Wherever We Worship 无论何处

[Dexu Xia]

Wherever We Worship

A time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks.  John 4:23

Intense pain and a debilitating headache prevented me from attending services with my local church family . . . again. Grieving the loss of community worship, I watched an online sermon. At first, complaints soured my experience. The poor sound and video quality distracted me. But then a voice on the video warbled a familiar hymn. Tears flowed as I sang these words: “Be Thou my vision, O Lord of my heart. Naught be all else to me save that Thou art. Thou my best thought, by day or by night. Waking or sleeping, Thy presence my light.” Focusing on the gift of God’s constant presence, I worshiped Him while sitting in my living room.

While Scripture affirms the vital, essential nature of corporate worship (Hebrews 10:25), God’s not bound within the walls of a church building. During Jesus’ chat with the Samaritan woman at the well, He defied all expectations of the Messiah (John 4:9). Instead of condemnation, Jesus spoke truth and loved her as she stood next to that well (v. 10). He revealed His intimate and sovereign knowledge of His children (vv. 17–18). Proclaiming His deity, Jesus declared that the Holy Spirit evoked true worship from the hearts of God’s people, not from a specific physical location (vv. 23–24).

When we focus on who God is, what He’s done, and all He’s promised, we can rejoice in His constant presence as we worship Him with other believers, in our living rooms . . . and everywhere!

Where do you enjoy worshiping God? How do you enjoy His presence and experience joy while worshiping Him?

Amazing God, please help me worship You as I rejoice in who You are, what You’ve done, and all You promise to do.

 无论何处

时候将到，如今就是了。那真正拜父的，要用心灵和诚实拜祂，因为父要这样的人拜祂。—约翰福音4章23节

剧烈的疼痛和头痛让我又无法参加主日聚会。不能和大家一起敬拜上帝，让我有点难过，但我还是会参加线上崇拜。刚开始我一直抱怨，导致我无法好好敬拜。收音、画质不佳都让我分心。直到我听到有人柔和地唱出我很熟悉的诗歌，我边流泪边唱道：“恳求心中王，成为我异象，万事无所慕，惟主是希望！愿祢居首位，日夜导思想，工作或睡觉，慈容作我光。”当我专注于上帝的同在时，我就能坐在客厅里敬拜上帝。

圣经虽肯定群体敬拜的重要性（希伯来书10章25节），但上帝的同在不只是局限在教堂的四面墙内。当耶稣在井旁与撒马利亚妇人交谈时，祂打破了人们对弥赛亚既定的印象（约翰福音4章9节）。耶稣并没有谴责这位井边的妇人，而是对她讲述真理并关心她（10节），祂确实完全了解她的景况（17-18节）。耶稣表明自己的身份，并宣告圣灵会促使上帝的子民从内心发出真实的敬拜，且不限于某个特定的地点（23-24节）。

当我们专注于上帝的特质、作为和应许，就能因上帝持续的同在而喜乐，无论是在客厅或在任何地方，都可以与其他信徒一同敬拜祂！

你喜欢在何处敬拜上帝？
当你敬拜上帝时，你如何享受祂的同在并经历喜乐呢？

奇妙的上帝，当我因祢的特质、作为和应许
而满心喜乐时，求祢帮助我全心敬拜祢。