We’ve come through the Easter season. We’ve celebrated the Triumphant Entry, Jesus
entering Jerusalem to the crowd’s praise. We’ve followed the events of the Passion
Week, Jesus’ final confrontations with the religious leaders. We’ve remembered the
Lord’s Last Supper, His final meal with the disciples, a Passover meal that Jesus said
He “desired with great desire” to share with His followers before He suffered. And we
have remembered the trials, the beating, and the burial. Most importantly, we have
remembered the resurrection, the foundation of all we believe.
So many big things, big moments, big events. Sometimes the smaller things get
missed. But sometimes the smaller things are important, really important.
Mark, in recording the Last Supper, notes that they ended it with a hymn. Matthew
writes the same. The wording is identical. Tradition teaches that they sang the Hallel
during the meal, beginning with Psalm 113 and ending with Psalm 118. If so, these
would have been their final words:
The stone which the builders refused is become the head stone of the corner.
This is the LORD'S doing; it is marvelous in our eyes.
This is the day which the LORD hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.
Save now, I beseech thee, O LORD: O LORD, I beseech thee, send now prosperity.
Blessed be he that cometh in the name of the LORD: we have blessed you out of the house of the LORD.
God is the LORD, which hath shewed us light: bind the sacrifice with cords,
even unto the horns of the altar.
Thou art my God, and I will praise thee: thou art my God, I will exalt thee.
O give thanks unto the LORD; for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever.
Chilling in their accuracy, predicting perfectly both the events to come and the emotions that would be part of them.
Therefore we must be mindful in our times of difficulty and trial, mindful to worship.
Worship is so important. It gives us the mental and emotional framework to handle the
challenges we face. Time and again in Scripture worship and praise are preceded by
“I will.” I will sing unto the Lord, for He has triumphed victoriously…
I often observe that believers wait to worship. We wait until the mood strikes us, or the
worship is of a style we like. We wait for the worship team to “get it going.” Now there’s
nothing wrong with the mood to worship striking us, or as Tevye would say, “May the
Lord smite me with it, and may I never recover.” But waiting for it is a mistake. Praise
that we lift to God when we don’t feel like it is a precious offering.
And there is nothing like worship in a style or mode that appeals to us. God made us
with unique tastes. But my taste for style should never restrict my worship. It is in fact
possible to offer true and genuine worship even when the person behind you is off key,
and the worship team is a bit out of sync.
The point is simple. Worship is vital. It should be part of everything we do.