What is worship that pleases God? The prophet Amos reminds us that the kind of worship God accepts and delights in, is not just when we sing, pray, listen to the sermon and even kneel in worship at home or in church on Sundays or days set aside to offer our praise and thanks to God. Worship is only acceptable to God if justice is done, not once or twice but every time we are in situations that demands it. So the question is: Are we just making noise or are we pleasing God with our worship?
What happened in the first week and third week of January in Minneapolis, Minnesota resulting in the deaths of Renee Good and Alex Tretti raises the concern about what is just and right. For all who confess Jesus is Lord, it calls for prayer, discernment and response. Why? Because what has happened and continues to happen is not just a political or ideological issue. As someone pointed out on social media, “At the heart of Christianity is not the question of whether it is progressive or conservative. Rather, is it Christ-like?” It is a human concern that is of primary importance to God. God cares for every human being, each created in God’s image. Hard it may be to believe God desires everyone to be saved. How then do we pray and respond as people of faith committed to be the hands and feet of Jesus when human beings like us are treated as if they do not matter? In my view, we look to the prophets in the Old Testament and Jesus our Lord and Savior to guide us.
God’s spokesperson, the prophet Amos, proclaimed a message to Israel and by extension to us today: justice (right action) and righteousness (right relationship with God, people and God’s creation) go hand in hand with worship. God was saying through Amos, “Stop calling on me and singing praises to me when you treat people unkindly and commit murder, lie and steal. I will not listen!” Israel was the first to hear this message not just from Amos but many other prophets. Sadly they persecuted and even tried to kill God’s prophets and refused to listen and repent. The consequences of their disobedience to God were devastating leading to the collapse of the divided kingdoms of Judah and Israel. Those who survived the Babylonian conquest of Judah were exiled to Babylon and the destruction of the Temple in 586 B.C.E. left Jerusalem in ruins. Worship in the temple was no longer possible. It was a seemingly hopeless situation.
But God promised the righteous remnant – the few who heeded God’s message through the prophets – a MESSIAH who will restore God’s kingdom not by military power and domination but by self-giving love and humble service. God’s promise was fulfilled in the birth of Jesus who proclaimed that he was God’s Chosen to announce God’s reign of justice, peace and deliverance for those who were oppressed. In his teaching, healing, and feeding ministry, Jesus proclaimed that his kingdom was not patterned after the ways of this world. Without resorting to violence he was chosen by God to come and set the captives free (Luke 4:18)
Jesus was by no means a doormat type of leader just because he knelt down to wash his disciples’ feet. He had sharp words of rebuke against political and religious leaders of his day. He denounced the murderous King Herod calling him a fox, and he referred to the scribes and Pharisees as a “brood of vipers,” “the blind leading the blind.” But to the poor, the sick, the grieving, the widows, the orphans, the foreigners, and children he offered food, healing, comfort and blessings.
Jesus showed us that true worship flows out of how we treat each other including this world that God has given us to care for not to exploit. He did not save us so we can sit around waiting until we go to heaven when we die. Nor did he command us to go and make disciples by force and if necessary violence. Jesus came as Lord and Savior so we can join him in establishing God’s reign here on earth by acts of compassion, truth-telling, generosity and just dealings with everyone. Jesus is the True King who rejoices in our worship when we “live justly, and walk humbly with him.” (Micah 6:8) This means that we live according to Jesus’s Way of love, justice, mercy and kindness. He commanded us to love our neighbors as ourselves, even our enemies and pray for them. But mindful of the truth that loving our enemies does not mean excusing the evil that they do. With Jesus, we are to humbly affirm God’s forgiveness and grace on us and those who do evil, saying “Go and sin no more.”
The season of Lent that begins on February 18 (Ash Wednesday) gives us the opportunity to pray, reflect and respond in the 40 days leading to Easter. The question raised by the prophet Amos challenges us to look within ourselves and ask: “Would God be pleased with how we are treating each other including the most vulnerable among us?” If the answer is No then the prophets and Jesus’s message to us is: REPENT and Do what God desires! Then, God will listen to our singing and accept our worship. And it is from this kind of worship that we can truly shine the light of Jesus in a world darkened by evil and death. “Come, Lord Jesus,” lead us and let the waters of your justice roll down like an ever-flowing stream. Amen.
A Blessed Lenten season to you all!
Yours in Christ’s peace,
Pastor Carla
