Got a Minute? Worship?

Hi, friends in exile, got a minute?

The Salvation Army expressed the two-fold emphasis of genuine worship in what was once their motto: “Heart to God and Hand to Man.”  When Jesus was asked what the greatest command in the Law was, His response was clear and two-sided: (1) Love the Lord your God with all your heart, mind, soul, and strength, and (2) Love your neighbor as yourself. [see Matthew 22:34-40; Mark 12:28-31]

The writer to the Hebrews makes application of this two-fold Great Commandment in the language of Old Covenant sacrifice (Hebrews 13). What should we offer up to God? He writes that we should offer God the sacrifice of “lips that confess His name” including but not only in services of worship but “continually,” and we should offer Him a life of service to others in the name of Jesus Christ. “Heart to God, hand to man.” We certainly do worship God when we come together to sing, to pray, to dig into God’s revelation in Scripture. But we also worship when we serve others in Jesus’ name.

Smiley Mudd