Worship as a Journey (Psalms of Ascent)
The Psalms of Ascent were Psalms sung on a journey to go to the place of worship. The tabernacle was the place of worship during the days of Moses and Joshua, and the Temple in Jerusalem became the location of worship during the days of King David’s son Solomon. While the people were on their way to worship, they were singing these Psalms of Ascent.
In other words, the people were worshipping on their way to worship. They lived lives of worship even as they went to meet with God. In these Psalms we see the singing worshippers depend on the Lord as they go to meet, and as they return again. We see in the Psalms of Ascent a God who is a provider, a protector, one who (in Psalm 128) is worth obeying and paying reverence.
Our lives are like those who lived in ancient times. Our lives are journeys. Our lives are spent on their way towards the place of eternity. Either our destination is an eternity in God's presence, or an eternity apart from God's presence.
Our lives are journeys of worship, towards worship, with worship as our main means of travel along the way. As Christians, our lives are much like the Psalms of Ascent. We are living out our lives, on our way to the place of the eternal, everlasting, glory and worship of our great God. We are on our way to worship eternally, and while we are on the way we worship during the journey.
We often think of worship as a ceremony. But today I want to encourage you to think like the Psalms of Ascents and see worship as a journey. People on their way to worship were making much of God. They were speaking of God, training each other, encouraging each other even as they were on their way to celebrate feasts and festivals and ceremonies. Worship is like the squares and rectangles thing. All squares are rectangles but not all rectangles are squares. All Godly ceremonies are worship. But worship isn’t only found in Godly ceremonies. Worship is rendered, offered, and given, all throughout our lives in all circumstances. This is some of what Paul was driving in 1 Corinthians 10:31. For the Christian all of life is lived as worship to the Most High God. Changing your tire, shopping for your weekly groceries, studying in school, hanging with your family or the people of God. All of life is lived out for the glory of God such that whether we eat or drink we do ALL for the glory of God.
God has given us little worshipping communities, and little family units to worship him in. To get together around a table of food provided by the Lord, to share a meal instituted by the Lord, to give thanks, to spend time together in prayer, to read God’s word, to ask questions of God and seek his answers in his word.
I want to invite you if you’ve never had this practice, to begin to gather together for worship. Gather together to worship the Lord! God has given to us his Word and called us to grow in faith. Be in the word individually and be in the word as families! I do not want you to think I am ignorant of the difficulties of worshipping together as a family. We are a small family of 6 and none of us are ever having the same day. It can be difficult to get together, it’s much easier to let the busyness of life run us over and prioritize our days. Like a brutal tyrant the busyness of life demands "you don't have time to sit down, and worship God together". Like a mocking cynic the pride of life ridicles "you must be idiots to waste time on singing, praying, and reading together". Despite the temptations to abandon gathering, we as a family can testify that some of our most joyous and special moments in life are getting together to sing, read, and pray.
There are times when worship in the home throughout the week is awkward, the evil one will try his best to keep you out of the word as much as possible. Yet this should encourage us all the more that being in God’s Word individually and as families. Worship of our God is truly what is best for us! Where do our children most learn about our God? Where do they most learn their theology? Where do our children most learn about prayer, its importance, and God’s graces to us in answering prayer? Where do our children most witness either the significance or insignificance of the life, death, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus? Where do our children learn what they should fear, what they should revere, what they should hope for? It is not exclusively in the church. We may have great programs, we may have great teaching, but we are only gathered together once a week for worship, and then occasionally for other meetings. Our children and grandchildren, our friends and relatives, learn the most about who your God is from you! Your children learn what sin is, from you! Your children learn what to cherish and what to disdain from you! Will you teach your children that God is merciful and gracious? Will you show your children that your own strength is indeed not your own, but the Lord’s Strength in you? Will you seek to grow in faith through growing in the Word and in prayer? Will you seek for your family to grow in faith through growing in the Word and in prayer?
Our lives are journeys of worship. Will we follow the example of the Psalms of Ascent as they guide us and prepare us for worship? I hope that we will follow the example of those who first sang the Psalms of Ascent, who worshipped as they journeyed to worship. I hope that our lives in our public community are marked by worship. I hope that our lives in our private individual lives are marked by worship. And I hope that our lives as families are marked by worship.
