[This reflection by Helen Ruffhead was published in the weekly news bulletin of Horley Baptist Church, 26/Mar/2023]
What is worship? For most of us, the word conjures up an image of people gathering together and enthusiastically singing songs of praise to God. It was something I missed terribly during those 16 months when the church was closed. Yet worship is so much more than just singing. In Romans 12 v1 Paul says: “Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship”.
Several years ago I was chatting to a lady in a wheelchair after church and she asked me to take her to the toilet, which I did. As I was helping her back into her wheelchair I felt God say to me: “That was your most important worship this morning”. I am sure he would say the same to those who give up the chance to enjoy the service in order to help with the children and young people’s groups, as well as those who help people in other ways, like giving lifts to church or helping with foodbank or our Colour Wheel community café. As Jesus said in Matthew 25 v 40: “Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me”.
Jesus also spoke about unacceptable worship, when our hearts are estranged from him (see Matthew 15 v 7-9). Recently I was talking with someone who told me that she had belonged to a large Charismatic church in the US, with very enthusiastic worship. She had been employed by the church to look after the sound system used in the worship, until they discovered that she was transgender, when they made things so difficult for her that she was forced to leave. All I could say to her was that Jesus always befriended those who were rejected by society and by the religious people and I apologised on behalf of the Christian community. It made me wonder how acceptable the worship was to Jesus after the church had acted in this way. If someone rejected one of my children, the last thing I would want to do would be to stay and listen to them praising me. Instead I would run out to my child, comfort them and let them know that I would always love them. I am sure that Jesus would do the same.
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Last week’s reflection: There Are Many Ways We Can Give by Michael Goble
Contributed by Helen Ruffhead; © Helen Ruffhead