Today’s scripture: Exodus 20:8-11 (NRSV) (The Message) (KJV) What might God be saying to me?
My thoughts (Jeff Miner):
“Ladies and gentlemen of the jury,” the judge said, “the question you must decide is whether attending a weekly worship service is important to modern life. Plaintiff’s attorney will begin by presenting the case in favor.”
With that, Lady Wisdom — famous from the book of Proverbs (Proverbs 8-9) — rose. “For my first witness,” she said, “I call the sun, moon, and stars.” So these cosmic bodies took the stand and reminded us that God has created a universe based on the rhythm of cycles. The moon put it most eloquently: “You live on a round planet that spins in a 24-hour cycle, and circles the sun every 365 days, again and again, creating the seasons of the year. And from your vantage point on earth, you watch as I myself move through my constant lunar cycle, repeating approximately every 28 days. And from all this, ancient cultures derived the concept of a recurring 7-day week to track the movement of life. And as part of that cycle, they chose one day in particular for rest and spiritual reflection, and to gather in worship.”
Next Moses was called to the stand. He described his epic encounter with God on Mt. Sinai, as God gave instructions how to equip the newly-free Israelites for success in life. At the heart of these instructions, Moses reminded us, were Ten Commandments, the third of which says, “Remember the Sabbath day, and keep it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work. But the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God. You shall not do any work…For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but rested the seventh day. Therefore, the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and consecrated it.” And thus, through the ages, Jews have set aside time once a week to gather in worship.
Next the Apostle Paul was called to the stand. He told how the earliest Christians moved their worship day to Sunday (in honor of Jesus’ resurrection), but otherwise retained the weekly worship cycle begun so long ago. “Nobody exists in a vacuum,” Paul said. “Nobody can live a healthy spiritual life in isolation. We need each other — to learn, to love, to support. So every Sunday, followers of Jesus throughout the ages have gathered together.”
As the proceedings continued, Lady Wisdom called countless other saints to the stand — Abraham and Sarah; David and Solomon; Esther; Isaiah; Jeremiah; Mary mother of Jesus; Mary Magdalene; Peter, James, and John; James brother of Jesus; and Jesus Christ himself. All of them said the same thing. All of them personally practiced weekly worship.
Thought For The Day: Then Lady Wisdom turned to the jury and said, “You’ve heard the testimony. For thousands upon thousands of years, the cycle has gone unbroken — people of faith gathering for worship one day a week. Will you break the cycle? If even Jesus himself needed weekly worship, don’t you?” Link to the online Soul Care plan — www.soulcare.cc.
We encourage you to include a time of prayer with this reading. If you need a place to get started, consider the suggestions on the How to Pray page.