"Sing with joy to God our strength and raise a loud shout to the God of Jacob" (Psalm 81:1)

    A popular theme in comedy is a drawing of aliens watching human activity, things that they have never seen us do.  And they don't understand what and why we are doing all kinds of things.
    So what would aliens say when they first saw a congregation at a worship service?
     Think about it:  everyone sitting in rows, facing a big box, with candles, a cross, and a person standing in front of them, often with a robe and a colorful strip of cloth around her/his neck, as they talk to one another, with a 10-15 minute speech somewhere in the middle.   And then the people stand, and then sit back down, and then stand, etc.  And they talk while they close their eyes, sometimes bowing their heads, or raising their heads, and maybe even their hands, and singing!  What is that?  Why?  And to whom and why are they doing all of this?     
      A favorite Christian comedian of mine is Tim Hawkins.  And he has a funny piece on people raising hands during a worship service.  Check it out some time!
     What are we doing, and why are we doing what we do in a worship service?
I have books explaining each part of a worship service.  And what each action and symbol in a sanctuary means.  But of course the books I have mostly are all about Lutheran worship.  Believe it or not, there are other ways to worship, in other churches (like 40,000 different denominations!)
     And I'm not going to criticize any of them.  Rather, let's look again at the words of the Psalm:  "Sing with joy to God our strength and raise a loud shout to the God of Jacob"
   However you can or want to do so!  And don't give me the excuse, "I can't sing".  In Psalm 100:1 it says, "Make a joyful noise".  Whatever that means for you!
   God is our strength!  He is the God of Jacob, the God of History, of all of God's people.  And He gives us joy!  Joy in the salvation that God freely gives by His grace and love in Jesus our Savior!
   So who cares what aliens think!  Or anyone else.  As we worship and praise and thank God for all He is and all He has given to us!  However you or I or anyone else does it.  God sees, and God hears, and God loves us all.

Blessings,
​Pastor Steve