Theme: THE ESSENCE OF WORSHIP
Essence is that which makes a thing what it is, the core of the existence or relevance of that thing. Worship is to respect or have great regard for a person or thing. It is also seen as “…ceremonies or services in honour of God”. Worship in context of this topic is the totality of our behaviours both in services and in our homes which must reflect honour to God our Maker.
Text: “Ye worship ye know not what: we know what we worship: for salvation is of the Jews. – John 4:22
Comment: Mankind by nature seeks to venerate things, hence in ancient times some worshipped phenomena that they could not explain or understand. For any worship to have meaning it must be directed at somebody or something. In the world today, some regard wealth or money as an object of worship. Much as the zeal to worship is commendable, caution must be given as to who and how one worships as to get the blessings of God and eventual salvation by His grace and power. Some others worship what they do not know as our Lord Jesus Christ stated in his encounter with the woman of Samaria as stated in the text for today. True worship is that which makes one to honour and reverence God Almighty, be it at service times or in our day-to-day lives. St. Paul stated: “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service” – Romans 12:1.