‘It is good to praise the LORD and make music to your name, O Most High, proclaiming your love in the morning, and your faithfulness at night, to the music of the ten-stringed lyre and the melody of the harp.’ (Psalm 92:1-3)
“It’s Thursday? I thought it was Tuesday!” is perhaps the type of conversation becoming a regular occurrence in many of our houses. With everyone staying at home from work, school, leisure and church activities the usual patterns no longer operate, leaving many feeling confused or de-motivated.
What sets the rhythm for our days without our usual fixed points? It is a question some find distressing, feeling trapped, as if we are living the movie Groundhog Day only there is no comedy to be found.
These days, praying “give us this day our daily bread” might mean asking that our Father in heaven will provide a sense of purpose, some kind of goal to achieve for yourself and others in our church and family.
We need the rhythm of worship
Look at the words from Psalm 92 above. I was reading them this morning ahead of our Buccleuch 5 Days of Prayer and I wanted to encourage you with them.
Because here our psalmist reminds us of a rhythm that can be a constant for us, even when everything else has ground to a halt. Here is a pattern for worship that isn’t just for the Sabbath day (as we find in the title for Psalm 92) but for every day.
The sheer goodness of praising our covenant-keeping God is our fixed pattern as Christians. We give thanks for God’s steadfast love and faithfulness day by day. To quote John Calvin,
‘Indeed, we should begin our morning by praising him for his steadfast love and continue thanking him for his faithfulness until we fall asleep at night. For both his steadfast love and faithfulness are incessant.’
One of the reasons we made the change to hosting YouTube premiere services, with the option of zooming in together, was to try and provide some of that morning and evening routine to a Sunday that we have been missing. It would be a pleasure to see you there if you haven’t been already (though we know video isn’t for everyone).
Likewise, our 5 Days of Prayer at 8am and 8pm have been providing a sense of structured rhythm, allowing us to focus on worshipping God and praying for the needs of others in the morning and evening. Again, it would be a pleasure to have you join with us in that important work of praying for our world and for God’s work in the world.
Living in the gospel rhythm
Let worshipping God in Jesus set the rhythm for your days. Make time to reflect on God’s glory, worth and value. Read your Bibles, sing Psalms and Hymns that speak the truth of God and the gospel to your heart, pray morning and evening (and in between) to your loving and faithful God.
Our rhythms and routines have changed, but our God and Saviour has not. We have even more cause to praise our God for his love and faithfulness because we have Jesus:
‘God demonstrates his love for us in this: while we were still sinners, Christ died for us’ (Romans 5:8)
‘God is faithful, who has called you into fellowship with his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord’ (1 Corinthians 1:9)
While we wait for the easing of lockdown and a return to some more of our normal rhythms and routines, may worshipping your loving and faithful God remain a source of hope and joy in your waiting.
Written by James Ross.