Daily Lectionary Readings for November 02, 2025

Daily Lectionary Readings (Two-Year Cycle)

Daily Lectionary Readings for November 02, 2025 By Daily Lectionary Readings, Sunday, November 2, 2025 12:00 AM Morning Psalm 103 1   Bless the LORD, O my soul,           and all that is within me,           bless his holy name. 2   Bless the LORD, O my soul,           and do not forget all his benefits — 3   who forgives all your iniquity,           who heals all your diseases, 4   who redeems your life from the Pit,           who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy, 5   who satisfies you with good as long as you live           so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s. 6   The LORD works vindication           and justice for all who are oppressed. 7   He made known his ways to Moses,           his acts to the people of Israel. 8   The LORD is merciful and gracious,           slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love. 9   He will not always accuse,           nor will he keep his anger for ever. 10  He does not deal with us according to our sins,           nor repay us according to our iniquities. 11  For as the heavens are high above the earth,           so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him; 12  as far as the east is from the west,           so far he removes our transgressions from us. 13  As a father has compassion for his children,           so the LORD has compassion for those who fear him. 14  For he knows how we were made;           he remembers that we are dust. 15  As for mortals, their days are like grass;           they flourish like a flower of the field; 16  for the wind passes over it, and it is gone,           and its place knows it no more. 17  But the steadfast love of the LORD is from everlasting to everlasting           on those who fear him,           and his righteousness to children’s children, 18  to those who keep his covenant           and remember to do his commandments. 19  The LORD has established his throne in the heavens,           and his kingdom rules over all. 20  Bless the LORD, O you his angels,           you mighty ones who do his bidding,           obedient to his spoken word. 21  Bless the LORD, all his hosts,           his ministers that do his will. 22  Bless the LORD, all his works,           in all places of his dominion.      Bless the LORD, O my soul. Morning Psalm 150 1   Praise the Lord!      Praise God in his sanctuary;           praise him in his mighty firmament! 2   Praise him for his mighty deeds;           praise him according to his surpassing greatness! 3   Praise him with trumpet sound;           praise him with lute and harp! 4   Praise him with tambourine and dance;           praise him with strings and pipe! 5   Praise him with clanging cymbals;           praise him with loud clashing cymbals! 6   Let everything that breathes praise the Lord!      Praise the Lord! First Reading Nehemiah 5:1-9 1Now there was a great outcry of the people and of their wives against their Jewish kin. 2For there were those who said, “With our sons and our daughters, we are many; we must get grain, so that we may eat and stay alive.” 3There were also those who said, “We are having to pledge our fields, our vineyards, and our houses in order to get grain during the famine.” 4And there were those who said, “We are having to borrow money on our fields and vineyards to pay the king’s tax. 5Now our flesh is the same as that of our kindred; our children are the same as their children; and yet we are forcing our sons and daughters to be slaves, and some of our daughters have been ravished; we are powerless, and our fields and vineyards now belong to others.” 6I was very angry when I heard their outcry and these complaints. 7After thinking it over, I brought charges against the nobles and the officials; I said to them, “You are all taking interest from your own people.” And I called a great assembly to deal with them, 8and said to them, “As far as we were able, we have bought back our Jewish kindred who had been sold to other nations; but now you are selling your own kin, who must then be bought back by us!” They were silent, and could not find a word to say. 9So I said, “The thing that you are doing is not good. Should you not walk in the fear of our God, to prevent the taunts of the nations our enemies? Or alternate First Reading Ezra 1:1-11 1In the first year of King Cyrus of Persia, in order that the word of the LORD by the mouth of Jeremiah might be accomplished, the LORD stirred up the spirit of King Cyrus of Persia so that he sent a herald throughout all his kingdom, and also in a written edict declared: 2“Thus says King Cyrus of Persia: The LORD, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth, and he has charged me to build him a house at Jerusalem in Judah. 3Any of those among you who are of his people — may their God be with them! — are now permitted to go up to Jerusalem in Judah, and rebuild the house of the LORD, the God of Israel — he is the God who is in Jerusalem; 4and let all survivors, in whatever place they reside, be assisted by the people of their place with silver and gold, with goods and with animals, besides freewill offerings for the house of God in Jerusalem.” 5The heads of the families of Judah and Benjamin, and the priests and the Levites — everyone whose spirit God had stirred — got ready to go up and rebuild the house of the LORD in Jerusalem. 