Friday, February 10, 2006

Preparing to Pray 2/10

And who is this mediator—true God and at the same time
truly human and truly righteous?
Our Lord Jesus Christ, who was given us
to set us completely free and to make us right with God.

-from Heidelberg Catechism Lord’s Day 6, quoted in this week’s CICW worship service outline

Articles for Prayer This Week In public intercessory prayer this week, we pray…

- for peace in Pakistan, where nearly 40 people died in religious violence between Sunnis and Shiites (Assoc. Press).

- for wisdom for Fatmir Sejdiu, the newly elected president of Kosovo (ABC News).

- for victims of hunger in Tahoua, Niger, one of whom was pictured with her starving one-year-old son in a photograph that won the World Press Photo of the Year this week (China Daily)

Themes for Prayer and Worship This Week

- The Impossible Christ: John 20:30-31 and Lord’s Day 6 (Calvin Institute of Christian Worship)

- Lectionary Gospel Text: Mark 2:1-12 and HC Lord’s Day 30 (Center for Excellence in Preaching); Revised Common Lectionary resources from textweek.com

Pondering the Purpose of Worship In addition to our prayers in preparation for worship, we ponder the purpose of worship. This week, we reflect on these words of wisdom about worship as we gather.

Worshiping God is not simply a good thing to do; it is a necessary thing to do to be human. The most profound statement that can be made about us is that we need to join with others in bowing before God in worshipful acts of devotion, praise, obedience, thanksgiving, and petition. What is more, when all the clutter is cleared away from our lives, we human beings do not merely need to engage in corporate worship; we truly want to worship in communion with others. All of us know somewhere in our hearts that we are not whole without such worship, and we hunger to engage in that practice. Thus, planners of worship do not make worship meaningful; worship is already meaningful. We do not manufacture worship that addresses people’s deepest needs; true worship already meets those needs. Our job, then, is to get the distortions out of the way and to plan worship that is authentic, that does not obscure, indeed that magnifies, those aspects of true worship that draw people yearning to be whole.

- Thomas G. Long, Beyond the Worship Wars: Building Vital and Faithful Worship, p. 17

* Listen to a reading of this quote by Nathan Bierma

Earlier:

More Resources for Preparing for Worship

Posted by Nathan Bierma on 02/10 at 05:59 PM
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