“Worship the Lord with gladness; come into God’s presence with singing.” Psalm 100:2
Dear People of St. David’s,
I pray that you and yours are well on these bright and beautiful days. I pray, too, that you are beginning to grasp the grace and love and presence of God in your life more and more. This year of Growing in Grace is exciting for me because I know that as we experience God’s grace, our lives will be lifted up in new ways.
One of the most powerful ways we experience God’s grace is through our worship on Sundays together and on our own over the course of each day. Worship is not merely showing up at church or private times of prayer where we kind of check some box and say, “Okay, I worshiped God, now let’s get on with our real life.” No, worship is our real life as we turn our hearts, minds, and love toward God.
Whether we are on our own or gathered in one of the many services of worship at St. David’s, the act of worship changes us. We are changed because in worshiping God, in praising God, in thanking God, in singing to God, we set or reset our lives in proper order. Worship sets our sights on a higher power, rather than on ourselves and our lives. In setting our sights higher, we are aware and more open to the grace and presence of God that is always with us.
I know that in my prayers, or when I’m walking the dogs in the morning, the worship part of that time changes me. As a singer, I sing to God (or hum if I’m home and don’t want to wake anyone). That’s part of my prayer practice as I thank God; give praise to Him; acknowledge all the good God has brought to my life; and remember all the troubles He has carried me through. As I worship, I very often feel a change of heart, or change of mind, or even a sense of lightness that lifts my spirits. Worship changes us like that.
So, whether you are on your own or gathered in community at St. David’s, let me invite all of us to enjoy the gift of worship. You don’t have to sing, but when we offer our thanks and praise and experience God’s response, we will be changed. That is God gracing our lives. As we worship more and more, we will grow in grace.
Grace and Peace,
The Rev. W. Frank Allen