6All their neighbors aided them with silver vessels, with gold, with goods, with animals, and with valuable gifts, besides all that was freely offered. 7King Cyrus himself brought out the vessels of the house of the LORD that Nebuchadnezzar had carried away from Jerusalem and placed in the house of his gods. 8King Cyrus of Persia had them released into the charge of Mithredath the treasurer, who counted them out to Sheshbazzar the prince of Judah. 9And this was the inventory: gold basins, thirty; silver basins, one thousand; knives, twenty-nine; 10gold bowls, thirty; other silver bowls, four hundred ten; other vessels, one thousand; 11the total of the gold and silver vessels was five thousand four hundred. All these Sheshbazzar brought up, when the exiles were brought up from Babylonia to Jerusalem. Second Reading Acts 20:7-12 7On the first day of the week, when we met to break bread, Paul was holding a discussion with them; since he intended to leave the next day, he continued speaking until midnight. 8There were many lamps in the room upstairs where we were meeting. 9A young man named Eutychus, who was sitting in the window, began to sink off into a deep sleep while Paul talked still longer. Overcome by sleep, he fell to the ground three floors below and was picked up dead. 10But Paul went down, and bending over him took him in his arms, and said, “Do not be alarmed, for his life is in him.” 11Then Paul went upstairs, and after he had broken bread and eaten, he continued to converse with them until dawn; then he left. 12Meanwhile they had taken the boy away alive and were not a little comforted. Gospel Reading Luke 12:22-31 22He said to his disciples, “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat, or about your body, what you will wear. 23For life is more than food, and the body more than clothing. 24Consider the ravens: they neither sow nor reap, they have neither storehouse nor barn, and yet God feeds them. Of how much more value are you than the birds! 25And can any of you by worrying add a single hour to your span of life? 26If then you are not able to do so small a thing as that, why do you worry about the rest? 27Consider the lilies, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not clothed like one of these. 28But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, how much more will he clothe you — you of little faith! 29And do not keep striving for what you are to eat and what you are to drink, and do not keep worrying. 30For it is the nations of the world that strive after all these things, and your Father knows that you need them. 31Instead, strive for his kingdom, and these things will be given to you as well.” Evening Psalm 117 1   Praise the LORD, all you nations!           Extol him, all you peoples! 2   For great is his steadfast love toward us,           and the faithfulness of the LORD endures forever.      Praise the LORD! Evening Psalm 139 1   O LORD, you have searched me and known me. 2   You know when I sit down and when I rise up;           you discern my thoughts from far away. 3   You search out my path and my lying down,           and are acquainted with all my ways. 4   Even before a word is on my tongue,           O LORD, you know it completely. 5   You hem me in, behind and before,           and lay your hand upon me. 6   Such knowledge is too wonderful for me;           it is so high that I cannot attain it. 7   Where can I go from your spirit?           Or where can I flee from your presence? 8   If I ascend to heaven, you are there;           if I make my bed in Sheol, you are there. 9   If I take the wings of the morning           and settle at the farthest limits of the sea, 10  even there your hand shall lead me,           and your right hand shall hold me fast. 11  If I say, “Surely the darkness shall cover me,           and the light around me become night,” 12  even the darkness is not dark to you;           the night is as bright as the day,           for darkness is as light to you. 13  For it was you who formed my inward parts;           you knit me together in my mother’s womb. 14  I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.           Wonderful are your works;      that I know very well. 15       My frame was not hidden from you,      when I was being made in secret,           intricately woven in the depths of the earth. 16  Your eyes beheld my unformed substance.      In your book were written           all the days that were formed for me,           when none of them as yet existed. 17  How weighty to me are your thoughts, O God!           How vast is the sum of them! 18  I try to count them — they are more than the sand;           I come to the end — I am still with you. 19  O that you would kill the wicked, O God,           and that the bloodthirsty would depart from me — 20  those who speak of you maliciously,           and lift themselves up against you for evil! 21  Do I not hate those who hate you, O LORD?           And do I not loathe those who rise up against you? 22  I hate them with perfect hatred;           I count them my enemies. 23  Search me, O God, and know my heart;           test me and know my thoughts. 24  See if there is any wicked way in me,           and lead me in the way everlasting. Read more »

