I am Thankful for Sunday Morning Worship

I love Sunday morning worship. I am usually stressed when I wake up, with the sermon and other worship considerations to think about. But when I get to the church all of that fades away. It is great to see brothers and sisters in Christ, my friends, come into the building. We are family, bringing our joys, sorrows, hopes, and fears together. I especially love seeing the children and youth. I know God has great plans for each of them.

Cheryl is co-pastor and coordinates all of our special worship events. She helps us be both creative and faithful to our heritage. We have wonderful volunteer worship leaders at New Covenant. Whether they are singing, playing musical instruments, participating in drama/dance, or some other activity they do it first as a personal act of worship which invites others into the presence of God with them. And they are talented.

When we pray our people really pray with each other. When we sing they commune with God. They listen to and brag on my sermons and they find many ways to show Cheryl and me they love us.

Most significantly for me, Sunday morning worship is a time for me to know Christ in the fellowship of the church. I continually benefit from the fellowship of His resurrection. I desire to join Paul in desiring to know Him in the fellowship of His suffering; He continually knows me in my suffering. I do know Him in the fellowship of the saints. Some in the early church referred to Sunday as the “eighth day of the week.” It was the new Sabbath, the day Christ entered into eternal rest and we with Him. It was also the day of a new genesis, in the resurrection of Christ a new order of creation was born. They understood that on Sunday we were gathered together with all of the saints, past, present, and future, around the throne of God. The “not yet” was “already.” That’s what Sunday worship is for me. For those couple of hours I am “living in Canaan now, Egypt behind.” As the Body, we enter into the divine dance of the Holy Trinity, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit knowing each other in the rhythm and melody of eternal life.

I am thankful for Sunday morning worship. In the fellowship of the saints, the grace of God abounds toward me. I am renewed and strengthened.

Cleveland, Tennessee
January 24, 2010
JDJ