Worship without compassion is robbery. (<<<Click to tweet the headlines)
It leaves us full and fat with spiritual things. It leaves us over stuffed and selfishly hoarding the message of peace and grace and love of God. Worship without compassion robs those around us from encountering God.
It sets up a mirror in front of our faces and never moves. We see only the inward struggle and strife of our lives and never gain perspective on the reality of our surroundings. We become self-consumed, thinking only of ourselves and cut off from the world.
It exploits the sacredness of the relationship between man and God, the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, and the moving of the Holy Spirit in and through His people because it means nothing if not coupled with redeeming and rebuilding the lives of the least, last, and lost.
He rejects the worship of those who are not becoming measures of Himself to the world. If we are not acting as the Church, we cannot worship as the Church because they are one in the same.
"I can't stand your religious meetings. I'm fed up with your conferences and conventions. I want nothing to do with your religion projects, your pretentious slogans and goals. I'm sick of your fund-raising schemes, your public relations and image making. I've had all I can take of your noisy ego-music. When was the last time you sang to me?Do you know what I want? I want justice-oceans of it. I want fairness-rivers of it. That's what I want. That's all I want." [Amos 5:21-24]
"He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you, but to do justice, and to love kindness,t and to walk humbly with your God?" [Micah 6:8]
The truth of who God is, what He has done, and who He has created us to be should stir in us a passion and gratitude and a spirit of worship, causing us to be mobilized in compassion towards the injustices of this world.
Dear God, let this be so of me.
I want to be Your hands and feet and eyes and ears to those hurting around me. I want to see all wrongs made right and all that is broken be made new. I want to see You more so that I may respond with greater effect. I want to lead people to meet You. I want them to encounter You. By Your truth I will passionately worship so that others can see You.
Amen.