Interim Unified Agency, 100 Witherspoon Street, Louisville, KY 40202

Daily Lectionary Readings for November 01, 2025

Daily Lectionary Readings (Two-Year Cycle)

Daily Lectionary Readings for November 01, 2025 By Daily Lectionary Readings, Saturday, November 1, 2025 12:00 AM Morning Psalm 63 1   O God, you are my God, I seek you,           my soul thirsts for you;      my flesh faints for you,           as in a dry and weary land where there is no water. 2   So I have looked upon you in the sanctuary,           beholding your power and glory. 3   Because your steadfast love is better than life,           my lips will praise you. 4   So I will bless you as long as I live;           I will lift up my hands and call on your name. 5   My soul is satisfied as with a rich feast,           and my mouth praises you with joyful lips 6   when I think of you on my bed,           and meditate on you in the watches of the night; 7   for you have been my help,           and in the shadow of your wings I sing for joy. 8   My soul clings to you;           your right hand upholds me. 9   But those who seek to destroy my life           shall go down into the depths of the earth; 10  they shall be given over to the power of the sword,           they shall be prey for jackals. 11  But the king shall rejoice in God;           all who swear by him shall exult,           for the mouths of liars will be stopped. Morning Psalm 149 1   Praise the Lord!      Sing to the Lord a new song,           his praise in the assembly of the faithful. 2   Let Israel be glad in its Maker;           let the children of Zion rejoice in their King. 3   Let them praise his name with dancing,           making melody to him with tambourine and lyre. 4   For the Lord takes pleasure in his people;           he adorns the humble with victory. 5   Let the faithful exult in glory;           let them sing for joy on their couches. 6   Let the high praises of God be in their throats           and two-edged swords in their hands, 7   to execute vengeance on the nations           and punishment on the peoples, 8   to bind their kings with fetters           and their nobles with chains of iron, 9   to execute on them the judgment decreed.           This is glory for all his faithful ones.      Praise the Lord! First Reading Nehemiah 4:1-23 1Now when Sanballat heard that we were building the wall, he was angry and greatly enraged, and he mocked the Jews. 2He said in the presence of his associates and of the army of Samaria, “What are these feeble Jews doing? Will they restore things? Will they sacrifice? Will they finish it in a day? Will they revive the stones out of the heaps of rubbish — and burned ones at that?” 3Tobiah the Ammonite was beside him, and he said, “That stone wall they are building — any fox going up on it would break it down!” 4Hear, O our God, for we are despised; turn their taunt back on their own heads, and give them over as plunder in a land of captivity. 5Do not cover their guilt, and do not let their sin be blotted out from your sight; for they have hurled insults in the face of the builders. 6So we rebuilt the wall, and all the wall was joined together to half its height; for the people had a mind to work. 7But when Sanballat and Tobiah and the Arabs and the Ammonites and the Ashdodites heard that the repairing of the walls of Jerusalem was going forward and the gaps were beginning to be closed, they were very angry, 8and all plotted together to come and fight against Jerusalem and to cause confusion in it. 9So we prayed to our God, and set a guard as a protection against them day and night. 10But Judah said, “The strength of the burden bearers is failing, and there is too much rubbish so that we are unable to work on the wall.” 11And our enemies said, “They will not know or see anything before we come upon them and kill them and stop the work.” 12When the Jews who lived near them came, they said to us ten times, “From all the places where they live they will come up against us.” 13So in the lowest parts of the space behind the wall, in open places, I stationed the people according to their families, with their swords, their spears, and their bows. 14After I looked these things over, I stood up and said to the nobles and the officials and the rest of the people, “Do not be afraid of them. Remember the LORD, who is great and awesome, and fight for your kin, your sons, your daughters, your wives, and your homes.” 15When our enemies heard that their plot was known to us, and that God had frustrated it, we all returned to the wall, each to his work. 16From that day on, half of my servants worked on construction, and half held the spears, shields, bows, and body-armor; and the leaders posted themselves behind the whole house of Judah, 17who were building the wall. The burden bearers carried their loads in such a way that each labored on the work with one hand and with the other held a weapon. 18And each of the builders had his sword strapped at his side while he built. The man who sounded the trumpet was beside me. 19And I said to the nobles, the officials, and the rest of the people, “The work is great and widely spread out, and we are separated far from one another on the wall. 20Rally to us wherever you hear the sound of the trumpet. Our God will fight for us.” 21So we labored at the work, and half of them held the spears from break of dawn until the stars came out. 22I also said to the people at that time, “Let every man and his servant pass the night inside Jerusalem, so that they may be a guard for us by night and may labor by day.” 23So neither I nor my brothers nor my servants nor the men of the guard who followed me ever took off our clothes; each kept his weapon in his right hand. Or alternate First Reading Lamentations 5:1-22 1   Remember, O LORD, what has befallen us;           look, and see our disgrace! 2   Our inheritance has been turned over to strangers,           our homes to aliens. 3   We have become orphans, fatherless;           our mothers are like widows. 4   We must pay for the water we drink;           the wood we get must be bought. 5   With a yoke on our necks we are hard driven;           we are weary, we are given no rest. 6   We have made a pact with Egypt and Assyria,           to get enough bread. 7   Our ancestors sinned; they are no more,           and we bear their iniquities. 8   Slaves rule over us;           there is no one to deliver us from their hand. 9   We get our bread at the peril of our lives,           because of the sword in the wilderness. 