I have been pondering ideas related to love, gratitude, attitude,
and worship that were sparked by looking at a story Jesus told in Luke 7. Given
that we gather as a church every Sunday, it is possible for us to think of church simply as a
routine that might be a good thing in our lives, but hey, we all get tired or even
bored of routines.
The main thrust of the story in Luke 7 is not about worship,
but is about love and gratitude. As I thought about my love for and gratitude
toward God for what He has done for me, I was challenged to consider my attitude toward worship and how love and gratitude impact my attitude toward worship. Here is where my pondering took me: when we gather
on a Sunday morning for a time of group worship, I believe that my love and
gratitude toward God should be the motivator for me to be present in a service and for me to
participate in the service. But clearly, my love and gratitude do not start with me. I do not create them. They are
products of or responses to God’s love and forgiveness freely given to me through the Lord
Jesus. To me there should be a wow in our lives, even in the context of a
routine, when we consider what God has done for us. A wow that ignites me to action. When I ponder the truth of what God has done for me,
the idea of gathering with others to worship seems like an incredible blessing,
one in which I want and need to be a part of. Those thoughts are making me very
eager to participate in our worship service on Sunday. Yes we gather every week, but when I consider what God has done, we need to gather very week and give thanks. I hope you are eager to
participate too when you consider what God has done through Christ.
