The Norfolk Virginian. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 186?-189?, 1896-03-22
THE WORSHIP OF GOD
s""lst Us Kneel Before the Lord and Bow
Down, For He Is Our God."
aIaEIIETRPSALa, 9Th AND 71Hv ERsEs
he REV. Albert Walklcy breaches OF
the Misunderstanding the Lord with
An unsclfisI, Individunlism The
Church Is 10 Help Men with God
Real worship OF Prime Importance
ipy REV. ALBERT wALKLEYo

iRY REV. ALBERT WALKLEY)
Pastor of the First Parish in Brighton,
Mass)
O. come let us worship and bow down:
let us kneei before the Lord our maker,
for He is our God.-Psalms &c, 81.
The church stands for something great
Ell than scholarship or of eloquence on
the part of It's ministers. 1t is not TO fur
nish man with another lecture platform
or another place of entertainment.
1t calls on me TO worship. Its praise.
its prayers It's sermons. are aids TO wor-
ship II the church building is beautiful
If the singing is touching, If the sermon
Is eloquent, they are all so IN order to
help in awakening reverence and the
spirit Of communion IN the heart.
x But whom shall we revere. whom shall
we worship? God, o. how easy TO say
the word. Does God need our worship?
No. at least not as we commonly under
stand the word need
Our .lymns of praise do no, affect him,
60 as TO make him more our father.
Our prayers do not move him so as to
make him more a God Of lovc-ready
to pnur out his blessing upon us.
Our sermons do not make him any
more n God of tender mercies. They are
not coin. which purchase heavens ia
rors
Nor do thes things win for us q heaven
of bliss hereafter Then why waste time
on them, Ii they neither purchase Gods
blessings nor win future heaven? If
we are not pious for revenues sake there
are deeper. nobler reasons for worship.
But how common is ;Ais worship for the
gain we think there is in It.
We are to remember. and hold Il well
in mind. that the most unselnsh being
In Gods universe is God himself Let II
sink deep into our thought and remain
there. that The one who cares least about
pleasing himself. or having others please
MIN. for the mere pleasures sake Is
the one God. whose delight is 10 bless
others.
In creation. in every law of after and
spirit the thought is not how shall the
creator be exalted. but how shall the
creature be made perfect. Gods glory
is In sacriflce-giving himself. He is ex
allied as he cXalts his creatures.
through obedience and discipline, INFO his
Fellowship OF sacrifice. The chief glory
OF God is that he is God Of love.
ii HHe has implanted in US the impulse
10 worship In order that we. in worsh.n
lWhich Is commun!on). may become like
nim, pure. holy, and hence iappv. Nor
y snip is Ire opening out of the finite into
s '.he inhnite out OF the selfish into the
r unseiflsh. II Is companionship. deem
4 quiet endt rustful. wish the highest ths
pest ana the most beautiful. We can
i NOT adu 20 these. they add 10 us. and
make us like them. And as these ara In
God. we become Godlke.
we worship. therefore. no. for Coa.s
SAKE. put Tor the human spirits sake.
nor 20 advance Gods glory, bur 10 he
come pa!takers of that glory which he
50 Isa"E 20 Destow: not 10 win heay
en-, ont 10 win life. the life eternal ubIcb
comes through the knowledge ana love
OF God in our hearts.
~ IS 10 help men to this worship the
ohurch has It's being
we nave turned aside from the i3a,
OF winning divine favor by any wav ~
purchase. We have not fully prosna1
the new idea. peu
ana tnis worsh!p--this real worshin-
OF p!imr importance. /, is one q,
mans first needs. Just as sure as us
need Gods life to start With. wn No.
IL all along. and 10 the end. Every
moment we can make fresh ana low,
our moment OF creation. a renewing =,
Gods lif= in us. VI
In this is life. in this communion q,
the finite life with the intinjte -.
ton. us POT
9! cannot worship; my business t.
such must not neglect It," Such a or,
tells US the man eats and is hungry
drinks and Is rairsty. He wonders wh,
me does not satisfy mora; WHY #,
cravings are deeper than its own sun
ply. sup
He will not see that the infinite crav
ings call out for the infinite God
The church is TO help men. through a,
services. 10 that communion with on
God which satisfies life. L, Is 10 ga
men TO tbs table with the bread IN,
feeds and the water that ouenches life,
deepest thirst.
Not only alone can we worshjn M
only as surrounded by the majesty an,
beauty Of the world. but in svmn,th
and fellowship with like beings as orr
Selves Do we worship God In the ,ouc
OF kinship In the company of o.he
souls. In the recognition of the one voir
IN many hearts. in the presence of m,
1eiiows as well as of our God. we hrs
worship him VINO Is our father. LINT
man ceases to be man. until the Tim
when ne drops his infinite cravings mr.