Tomorrow is Sunday. For over 25 years it has been a 'work' day for me. If I wasn't preaching I was leading worship or leading a congregational prayer or offering a chance for the people of God to respond to the call of God. I love Sundays. I love worship. I love being with the people of God and joining in praise of song. It doesn't matter to me if it is a song written in 2011 or a song written in 1940. Recently I have enjoyed listening to gifted preachers in the Church of God in IL, men and women alike craft messages that deserve to be heard by the world. Typically on a Sunday Morning I am thinking of the scripture "I was glad when they said unto me, let us go to the house of the Lord."
This morning I read in Amos 5:21-23 that God hates our worship; our songs sound like noise to Him, and he refuses our offerings (even though we give them) if we don't treat people with love. If we oppress people, abandon morality, throw out godly values, and deprive people of justice we might as well sleep in on Sundays - put the instruments away - let the Bible gather dust if we are not going to live by the teaching... because that thing we do on Sunday morning and hopefully throughout the week is ticking God off. He even calls the women of Israel, "cows". Can you imagine?
But of course the other option is to Love God with all your heart, soul and mind - love others - even love yourself. Let your worship be pure, your lives be holy, and your songs be sweet to the Master's ears.
How do you prepare your hearts for worship? How do you enter his courts with thanksgiving without carrying junk like unforgiveness, bitterness? If we haven't treated others with love, does it matter in your worship?
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