2/23/21
Many churches throughout the world use a Bible reading schedule called a "lectionary." It's just a fancy word meaning "selected readings." Posts like this reflect on the readings for an upcoming Sunday or other Church holiday, as found in the historic one-year lectionary.
Psalm 134 calls the servants of the Lord who are present by night to bless the Lord. We rightly ask, then, who is in the house of the Lord at night? These are God's priestly servants, those whose duty includes keeping the lamps lit symbolizing God's presence of light. They clear up after the day's activities of making sacrifices. They make sure everything is in order.
Did you ever wonder about how pastors spend their time? After all, time spent in preparing for sermons, working out the order of worship, and counseling others wouldn't seem to be all-consuming. There's something very important, though, that we often overlook.
A pastor, like these priests in Psalm 134, needs to spend time essentially "hanging out" with God. We check on the actual conditions of the place where worship services will be held. At the same time, though, we pray for the congregants who assemble. Since we are creatures of habit, even walking through the nave of the church building can bring to mind one person who always sits here, another who is normally there but has been absent, one who seemed worried last Sunday, one who had been sick, one who is hoping for a promotion at work, another who is dealing with a difficult family situation. We pray for the needs of the congregation, often quite specifically. You thought we were picking up abandoned bulletins. Well, we can do some of that also.
Those who are around the place God's people assemble are aware of the needs of God's people. They care for them, like a good father cares for his family. And they pray the Lord would work in the Church according to His grace and mercy. They ask God's blessing. And, in Psalm 134, the Psalmist prays that the Lord would bless them for this work.
If this brief meditation was helpful to you, I hope you will check out the other materials on our website at www.WittenbergCoMo.com and consider supporting us.
Many churches throughout the world use a Bible reading schedule called a "lectionary." It's just a fancy word meaning "selected readings." Posts like this reflect on the readings for an upcoming Sunday or other Church holiday, as found in the historic one-year lectionary.
Psalm 134 calls the servants of the Lord who are present by night to bless the Lord. We rightly ask, then, who is in the house of the Lord at night? These are God's priestly servants, those whose duty includes keeping the lamps lit symbolizing God's presence of light. They clear up after the day's activities of making sacrifices. They make sure everything is in order.
Did you ever wonder about how pastors spend their time? After all, time spent in preparing for sermons, working out the order of worship, and counseling others wouldn't seem to be all-consuming. There's something very important, though, that we often overlook.
A pastor, like these priests in Psalm 134, needs to spend time essentially "hanging out" with God. We check on the actual conditions of the place where worship services will be held. At the same time, though, we pray for the congregants who assemble. Since we are creatures of habit, even walking through the nave of the church building can bring to mind one person who always sits here, another who is normally there but has been absent, one who seemed worried last Sunday, one who had been sick, one who is hoping for a promotion at work, another who is dealing with a difficult family situation. We pray for the needs of the congregation, often quite specifically. You thought we were picking up abandoned bulletins. Well, we can do some of that also.
Those who are around the place God's people assemble are aware of the needs of God's people. They care for them, like a good father cares for his family. And they pray the Lord would work in the Church according to His grace and mercy. They ask God's blessing. And, in Psalm 134, the Psalmist prays that the Lord would bless them for this work.
If this brief meditation was helpful to you, I hope you will check out the other materials on our website at www.WittenbergCoMo.com and consider supporting us.
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