Exodus 7:25-8:19
Psalms 131, 132, 133, 140, 142
2 Corinthians 3:7-18
Mark 10:17-31
At the beginning of Exodus, Chapter 8, we hear God tell Moses, “Go to Pharaoh and say to him, ‘This is what the LORD says: Let my people go, so that they may worship me.’” (NIV) In reading all of today’s readings, it was this phrase that stuck with me. It’s probably because I’ve always had a problem with the idea that God needs us to worship Him. I mean, God’s not human. Although we always seem to be attributing human qualities to God, we know that He is a spiritual being, all powerful and all knowing. He can’t possibly have a fragile ego. He certainly can’t be so insecure that He needs us to reassure Him of His greatness. Of course, most believers would argue that it isn’t God who needs us to worship Him. It’s just the opposite. We need to engage in the act of worshiping, whether it’s through quiet prayer or boisterous singing. It’s good for us, and it strengthens our relationship with God. It is an essential spiritual practice.
Recently, I was reading a book* by a man writing about, among other things, his travels in Bhutan. What impressed this guy about the Bhutanese was the way they did almost everything very deliberately, very attentively. Even a simple handshake was a truly meaningful act. He went on to say he felt the word “attention” was underrated. While he sat at his computer and typed the words of his book, his 2-year-old daughter sat at his feet, vying for his attention. What did she want? His love? Not exactly. She wanted his “pure, undiluted attention.” The writer observed that perhaps love and attention really are the same thing. Not “counterfeit attention” (people, especially kids, can spot that), but genuine attention. Isn’t that how it is with worship? When we worship, we show our love for God by giving Him our “pure, undiluted attention.”
This Lenten season, are you giving God the attention He deserves?
Evelyn Snow