Letters to Annie: Praise and Worship God Every Day (Not Just on Sundays)

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“When I look at my boyfriend I see a man after God's own heart. 

He prays for me. He prays with me and he encourages me to pray more.”

Dear Annie,

            Happy Sunday morning! I’m sure you’ll look great and beautiful at church service later. Oh, how I wish I can be there with you in person. To worship God and fellowship together with you. Good news, I will be coming to meet you next month dear. I love you deeply!

            I’ve been thinking about this theme of worship lately, my dear Annie. The Bible verse that keeps ringing in my mind is Matthew 4:10, “Worship the Lord your God and… serve Him only.” As if the Lord is saying to me – to us – that if we want to enjoy a better life and better relationships we must enjoy God by worshiping Him seven days a week, not just on Sundays. Billy Graham puts it this way: “We are never more fulfilled than when our longing for God is met by His presence in our lives.”

            God has a wonderful plan for our lives, and an important part of that plan includes the time that we set aside for praise and worship Him. Every life, including ours, is based upon some form of worship. The question is not whether we will worship, but what we worship. Andrew Murray has a suggestion: “Each time, before you intercede, be quiet and worship God in His glory. Think of what He can do and how He delights to hear the prayers of His redeemed people. Think of your place and privilege in Christ, and expect great things!” If we choose to worship God, we will receive a bountiful harvest of joy, peace, and abundance. But if we distance ourselves from God by foolishly worshiping earthly possessions and personal gratification, we’re making a huge mistake.

            Right after I thought of these things about worship, my love Annie, I resolute to worship God today and every day. To worship Him with sincerity and thanksgiving. To write His name on my heart and rest assured that He, too, has written my name on His. Isn’t that awesome?! Your name is also on His. Ah yes, worship is not meant to be boxed up in a church building on Sunday morning only. On the contrary, praise and worship should be woven into the very fabric of our lives. So I ask myself: do I take time each day to worship my Father in Heaven, or do I wait until Sunday morning to praise Him for His blessings? My answer to this question every day will, in large part, determine the quality and direction of my life. I know that when I worship God with all my heart (or not), it will affect not just my relationship with God, but also the way I treat others, especially you, my dear. I want to be the best boyfriend for you. Let’s worship God accordingly.  

Btw: Dear, reading the Word of God is also part of worship. Don’t forget to eat this Food.

Everything else can wait, but don’t neglect this ya.

Again, Happy Sunday morning! J

Akui nyalam ika,

Richard

THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.

History behind "The Twelve Days of Christmas" Hymn

Many historians believe the well-known children song, The Twelve Days of Christmas, is actually a Christian hymn in disguise. During the reign of England’s Queen Elizabeth I, a staunch Protestant, English Catholics were oppressed and persecuted (during Protestant-Catholic religious war). Priests met secretly with small groups of Catholics, risking their lives to conduct worship and observe mass.

Under such circumstances, it was difficult to train or catechize Catholic children. But an unknown, clever priest found a unique way to teaching the Gospel to children, using the theme of the twelve days between Christmas and Epiphany, when the Wise Men, according to tradition, arrived with their gifts for the Christchild.

The priest hid biblical truth in the symbols he used in his carol, beginning with the words: “On the first day of Christmas my true love gave to me…” The “True Love” referred to God the Father, and the “Me” represents the Christian who receives the gift. The “Partridge in the Pear Tree” is Jesus Christ. Why a partridge? Mother partridges are known for feigning injury to decoy predators from their babies. The children were thereby taught about Christ’s sacrifice on our behalf.

The two turtle doves represented the Old and New Testaments. The three French hens symbolized faith, hope, and love – the three great virtues we should display as we come to know Christ as Lord and read the Old and New Testaments. The other symbols*:

·        Four calling birds – the four Gospels

·        Five golden rings – the first five books of the Bible, the Pentateuch

·        Six geese a laying – the six days of creation

·        Seven swans a-swimming – the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit

·        Eight maids a-milking – the eight Beatitudes of Matthew 5

·        Nine ladies dancing – nine choirs of angels

·        Ten lords a-leaping – the Ten Commandments

·        Eleven pipers piping – the eleven faithful apostles

·        Twelve drummers drumming – the twelve articles of the Apostles’ Creed

So, next time if you listen to or sing ‘The Twelve Days of Christmas’, remember that it was composed to teach the Gospel of Jesus Christ to its listeners. Sing, people sing, with your voice and heart, words and meanings – sing Christmas songs!

THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP. MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Reference:

Robert J. Morgan, Preacher’s Sourcebook of Creative Sermon Illustrations (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 2007), p.112

It's Okay to Sing Off-Key this Christmas Eve

“Oh come, let us sing to the Lord;

let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation!” (Psalms 95:1,esv)

In her book In My Father’s House, Corrie Ten Boom used to tell a story about an old monk who sang a Christmas song every Christmas Eve for his brothers in the monastery, and for visitors who would come from the village for the special services. His voice was very ugly, but he loved the Lord and sang from his heart. One year the director of the cloister said,

“I’m sorry, Brother Don, we will not need you this Christmas. We have a new monk who has a beautiful voice.”

The man did sing beautifully, and everyone was happy. But that night an angel came to the superior and said, “Why didn’t you have a Christmas Eve song?”

The superior was very surprised. “We had a beautiful song,” he replied. “Didn’t you hear it?”

The angel shook his head sadly. “It may have been inspiring to you, but we didn’t hear in heaven.”

“You see,” Corrie would say, “the old monk with the raspy voice had a personal relationship with the Lord Jesus, but the young monk was singing for his benefit, not for the Lord.”

This Christmas sing with joy unto the Lord,

Sing with our heart and not just our voice,

Oh come; let us sing to the Lord,

To the rock of our salvation – let us make a joyful noise!

THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.

Intentional Worship

“You are worthy, O LORD our God, to receive glory and honor and power.

For you created all things, and they exist because you created what you pleased”

(Revelation 4:11, NLT)

Karen Burton Mains wrote these well-phrased admonitions about worship in the preface of the hymnbook, Sing Joyfully:

“Worship has been defined as being preoccupied with God. How do we learn to become preoccupied with God? By cultivating intentionally. By deliberately turning our minds toward divine preoccupation. By developing worship habits and working on them. Intentional worship means a worshipper is not going to church expecting that worship will just happen; but intentionality means that a worshipper is going to church determined to make worship happen…

“A church bulletin aptly (said): ‘Too many Christians worship their work, work at their play, and play at their worship.’ We must learn to work at our worship so that preoccupation with God becomes delightfully habitual.

“The biblical ethic regards worship as work. Av’dh in Hebrew, dienst in German, leitourgia in Greek, service in English all have the double meaning of worship and work. In fact, liturgy means ‘common work.’

“We must remind ourselves, over and over, that the focus of Sunday worship must be upon the living Christ among us. In truth, if Christ were bodily present and we could see him with more than our soul’s eyes; all our worship would become intentional. If Christ stood on our platforms, we would bend our knees without asking. If He stretched out His hands and we saw the wounds, our hearts would break; we would confess our sins and weep over our shortcomings. If we could hear His voice leading the hymns, we too would sing heartily; the words would take on meaning. The Bible reading would be lively; meaning would pierce to the marrow of our souls. If Christ walked our aisles, we would hasten to make amends with that brother or sister to whom we had not spoken. We would volunteer for service; the choir loft would be crowded. If we knew Christ would attend our church Sunday after Sunday, the front pews would fill fastest, believers would arrive early, offering plates would be laden with sacrificial but gladsome gifts, and prayers would concentrate our attention.

“Yet… Christ is present.”

“You are worthy, O LORD our God, to receive glory and honor and power.

For you created all things, and they exist because you created what you pleased”

THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.

References:

1) Karen Burton Mains, Sing Joyfully (Carol Stream, IL: Tabernacle Publishing Co., 1989), Pg. 3-6.

2) Robert J. Morgan, Preacher’s Sourcebook of Creative Sermon Illustrations (Nashville, Tennessee: Thomas Nelson, Inc., 2007), pg 814-815