10  Our skin is black as an oven           from the scorching heat of famine. 11  Women are raped in Zion,           virgins in the towns of Judah. 12  Princes are hung up by their hands;           no respect is shown to the elders. 13  Young men are compelled to grind,           and boys stagger under loads of wood. 14  The old men have left the city gate,           the young men their music. 15  The joy of our hearts has ceased;           our dancing has been turned to mourning. 16  The crown has fallen from our head;           woe to us, for we have sinned! 17  Because of this our hearts are sick,           because of these things our eyes have grown dim: 18  because of Mount Zion, which lies desolate;           jackals prowl over it. 19  But you, O LORD, reign forever;           your throne endures to all generations. 20  Why have you forgotten us completely?           Why have you forsaken us these many days? 21  Restore us to yourself, O LORD, that we may be restored;           renew our days as of old — 22  unless you have utterly rejected us,           and are angry with us beyond measure. Second Reading Revelation 7:(4-8) 7:9-17 4And I heard the number of those who were sealed, one hundred forty-four thousand, sealed out of every tribe of the people of Israel: 5From the tribe of Judah twelve thousand sealed,          from the tribe of Reuben twelve thousand,          from the tribe of Gad twelve thousand,        6from the tribe of Asher twelve thousand,          from the tribe of Naphtali twelve thousand,          from the tribe of Manasseh twelve thousand,        7from the tribe of Simeon twelve thousand,          from the tribe of Levi twelve thousand,          from the tribe of Issachar twelve thousand,        8from the tribe of Zebulun twelve thousand,          from the tribe of Joseph twelve thousand,          from the tribe of Benjamin twelve thousand sealed. 9After this I looked, and there was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, robed in white, with palm branches in their hands. 10They cried out in a loud voice, saying,      “Salvation belongs to our God who is seated on the throne, and to the Lamb!” 11And all the angels stood around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures, and they fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, 12singing,      “Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom      and thanksgiving and honor      and power and might      be to our God forever and ever! Amen." 13Then one of the elders addressed me, saying, “Who are these, robed in white, and where have they come from?” 14I said to him, “Sir, you are the one that knows.” Then he said to me, “These are they who have come out of the great ordeal; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. 15  For this reason they are before the throne of God,           and worship him day and night within his temple,           and the one who is seated on the throne will shelter them. 16  They will hunger no more, and thirst no more;           the sun will not strike them,           nor any scorching heat; 17  for the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd,           and he will guide them to springs of the water of life,      and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.” Gospel Reading Matthew 13:31-35 31He put before them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed that someone took and sowed in his field; 32it is the smallest of all the seeds, but when it has grown it is the greatest of shrubs and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and make nests in its branches.” 33He told them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like yeast that a woman took and mixed in with three measures of flour until all of it was leavened.” 34Jesus told the crowds all these things in parables; without a parable he told them nothing. 35This was to fulfill what had been spoken through the prophet:      “I will open my mouth to speak in parables;           I will proclaim what has been hidden from the foundation of the world.” Evening Psalm 125 1   Those who trust in the LORD are like Mount Zion,           which cannot be moved, but abides forever. 2   As the mountains surround Jerusalem,           so the LORD surrounds his people,           from this time on and forevermore. 3   For the scepter of wickedness shall not rest           on the land allotted to the righteous,      so that the righteous might not stretch out           their hands to do wrong. 4   Do good, O LORD, to those who are good,           and to those who are upright in their hearts. 5   But those who turn aside to their own crooked ways           the LORD will lead away with evildoers.           Peace be upon Israel! Evening Psalm 90 1   Lord, you have been our dwelling place           in all generations. 2   Before the mountains were brought forth,           or ever you had formed the earth and the world,           from everlasting to everlasting you are God. 3   You turn us back to dust,           and say, “Turn back, you mortals.” 4   For a thousand years in your sight           are like yesterday when it is past,           or like a watch in the night. 5   You sweep them away; they are like a dream,           like grass that is renewed in the morning; 6   in the morning it flourishes and is renewed;           in the evening it fades and withers. 7   For we are consumed by your anger;           by your wrath we are overwhelmed. 8   You have set our iniquities before you,           our secret sins in the light of your countenance. 9   For all our days pass away under your wrath;           our years come to an end like a sigh. 10  The days of our life are seventy years,           or perhaps eighty, if we are strong;      even then their span is only toil and trouble;           they are soon gone, and we fly away. 11  Who considers the power of your anger?           Your wrath is as great as the fear that is due you. 12  So teach us to count our days           that we may gain a wise heart. 13  Turn, O LORD! How long?           Have compassion on your servants! 14  Satisfy us in the morning with your steadfast love,           so that we may rejoice and be glad all our days. 15  Make us glad as many days as you have afflicted us,           and as many years as we have seen evil. 16  Let your work be manifest to your servants,           and your glorious power to their children. 17  Let the favor of the Lord our God be upon us,           and prosper for us the work of our hands —           O prosper the work of our hands! Read more »

