to worship God? Do any of these suggestions answer the question? Do you have other suggestions?

• The joy of new birth - animal or child.
• The desire to sing favourite hymns.
• The nostalgia of the past - a season like Christmas.
• The urge to pray for others.
• The need to say 'sorry' to God.
• The wish to express joy at the beauty of nature.
• The need to remember a loved one.
• The desire to worship God with others.
• The wish to thank God.
• The need to be still in mind and heart.

Obviously we don't need to just worship God in a church, but we should remember that we use the word to talk of a congregation as well as of a building. While we can worship God anywhere, primarily the 'Church of God' is a collection of people working out how to live together as God's people on their journey of life. As they celebrate worship together it's also a place where the living God is met through the bread and wine at the service of Holy Communion, whether we call it The Mass, The Eucharist, or The Lord's Supper.

↠ Do we long to worship God in Church, whether it's in a tin chapel, a community centre, or a cathedral?

Lord God,
may we joyfully turn to You
as the Psalmist does when he remembers
worshipping You in the Temple.
He longs to meet once more
in the courts 'of the Lord'.
So may we be grateful for the places
where we worship
and those we see in the congregation.
When we cannot meet together
keep our faith strong
and keep us ever longing for
what we are missing.
Amen.