Worship: a JOB or a JOY?

People started worshipping thousands of years ago. They worshipped the Sun, Moon, Earth or the Sea. Some worshipped many gods, others, the one God.

Worshipping began from fear of punishment or divine retribution, then developed to include prayers for comfort, safety and rewards.

So it became necessary for both continual appeasement and supplication to establish regular worshipping patterns.

Early Christians worshipped in the Temple and Synagogue but gradually they had their own assemblies, then later churches.

Although worshipping can take place anywhere, the church became the centre for this religious practice, so church attendance became a ritual, a tradition, then later to many, a duty, a task, a JOB to be performed, before going back to their other activities, be it on a Sunday or Feast Day or both.

What a pity.

Worship is not just a duty or an obligation. It is a time to develop a personal relationship with God. It is expressing gratitude and greatness, awe and reverence. It is a gift, a blessing and a JOYous privilege. It is an acknowledgement and an appreciation of God's creation.

Man sees nature in black and white, but God shows it to him in colour. So, look around you and re JOYce in the beauty of nature.

Worship should be an act of JOY to celebrate and to thank God for giving us our five senses so we can enJOY his endless bounty.

Amen.

"Shout with JOY to God, all the earth..." Psalm 66:1

Patricia Hodson

Anyone for Tennis?

Wimbledon - well it's one of my favourite months as it's Wimbledon month! I love watching tennis and this is the 2 weeks of the year when the remote control seems to be always in my hand! If I'm in the car the radio is on listening to the games.

I was looking up the Wimbledon website (as I love to look at the statistics and the 'Answer my questions' section) and it says "whilst we don't have a dedicated place for worship, we do offer a quiet room located in the southern village, as well as the Orchard at the top of the Hill, both of which can be used for reflection and contemplation".

Faith and tennis intersect in many ways, with some players openly expressing their faith and practices whilst for others it is a private approach. Coco Gauff from USA has said she prays with her father before each match for the safety of both players.

I often look at a tennis match and think it is similar to our journey of faith - there are highs, there are lows, moments of silence and moments of ecstasy, times of conflict and times of celebration, times of disappointment and times of wonder.

It is amazing that on a court with nearly 15,000 spectators it can be silent and then suddenly full of noise. Our services can also be similar - times of reflection and silence and then times of music and noise - both have a place and both bring different atmospheres to worship.

All of us have parts of worship and or faith we may prefer but all of it makes up the whole journey (or in a tennis sense the match). I wonder what your favourite part is?

I will be enjoying the tennis but also thanking our Lord for the opportunities he brings to us all throughout our journey of faith.

Have a wonderful summer, hope you get time to relax and time to enjoy this wonderful world we live in. Remember in tennis it all starts with love. I think we could say the same about our faith.

God bless

Wendy Gorham

Worship Leader