Interim Unified Agency, 100 Witherspoon Street, Louisville, KY 40202

Mission Yearbook: Author explores racism and white flight in new novel

Image

Dave Larson

Dave Larsen’s historical fiction book, “Green Street in Black and White: A Chicago Story,” speaks about social issues in ways nonfictional accounts can’t. Larsen, who’s retired as executive director of the Chicago-based Bright Promise Fund for Urban Christian Education, was a recent guest on “A Matter of Faith: A Presby Podcast,” hosted by Simon Doong and the Rev. Lee Catoe. Listen to their 52-minute conversation here.

Published in April, Larsen’s book follows Erik Pedersen and his friends, the Green Street Boys, who were growing up in the early 1960s in the Englewood neighborhood on Chicago’s South Side. The boys confront prejudice, discover solidarity and witness the cracks in their seemingly ordinary world. As families leave the neighborhood as part of white flight, Pederson is thrust in a moral conflict that challenges his understanding of right and wrong.

Larsen’s book includes real events from the author’s childhood on Green Street, including riding in an uncle’s Chicago police car, a church hiring a seminary intern to track where Black families were moving, and a tragic shooting.

Catoe and Doong opened the episode with this question for Larsen: How do the themes and experiences that inform your book, such as reckoning with change, racism and the importance of community, relate to the justice issues of our country that we are currently facing?

Image

“That’s a great jumping-off point,” Larsen told the hosts. “People who’ve read the book say to me this resonates with a lot of what we’re dealing with today,” including opposition to diversity, equity and inclusion; book-banning; the rewriting of history; and police justice. “I think of the fact that white flight still happens in some forms in the Chicago area,” Larsen said. “I know of some churches who have moved four, five or even six times from the South Side of Chicago to further-out suburbs and beyond that into northwest Indiana.”

“A lot of that has to do with changing neighborhoods, and Christians and others unable to learn how to live with people unlike themselves,” he said. “That’s part of the dilemma of the book for Erik Pederson,” who along with his friends “are trying to make sense out of why churches and schools are leaving the area and their parents are talking about moving when they live in the neighborhood, feel safe and don’t see anything wrong, even though all of them would say they don’t know a Black kid in the neighborhood, never met them and don’t know what this is all about.”

A Black pastor in the book speaks about parishioners who “came north for the jobs to flee persecutions and lynchings and Jim Crow laws,” Larsen said. “Those are refugees, I think. It’s the difference between nomads and refugees, and I think there are parallels today.”

While researching the book, Larsen came across church council minutes he found “quite disturbing. I recognized the names of heroes as I was growing up who made some pretty racist decisions along the way.”

Image

Faith communities “had a lot of sway when it comes to segregation and redlining,” Catoe said. On the podcast, “we’re not shy about talking about how faith has been used to justify a lot of this stuff.” Catoe asked Larsen how he has seen that change over the years.

One person who read the book is the author and editor of children’s books. “He told me, ‘Children’s books typically end on a hopeful note. Do you think your book ended on a hopeful note?’ I had to say, ‘I’m not sure.’”

“I intentionally left it with Erik Pederson wondering how to put this all together in his mind for his future,” Larsen said. “He and his friends loved the neighborhood … and yet his church and his family were being uprooted. Do I see any change today? I think there are hopeful signs today.”

New editions of “A Matter of Faith: A Presby Podcast” are released every Thursday. Go here to listen to previous episodes.

Mike Ferguson, Editor, Presbyterian News Service (Click here to read original PNS Story)

Let us join in prayer for:

Jill Chancellor, Reference Archivist, Presbyterian Historical Society, Interim Unified Agency
Cathy Chang, Interim Unified Agency     

Let us pray:

Sovereign God, help your church in every corner of the earth to be committed to and effective in ministries. Amen.

Weekly Outlook - A misunderstood Mr. Rogers quote

Churches, Denominations and Religions: Weekly Outlook - A misunderstood Mr. Rogers quote: Dear readers, The lion and the lamb, the antichrist, a city with foundations of precious stones, the rider on a white horse with a tattoo on...

