Welcome to Roots + Roads! Let us keep exploring what it means and looks like to be rooted in worship. Remember that biblical worship is our full life response to who God is, what He has done, and what He will continue to do. Now, we can continue asking the question, “Where do we worship?”
Lord, may this be a sweet and pleasing aroma of my worship that honors and glorifies you and is for you, only you. Here’s my heart, my mind, my soul, and all of my strength. Amen.
“How lovely is your dwelling place, LORD of Armies. I long and yearn for the courts of the LORD; my heart and flesh cry out for the living God. Even a sparrow finds a home, and a swallow, a nest for herself where she places her young – near your altars, LORD of Armies, my King and my God. How happy are those who reside in your house, who praise you continually. Selah ”-Psalm 84:1-4
WHERE Do We Worship?
Have you ever taken a trip to Europe and visited some of the most beautiful architecture you have ever seen? Have you noticed that most of those buildings tend to be churches? Some of the most beautiful places of worship I have ever seen include La Sagrada Familia in Barcelona, the Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome, St. Isaac’s Cathedral in St. Petersburg, the Temple Mount in Jerusalem, and so many more. Have you ever been driving down the road and passed by incredible community church buildings? If you have the chance to visit New Orleans, there are so many historic church buildings that can take your breath away, including the St. Louis Cathedral in the middle of Jackson Square in the French Quarter. There are so many awe-inspiring and aesthetic places to worship around the world! Do you want to know where some of the most cherished, genuine, and heartfelt moments of worship I have ever experienced are…? What if I said in a car, a tent outside of a rehab/ recover center, my grandparents’ living room, around a fire in the mountains, or in a school lunchroom? The ability to worship is not automatically tethered to a building.
Have you ever heard the saying, “The church is not a building; the people make the church?” The Greek word for church in the New Testament is ekklesia (ἐκκλησία). The definition of ekklesia (ἐκκλησία) is an assembly or a congregation. The first time the word is used in the New Testament is in the Gospel of Matthew, where it is spoken by Jesus Christ. During Peter’s Confession of the Messiah, Jesus tells Peter, “And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overpower it” (Matthew 16:18). Jesus is referring to the church as the gathering of believers. The true worship of believers and the church is not technically linked to a geographical point. We have talked about being true worshipers in Spirit and in Truth, so this next part should be familiar. Jesus tells the Samaritan woman in John 4:21-24, “Believe me, woman, an hour is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. You Samaritans worship what you do not know. We worship what we do know, because salvation is from the Jews. But an hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in Spirit and in truth. Yes, the Father wants such people to worship him. God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in Spirit and in truth.”
You may ask, “Christy, what does this even mean?” Well, I am not an expert, but this is what I have learned and understood through Scripture. Throughout the Old Testament, the temple in Jerusalem represented something much bigger than the Israelites. This temple represented YHWH’s presence, accessibility, and transcendence among His people. At the time, this represented the holiest place on this planet. It also represented His eternal covenant with His people and His personal invitation to welcome them into communication and relationship with Him. What does this have to do with us now? God, YHWH, who built the Temple in Jerusalem in all of its glory and beauty, is the same God that resides in us. The Church and individual believers have replaced that structured temple made of stone, and Christ has made us temples of flesh indwelt with the Holy Spirit. Because of Christ, we are walking temples of the living God. Jesus became and still is the only and direct connection of worship to God the Father, just as it states in John 14:6. There is no more need for the Temple to represent the presence of God. Through our faith, the Spirit of God dwells in the heart of the believer (Ephesians 3:17).
When talking to the Samaritan woman, Jesus told her something she did not understand at the time. However, we now know and have experienced, “… an hour is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem.” We can worship from anywhere! Which also means we can worship anytime! Now please do hear me when I say this is no reason not to attend or join the community of a local church. The author of Hebrews says not to neglect or forsake the gathering of believers (Hebrews 10:24-25). Please, by all means, GO TO CHURCH. All of this is to say that because of Jesus Christ and the relationship He has with his people, we have the freedom to worship Him from anywhere. We no longer have to feel bound to a place or time of day to worship. The deepest and most special times of worship I have had the honor of experiencing were in my grandparents’ two-bedroom apartment this summer. For days, the apartment was filled with the singing of hymns, the holding of hands as prayers were cried out, and the reading of God’s faithful words was desperately clung to as the Lord called my sweet grandfather home and into the arms of Jesus. Friends, worship God from the hills, mountains, campgrounds, rooftops, church buildings, parking lots, your best friend’s car, or even your grandparents’ living room, because you can.
Blessings and Peace. Your friend, Christy. ♥
Let us continue WANDERING!
This blog is an invitation to wander with intention and return with something meaningful: a story, a question, a spark, or a little more wonder than you had before. Whether you are deeply rooted, always in motion, or learning how to be both, I am glad you are here.
Very interesting and informative!! 💗💗💗
Isn’t it?? Thank you!