Why We Worship: Luke 2:22-40 - Presentation of Our Lord

²²When the time came for their purification according to the law of Moses, [Mary and Joseph] brought [Jesus] up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord ²³(as it is written in the law of the Lord, “Every firstborn male shall be designated as holy to the Lord”), ²⁴and they offered a sacrifice according to what is stated in the law of the Lord, “a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons.”
 
  ²⁵Now there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon; this man was righteous and devout, looking forward to the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit rested on him. ²⁶It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Messiah. ²⁷Guided by the Spirit, Simeon came into the temple; and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him what was customary under the law, ²⁸Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying,
   ²⁹“Master, now you are dismissing your servant in peace,
  according to your word;
    according to your word;  ³⁰for my eyes have seen your salvation,
     ³¹which you have prepared in the presence of all peoples,
   ³²a light for revelation to the Gentiles
  and for glory to your people Israel.”
 
  and for glory to your people Israel.”   ³³And the child’s father and mother were amazed at what was being said about him. ³⁴Then Simeon blessed them and said to his mother Mary, “This child is destined for the falling and the rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be opposed ³⁵so that the inner thoughts of many will be revealed—and a sword will pierce your own soul too.”
 
  ³⁶There was also a prophet, Anna the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was of a great age, having lived with her husband seven years after her marriage, ³⁷then as a widow to the age of eighty-four. She never left the temple but worshiped there with fasting and prayer night and day. ³⁸At that moment she came, and began to praise God and to speak about the child to all who were looking for the redemption of Jerusalem.
 
  ³⁹When they had finished everything required by the law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee, to their own town of Nazareth. ⁴⁰The child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom; and the favor of God was upon him. (NRSV)

Fifth Joyful Mystery by Lawrence OP.  Creative commons image on flickr.

There’s no place on earth where the food tastes as good as it does at Grandma’s house…

Whenever I sit at her dining room table, my eyes have always been drawn to a picture hanging on the wall: an old man saying grace before his meager meal of soup and bread.

The official name for this work is Grace and it was created by photographer Eric Enstrom in 1920. 

My great grandparents hung this picture on the wall when they built the house in the early fifties.  Having raised my grandmother in the depression, I can understand why it appealed to them: for even when they had little, they still had much to be thankful for. 

Thanksgiving is an act of faith that recognizes God’s faithfulness.  When God’s faithfulness meets human experience, worship happens. 

We see this happening in our Gospel text for today:

In among the throngs of worshippers at the Jerusalem temple were Simeon and Anna.  Both were “up in years.”  Simeon, we’re told, was “righteous and devout, looking forward to the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit rested on him.”  Anna, we’re told, was an 84 year-old widow who “never left the temple but worshiped there with fasting and prayer night and day.”

And here’s why these details are important: there were no lights, fanfares, or legions of angels accompanying Jesus as he entered the temple in the arms of his parents.  There was nothing that would’ve set this young family apart from the dozens of others who came every day to present their firstborn sons to the Lord, and offer the appropriate sacrifice of purification.

Yet because Simeon and Anna worshipped and prayed, they knew God when God showed up—even in the most humble and unremarkable of ways.

And what happens next?  More worship!   Simeon is so unafraid of death that he’s singing, while Mary and Joseph look on in amazement.  Simeon is so in tune with God he knows that many receive Jesus with faith and joy, but many will oppose him.  Anna is praising God and telling everyone she knows that God’s salvation for the world had arrived in Jesus Christ. 

They waited a long time—but while they waited, they worshipped.  Because they worshipped, they knew God when God showed up. 

This is why worship is so important in the Christian life.  God gave you life to be spent in worship.  It’s not for you to prove your love to God, but so that God may prove God’s love to you.  Worship is pouring yourself out before Christ so that his life can live through you.  And this is where it gets tricky…

In our busy and stress-filled lives, who has time for worship?

What strikes me about the Grace photo is how rarely I pause for a moment of thanksgiving before eating.  In fact, I wrote this very sentence while I was sitting at my desk, eating my lunch.  This is what you do in the 21^st century American rat race: you don’t let a moment slip away without something to show for it.  What will you have to show if you have a million things on your to-do list and you give that time to God? 

Anymore, you don’t dare detach yourself from your phone, your social media feed, or the 24-hour cable news cycle; lest you NOT be in-the-know.; lest you miss out on the good stuff your friends are enjoying; lest you not be in control...

Sometimes you choose the rat race—but other times it pulls you in without your permission.  You have to make ends meet.  You need to take care of your loved ones.  If the boss says, you work eighty hours a week or find another job, what are you going to say?  If your child’s coach says “show up at dawn or you’re off the team,” what will you do?  If you’re bone tired and can barely move come Sunday morning, what choice do you have? 

Yet, a life without worship is a life ruled by anxiety, frustration, exhaustion, and alienation. And there’s never enough time; never enough accomplishment; never enough fun.  You’re not functioning the way you were made to.  You’re not living according to your God-given identity. 

Worship is a fundamental obligation of anyone who loves God.  But—worship is a gift before it is an obligation.  Worship is the way God comes alive in you.  When you worship, you see God and you know what God is up to. 

This is why God brought you here this morning.  It’s all about worship—whether it’s on Sunday morning, or at bible study, the clothing closet, at GriefShare, or anything else we do.  And opportunities abound to grow our stewardship of God’s gifts to increase our worship. 

Your worship doesn’t end when you walk out the door.  Worship happens because God is in the midst of everything.  When you’re at work or school; when you’re doing the laundry or washing dishes, you are worshipping God!  Christ is living through you.  Everything you do is a ministry.

Because worship is contagious.  Worship is witness.  Worship spreads the good news.      

Therefore, if you’re struggling to worship, for any reason—because you don’t have time, because you’re exhausted, or because discouraged, PRAY for God to make you worship.  Because worship is God’s gift and God’s commandment—God WILL provide. 

You are made to worship.  There is no way that to be more alive than worshipping God.