Sunday's Message: The Great Ends of the Church - The maintenance of divine worship

As a denomination, the Presbyterian Church (USA) has some guiding principles that shape our mission. They’re called The Great Ends of the Church, six statements written in the early 20th century that guide both the vision and work of the Presbyterian Church. And that’s going to be our focus during this series. You see, during the next six weeks, we’ll look at each one, seeking to understand what it means and how we can accomplish it within our community. 

• August 11 - The proclamation of the gospel for the salvation of humanity
• August 18 - The shelter, nurture and spiritual fellowship of the children of God
• August 25 - The maintenance of divine worship
• September 1 - The preservation of the truth
• September 8 - The promotion of social righteousness
• September 15 - The exhibition of the kingdom of heaven to the world

On Sunday, we continued the series by looking at the third great end of the church: The maintenance of divine worship. Below is the text and a recording of the sermon. You can stream the service by going to the Sligo Presbyterian Church YouTube Channel on Sundays at 10:00 a.m. (EDT).  You can hear a podcast of the service at the Sligo Presbyterian Church YouTube Channel or the Sligo Presbyterian Spotify Page. 

Now, as you may remember, two weeks ago we started a new sermon series dealing with what’s called The Great Ends of the Church, six ideas that the Presbyterian denomination has used for about one hundred years to define its identity and mission. And back on August 11, we focused on the first one, namely “the proclamation of the gospel for the salvation of humanity,” and we spent some time talking about what that means and why it’s important and of course, how we might do it right here, in Sligo, Pennsylvania. And then last week, we considered what it means to say that part of our job as the church is to provide “the shelter, nurture and spiritual fellowship of the children of God,” and we considered that, since we really do need one another as both individuals and a community, we can actually provide this shelter and nurture and fellowship by rejecting divisiveness and doing everything we can do to strengthen the body, both here and around the world. Now, to this point, that’s what we’ve done.

And this morning, we’re going to move on to Great End number three: The maintenance of divine worship. And I’ll tell you, from where I stand, not only is this the one thing that everybody both inside and outside assumes the church should be doing, I’m not sure anything has changed as much in my thirty-seven years as a minister. I mean, when I got my first church back in 1987, when it came to worship, we all kind of did the same thing, at least we did in the Presbyterian Church. Now I recognize that some churches have always been more formal than others. Still, we all followed the same basic structure, you know, order. For example, we all sang pretty much the same hymns, often from the same book. And we all had the same kind of readings, some of them responsive and some of them unison. And we all prayed the same prayers and sang the same responses and often repeated the same creed. My goodness, as a kid, before I could even read, I remember being excited because, although I couldn’t sing the hymns, I did know The Doxology and The Gloria Patri. And of course, when I was a little older, I can also remember seeing how fast I could pray The Lord’s Prayer and say The Apostles Creed. You see, that’s the way it was in the 1960s and I’ll tell you, it hadn’t changed all that much when I served my first church in the 1980s.

But since then, worship has changed a lot, and I don’t think you need to be a theologian to understand why. I mean, although the formality we had in the past may mean a lot to us, it’s actually a turn off for many younger adults, particularly those who weren’t raised in the church. For them, our “Old Favorites” are just old. And the idea of reading out loud a whole bunch of stuff is kind of boring and don’t get me started on having to sit quietly and listen to sermons that go on and on and on. You see, many people now-a-days are fed by something that’s more relaxed and dynamic and frankly fun. They’re seeking experiences, not just communities. And I’ll tell you, I think that’s caused a real divide in the Body of Christ, you know, between the traditional and the contemporary, with some congregations going so far as to offer two separate services, so one group is protected from anything new and the other from anything old. And in many places, bands have replaced pianos and organs and smoke machines and lasers have been added to provide a little pizzazz. Now, that’s life in the worship fast lane. 

And even though that kind of stuff makes me grumble and talk about going back to a better time, when I’m really honest with myself, I’ve got to admit there’s really nothing wrong with bands or pizzazz. Still, with all the different stuff that’s going on with worship, somehow in the middle of all this, I think we may have lost touch with what the maintenance of divine worship is all about and why it’s important and how it might be done regardless of the style we happen to prefer. And I’ll tell you, that’s going to be our focus this morning. And hopefully, by the end, at least as it relates to worship, we’ll be able to look past the wrapping so that we can better appreciate what’s inside the box.

And you know, to do that, I think we need to be clear about what worship actually is. And although I know there are all kinds of definitions out there, many of which are very good, I’m going to offer three characteristics of worship that make biblical sense to me. 

