“The true place of worship, therefore, is a pure and contrite heart totally surrendered to the Lord God Almighty. It is here that the real experience of the presence of God is found.”
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| By Dudley Anderson, SRM |
King David sat cross-legged
in the desert dust at the entrance to the holy place of the tabernacle of the
Lord. Having commanded his men to remain out of ear-shot while he made his way
to the tent of meeting, he’d dismissed the priest on duty, that he may be
alone. The fragrance of myrrh,
sweet-smelling cinnamon, aromatic
cane, cassia and olive oil drenched his senses, as the curtain to holy place moved
in a gentle breeze. “That I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of
my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord,” whispered the king.
King
David longed for the continual awareness of the presence of God. In his time,
the only place available to worship God, was the tabernacle. Yet, he wrote, “Let
the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your
sight, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer,” (Psalm 19:14). David was called a man
after God’s own heart. I dare say, the king knew well that the heart was the
true place of worship of Yahweh.
When
we think of the term, a place of worship, myriad images may come to mind:
cathedrals, chapels, mosques, synagogues. The online encyclopedia, Wikipedia defines a place of worship as “a house of worship or an establishment
or other location where a group of people (a congregation) comes to perform acts of religious faith, honour, or
devotion.” William Temple said, “Worship is quickening the conscience by the holiness
of God, feeding the mind with the truth of God, purging the imagination by the
beauty of God, opening the heart to the love of God, and devoting the will to
the purpose of God.”
So
then, what is the true Christian place of worship? How or where do we enter it to
worship our Lord God Almighty? I would like to point out that the true place of
worship is no structure made with human hands.
Origins
of the Christian Gathering
Christians gather to worship the Lord
in many places, from cathedrals to coffee shops; from house churches to churches-without-walls.
Which then, is the true biblical place of worship? Let’s begin answering this
question by exploring the origin of places of Christian worship.
The Temple, Synagogues & Homes
Christian
worship has its roots in Jewish worship. All the early Christians worshiped
Yahweh according to Jewish customs. These customs involved temple worship and
synagogue gatherings.
At the time of the formation of the
first Christian church in Jerusalem, the temple still existed in Zion. The temple
of the first century was a far cry from the original temple, as built by King
Solomon. Solomon's Temple was plundered by the Babylonians in 589 BC and
modestly restored by Ezra 70 years later. However, it was Herod the Great who refurbished
the temple and turned it into the very ornate and elaborate structure we read
of in the New Testament, where Jesus and his disciples gathered to worship God.
Primarily, Jewish worship involved adherence
to the Law of Moses, which involved following a religious calendar of feasts
and offerings. Sacrifices could only be performed at the Temple in Jerusalem. Outside of Jerusalem, Jews would assemble in synagogues to
pray, read and study the Torah. However, the synagogue was not necessarily
seen as a place of worship. Rabbinical teaching holds that communal Jewish worship can be carried out wherever ten
Jews (or a minyan) gather for prayer.
Worship at the
temple in Jerusalem was ritualistic. Use of musical instruments was only permitted
in the temple. Only the priest could perform religious rites in the temple. The
early Christians in Jerusalem met in the temple to worship God. However, as we
read in Acts 2:46, they also met in each other’s homes.
On the Sabbath, the early believers would gather at the Temple or in
the synagogue to worship God, but on Sunday, the first day of the week, they would
gather in each other's homes to break bread (Acts 20:7). It is very likely they
were in someone’s home on the Day of Pentecost, when the Holy Spirit was poured
out on all flesh. And it was on one of these days, in someone’s home, that Paul
raised Eutychus from the dead.
So, which is it then? Was the true place of worship for the early
Christians the temple, a synagogue or a home?
Church
Buildings
The Jewish Temple
was destroyed by the Romans in AD 70. This must have resulted in more and more
of the early Christians gathering in synagogues and homes to worship God. Eventually,
as more Gentiles became Christians, fewer people worshiped in synagogues and more
began to assemble in homes, mostly on Sundays. Gradually, Christian communities
built bespoke buildings in which they gathered to worship God. These buildings eventually
took on the collective name of the people who gathered there to worship – church
buildings.
Churches today
take on various shapes and forms, from cathedrals to chapels, from extravagant campuses
to humble homes. Christians from all walks meet avidly in churches to worship
God. However, do any of church buildings truly represent the true place of
worship?
The
Heart
Biblically, we have seen that Jews
worshiped at the temple in Jerusalem and synagogues outside of Jerusalem.
However, in Bible times there were other God-fearing people who also worshiped Yahweh,
but they did not worship at the temple. These people were the Samaritans. Apart
from some theological differences, the Samaritans followed the Torah and worshiped
God as the Jews did. The main difference, however, was that the Samaritans
believed the true place of worship was not the Jerusalem temple but a mountain
in Samaria where Jacob’s well was located.
One day, while travelling from Galilee
up to Jerusalem, Jesus and his disciples stopped for lunch at Jacob’s well, near
the city of Samaria. Jesus sent his men into town to buy lunch while he waited at
the well. A Samaritan woman came by to draw water from the well. “Give me a
drink,” asked Jesus.
A conversation ensued between Jesus and
the woman. Eventually, referring to her religious traditions she said to Jesus,
“Sir, I perceive that you are a prophet. Our fathers worshipped on this
mountain, but you say that in Jerusalem is the place where people ought to
worship.” In response Jesus answered, “Woman, believe me, the hour is coming
when neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem will you worship the Father. The
hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshippers will worship the
Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship
him. God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth,”
(John 4:18-24).
Clearly, Jesus points out that the true
place for worship was not a temple or mountain. The true ritual of worship was
not in animal sacrifices or the traditions of man. The true ritual of worship is
not found in elaborate musical ensembles or exuberant praise and worship
sessions. The true ritual of worship is a heartfelt sincere and spiritual
expression of the adoration of God, to his glory. The true place of worship,
therefore, is a pure and contrite heart totally surrendered to the Lord God
Almighty. David said, “Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me,
bless his holy name!” (Psalm 103:1). It is here that a real and continual awareness of the presence of God is found.
Come
Together in That Place
The orthodox Jews believe that wherever
10 or more men are gathered together, they can worship in prayer. But Jesus
said, “For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them.” Two
or three can gather anywhere, anytime to pray. Consequently, a true place of
worship is not a house of worship or an
establishment or other location where a group of people (a congregation) comes to perform acts of
religious faith, honour, or devotion. A true place of worship is found where
two or more humble hearts join together in a true spiritual expression of sincere
adoration of God Almighty and in the fellowship of his Holy Spirit.
God is Spirit and he has created you and
me as spirit beings. To connect with God in worship, we need to disconnect with
the flesh and open our hearts to the living, breathing Holy Spirit. Heart
worship can only be done in truth, otherwise it is not from the heart but from
the flesh. And worship is not music, and music is not worship. Worship is
prayer, and prayer is worship. As R. T. Kendall said, “Prayer can no more be divorced from
worship than life can be divorced from breathing.” Christian worship leader and songwriter, Martin Smith
is quoted as saying, “The essence of worship is trying to arrange your whole
life that pleases God.” True
worship is a life totally surrendered to God. Worship is not an action, it is a
lifestyle.
So, whether
you meet with other believers in a cathedral or a coffee shop, always remember
that the true place of worship is right there where your heart is.
