Worship as Serving One Another

Only two months have passed since the first leaves appeared on the hills, and already the trees and flowers are in full growth. In that season the congregation gathers for an outdoor service. The word worship carries two meanings: the homage of bowing down before God, and the service and ministry offered to one another.

The peace offering of the Old Testament and the Lord’s Supper of the New hold both meanings together. They speak not only of a relationship with God restored but also of the meal and fellowship shared among God’s people. Worship, then, is not merely taking one’s place at the appointed hour; it is the whole of a life spent loving one’s brothers and sisters and giving oneself for them.

Christians labor not for their own honor but for Christ, and so they must lay down their own will and work together. Loving and serving one’s brothers and sisters is no condition for gaining salvation; it is the fruit of the salvation already received through the cross, made visible in daily life. To love and respect one another sincerely, here where the church has gathered today, is itself the worship offered to God.