You see, first, I think worship is about praise. I mean, it’s about us focusing our attention on God and sharing with him just how happy we are that he chose us to make us his people and to redeem us through Jesus Christ and to open our eyes and our minds and our heart by the Holy Spirit so that we can see and understand and trust. Put in a slightly different way, when we praise God, we’re thanking him for doing for us what we couldn’t do for ourselves. And I’ll tell you, this idea of offering praise goes back to the way the people of Israel used to worship God. For example, as they were approaching The Temple there in Jerusalem, the place where they believed God was present in a special, more intimate way, this was the sort of thing they would say:

Shout praises to the Lord!

    Praise God in his temple.

Praise him in heaven,

    his mighty fortress.

Praise our God!

His deeds are wonderful,

    too marvelous to describe.

Praise God with trumpets

    and all kinds of harps.

Praise him with tambourines

    and dancing,

with stringed instruments

    and woodwinds.

Praise God with cymbals,

    with clashing cymbals.

Let every living creature

praise the Lord.

    Shout praises to the Lord! [Psalm 150:1-6, CEV]

Now, although having trumpets and harps and woodwinds may be out of our price range and I know the Gallagher girls would object to me dancing, that’s exactly what the people of Israel did as they approached God. Why? Because, first, worship is about praise.

And second, I think it’s also about prayer. In other words, it’s about taking who we are, and I’m talking about what we think and feel, what we regret and fear, what we hope and dream, it’s taking these things and laying them before God, trusting that God really is the one who deserves all our thanks and praise. As a matter of fact, it’s doing the same thing Jesus taught his disciples to do when he said this:

When you pray, don’t be like those show-offs who love to stand up and pray in the synagogues and on the street corners. They do this just to look good. I can assure you that they already have their reward.

When you pray, go into a room alone and close the door. Pray to your Father in private. He knows what is done in private and will reward you.

When you pray, don’t talk on and on as people do who don’t know God. They think God likes to hear long prayers. Don’t be like them. Your Father knows what you need even before you ask.

You should pray like this:

Our Father in heaven,

help us to honor

    your name.

Come and set up

    your kingdom,

so that everyone on earth

    will obey you,

as you are obeyed

    in heaven.

Give us our food for today.

Forgive us for doing wrong,

    as we forgive others.

Keep us from being tempted

    and protect us from evil. [Matthew 6:5-13, CEV]

Now this is really what it means to pray, the second thing that worship is all about.

And third, I also think it’s about preparation. You see, in my opinion, worship actually prepares us to leave this building and to face all those challenges of living on the other side of the stained glass. In other words, it gives us the ability to cope and to endure with hope as well as the tools to roll up our sleeves and to work. I’ll tell you, it’s less like a drug which demands that we constantly come back for our next fix and more like an exercise regimen that makes us a little bit stronger each and every time we come. And personally, I think that’s what Paul was getting at when he wrote this to the Ephesians: 

Christ chose some of us to be apostles, prophets, missionaries, pastors, and teachers, so his people would learn to serve and his body would grow strong. This will continue until we are united by our faith and by our understanding of the Son of God. Then we will be mature, just as Christ is, and we will be completely like him. [Ephesians 4:11-13, CEV]

You see, along with praise and prayer, right here and now, we’re being prepared. And for me, that’s what worship is all about.

And why is it important? Why is it important for us to gather to praise and to pray and to prepare? I mean, why is it important for us to take the time and make the effort to leave the mundane for just a little while so that we might enter the divine? Well, for me, man, I think the answer is pretty clear. 

I mean, on one hand, I think it connects us with God. Now don’t get me wrong, God is with us all the time. As a matter of fact, his presence is constantly flowing around and through us. That’s what the word “omnipresent” means. But I’ll tell you, when we gather to worship, when we decide that we’re going to praise and pray and prepare, I mean when we’re singing the songs and praying the prayers, when we’re listening to the music and trying not to doze through the sermons, and certainly when we gather around the Lord’s Table and share the bread and the cup, we’re connecting to God in a special way, something that I believe Jesus explained when he said this again to his disciples:

I promise you God in heaven will allow whatever you allow on earth, but God will not allow anything you don’t allow. I promise that when any two of you on earth agree about something you are praying for, my Father in heaven will do it for you. Whenever two or three of you come together in my name, I am there with you. [Matthew 18:18-20, CEV]

You see, on one hand, worship connects us with God.

