Listen

With what should I approach the Lord and bow down before God on high? Should I come before him with entirely burned offerings, with year-old calves? Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams, with many torrents of oil? Should I give my oldest child for my crime; the fruit of my body for the sin of my spirit? He has told you, human one, what is good and what the Lord requires from you: to do justice, embrace faithful love, and walk humbly with your God.

Micah 6:6-8

Think

The prophet begins by asking questions we might not always be asking. Often, we just show up at church and expect to have a positive experience. We want the music to be things that we like and appreciate. We want the sermon to not be too long and to speak to us. We want to feel welcome and like we belong. We want it to be a positive experience for us. None of these are bad hopes, but they can make the whole experience about us.

What does God want from us when we come to worship? God wants us to bring experiences and stories about doing justice. God wants us to be able to talk about how we have loved and been loved. God wants it not to be all about us.

Our worship is something we practice all week long by loving, speaking, and acting for justice and by focusing on others. This is our worship, which we bring together with others.

Andrew Kellner

Question to Ponder:

How do your actions throughout the week impact your experience of worship?

Pray

God, all my life can be worship of you, through the actions I do and the words that I say.

Help me to bring you worship through justice and love.

Help me to lift up others.

Amen.

Go

Go with the strength that comes from God.

Go and speak the words God has given you.