Our lives are a journey, from day to day and through the years. There are hectic times and slow times, but we always move on – through the work week, the weekend break, family activities and obligations. Where do we fit in God? When do we experience his love?
I get the most out of worship when I make it an integral part of my weekly flow. Worship for me is not a detour or a pause for a Godly “time out.” Instead I am joining the journeys of those in the St James’ community, sharing God’s presence and love as it is happening in the moment, and then carrying the experience of that time together into the week.
There are many parts of worship; each making me aware of a different way God is present in my life. The power of these vary for me from week to week:
- Community – God loves and acts through all of us
- Ritual – God is permanent, unchanged by the times
- Music – Praise God!
- The word – God guides us
- The bread and wine – Jesus is with us and saves us
Each Sunday, I carry something from worship into the week – a call to action from Anna or Lori’s sermon, something to ponder from the lesson, a ritual moment that put me in the presence of God, an affirming interaction with our church family.
I find if I don’t make a practice of regular worship, of being intentional about including worship with others, I lose touch with my faith, I forget God’s grace and lose awareness of his presence and love, and it becomes hard for me to see God in others. I tend to drift, I lose the anchor of God. In this winding journey of life, Sunday worship is both a welcome respite and a re-orientation. It reminds me of the gifts of god that we are to share with others in our lives.
~John Butterfield