On the other hand, though, I think it also connects us with one another. And I’ll tell you, for me, that’s why the gathering is important. You see, even though we can certainly praise and pray and prepare all by ourselves and I think we can even connect with God while streaming or watching a video or listening to a podcast, I think there’s a real difference when we all get together at the same place at the same time. I mean, when we’re here, worshiping God, we become more than a bunch of people, we become a community, a family where we can offer comfort and strength and support to our brothers and sisters. And I’ll tell you, I think that’s probably why the writer of the letter to the Hebrews said this:

So let’s come near God with pure hearts and a confidence that comes from having faith. Let’s keep our hearts pure, our consciences free from evil, and our bodies washed with clean water. We must hold tightly to the hope we say is ours. After all, we can trust the one who made the agreement with us. We should keep on encouraging each other to be thoughtful and to do helpful things. Some people have given up the habit of meeting for worship, but we must not do that. We should keep on encouraging each other, especially since you know that the day of the Lord’s coming is getting closer. [Hebrews 10:22-25, CEV]

I’ll tell you, if you want to know why worship is important, well, for me, it’s because, in a special way, it connects us with God and with one another. 

And finally, how can it be done? How can we worship with a focus on praise and prayer and preparation? And how can we do this most effectively because we know it’s going to connect us with God and one another in a special way? In other words, how might we maintain divine worship? Well, without getting into the weeds, as a congregation, I think there are two things we can do.

I mean, one, we can certainly provide a place. Now I know that, in our world, we’re becoming increasingly digital. And personally, I think joining this communication revolution is an incredible way to share the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God the Father and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit to folks who would never wander into a church. As a matter of fact, I’ve said that I believe the internet is for us what the Roman roads were for Paul. Still, having said all that, if we’re going to gather physically, man, we need a place, a place to praise and pray and prepare, a place to connect with God and one another. Of course, it doesn’t necessarily have to be a church building, but I’ve got to tell you, buildings are really nice and convenient. But regardless of what it looks like or what it’s called, we can provide a place for people to worship, something that must be important to God, because it’s part of his instruction to his people as they were about to enter their Promised Land. He said, 

Soon you will cross the Jordan, and the Lord will help you conquer your enemies and let you live in peace, there in the land he has given you. But after you are settled, life will be different. You must not offer sacrifices just anywhere you want to. Instead, the Lord will choose a place somewhere in Israel where you must go to worship him. All of your sacrifices and offerings must be taken there, including sacrifices to please the Lord and any gift you promise or voluntarily give him. That’s where you must also take one tenth of your grain, wine, and olive oil, as well as the first-born of your cattle, sheep, and goats. You and your family and servants will eat your gifts and sacrifices and celebrate there at the place of worship, because the Lord your God has made you successful in everything you have done. And since Levites will not have any land of their own, you must ask some of them to come along and celebrate with you. [Deuteronomy 12:5-13, CEV]

You see, as a congregation, we can provide a place to worship, and that’s one thing we can do. 

But that’s not all, because, two, we can provide a path, and I’m talking about a process and a procedure by which we can approach God. And even though this may take different forms, because, if the last thirty years have taught us anything, when it comes to worship, one size doesn’t necessarily fit all, still the focus and the goal really doesn’t change. In other words, I believe that some structure is necessary as we approach God, because let’s face it, if we don’t know where we’re going, we’re probably never going to get there. And I’ll tell you, I think this need for some kind of focus and order was behind this advice Paul offered the church in Corinth:

My friends, when you meet to worship, you must do everything for the good of everyone there. That’s how it should be when someone sings or teaches or tells what God has said or speaks an unknown language or explains what the language means. No more than two or three of you should speak unknown languages during the meeting. You must take turns, and someone should always be there to explain what you mean. If no one can explain, you must keep silent in church and speak only to yourself and to God.

Two or three persons may prophesy, and everyone else must listen carefully. If someone sitting there receives a message from God, the speaker must stop and let the other person speak. Let only one person speak at a time, then all of you will learn something and be encouraged. A prophet should be willing to stop and let someone else speak. God wants everything to be done peacefully and in order. [1 Corinthians 14:26-33a, CEV]

You see, in my opinion, by providing a place and a path, that’s how we as a congregation can maintain divine worship. 

Of course, I have no question in my mind that the form worship takes will continue to change. I mean, what was meaningful to baby boomers aren’t necessarily meaningful to Gen X or to Millennials much less to Gen Z or, God help us, to Generation Alpha. As the ancient Greek philosopher Heraclitus said, “the only constant is change.” And as I hold on to my “old favorites” with bloody fingernails, I either need to accept it or be left behind. And that applies to worship just like it does to everything else.

But I’ll tell you, I think dealing with this evolution just might be a little easier when we recognize that, at its core, divine worship is about praise and prayer and preparation, and that, regardless of the style, it’s important because it connects us with God and with one another, and finally, that in spite of the details that, based on a whole bunch of things, we might like or “not so much,” as a congregation, we can provide both a place and path. You see, for me, that’s the what and the why and the how involved in the maintenance of divine worship.