Ordinary Time 
Pause
I bet you know the song, Jesus Loves Me. It begins, “Jesus loves me, this I know, for the Bible tells me so.” But, how does that love, God’s caring presence, become tangible in our lives?
Listen
All the angels stood in a circle around the throne, and around the elders and the four living creatures. They fell facedown before the throne and worshipped God, saying,
“Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might be to our God forever and always. Amen.”
Revelation 7:11-12
Think
Does God have a bad case of amnesia? Or, maybe God has low self-esteem. Otherwise, why would God want us to dedicate so much of our lives to praise and reciting/remembering the divine attributes? Restated, does God need our praise? Certainly not.
As a young adult, I began questioning my faith. While many might consider this unfortunate, it was a blessing for me, a blessing that deepened my faith and understanding of God. One of my questions was about worship. Simply put, I asked, “Why do we do this? What is the point of this often-repetitive activity?”
Now I realize that God doesn’t have amnesia; I do. I worship God and recite aspects of God’s power, attributes, and love, but by the time I get home from church, I have already forgotten. Worship isn’t for God; it is from God, a gift from God. And this gift reminds us of all the ways God is active in our lives. It builds our hope, our peace, and our confidence.
Wade Griffith
Question to Ponder:
Why do you worship?
Pray
Lord, help me to pour out my heart in praise whether I feel like it or not. Use my acts of worship to remind me who (and whose) I am. I want to worship you because…
Give me joy in my heart as I glorify your name. Amen.
Go
Open your eyes to the caring presence of God and all the ways God’s love is active in our lives. Receive it and allow God to use you to manifest that love in the lives of others.
