Word for the day by Christian Education Forum

-

 Worship – The Celebration of Faith

 Ezekiel 47: 1-12

On the banks, on both sides of the river, there will grow all kinds of trees for food. Their leaves will not wither nor their fruit fail, but they will bear fresh fruit every month, because the water for them flows from the sanctuary. Their fruit will be for food, and their leaves for healing.

Worship is a sacred act that allows us to connect with the Almighty God. It is a celebration of our faith, a beautiful expression of love and reverence towards our Creator. In Ezekiel 47:1-12, we find a powerful vision of a river flowing from the temple, representing the life-giving power of worship.
Ezekiel witnesses a stream of water flowing from the temple. This stream eventually becomes a deep and mighty river. The temple represents the presence of God, and the river signifies the overflow of worship that emanates from His dwelling place. Worship starts with recognizing God as the source of all things, acknowledging His sovereignty and goodness. It is from this acknowledgment that the river of worship begins to flow in our lives.
As Ezekiel walks along the river, he notices that it gradually becomes deeper. This can symbolize the depth of our worship as our faith matures. This results as our relationship with God deepens, surrendering our hearts and allowing Him to fill us with His Spirit. As we go deeper in worship, we experience a greater revelation of God's love and grace.
Ezekiel observes that on both sides of the river, trees flourish, bearing fruit every month. These trees represent the lives of those who worship God faithfully. True worship produces a harvest of righteousness and spiritual fruit in our lives. It enables us to bear the fruit of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.
The river Ezekiel sees brings life wherever it flows, transforming barren places into fertile landscapes. In the same way, worship has the power to heal and restore. When we enter into sincere worship, we invite God's presence to touch the broken areas of our lives. Worship becomes a source of our healing, restoration, and renewal. It is in the act of worship that we encounter the fullness of God's love and experience His transforming power.
Let us approach worship with reverence and joy, allowing it to be a transformative experience that draws us closer to God. As we celebrate our faith through worship, may our lives become a testimony of God's love, grace, and power, bringing hope and life to a world in need.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, we thank you for every opportunity we have to worship you as we are reminded that it is a celebration of our faith. Help us to deepen our relationship with you to be more fruitful and a blessing to those around us. Please enable us to be transformed in and through our worship. In Jesus name, Amen.
 


Vivin Varghese
The Mar Thoma Church of Staten Island

Popular posts from this blog

Word for the day by Christian Education Forum

-
  Constant, patient and welcoming love of God   St. Luke 15: 11-32  V.21: And the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight, and am no longer worthy to be called your son.’ The parable of the ‘Prodigal son’ is one of the most frequently quoted parables that Jesus told His disciples. The parable contains the rich mine of human virtues and emotions. This parable is lived and re-lived in progressing civilizations from time immemorial and continuing. It brings out in vivid detail the pathetic depth of human sinfulness and the glorious heights of God’s forgiveness.      As a story of human nature, fathers are generally merciful to their children in any circumstance. They are very protective and are eager to provide for and secure the lives of their offspring. Jesus is telling this parable to underscore the superlative love of God to His children. The nature of such love is reiterated by Jesus in Matthew 7:11. Humankind who are evil by nature, give good gifts t
Read more

Word for the day by Christian Education Forum

-
Revelation for Liberation Acts 27:18-26 Sherine Thomas Long Island MTC, NY 20  When neither sun nor stars appeared for many days, and no small tempest raged, all hope of our being saved was at last abandoned. “After winter comes the summer.  After night comes the dawn.  And after every storm, there comes clear open skies” so said a Scottish clergyman from the 1600s. It’s been said, that hope can sometimes be the most dangerous weapon.  However, it’s sometimes the hardest weapon to carry when you’re living with the loss of a loved one, something that almost feels like a terrible nightmare that’ll never go away.  It’s a weapon difficult to carry when day in and day out no one seems to hear or see those tears that are shed or silent cries that are made during a heartfelt prayer. It’s a weapon difficult to carry as you see your loved one lying on that hospital bed.  It’s a weapon difficult to carry as you search and seek out answers to tell a child as to why they’ve been a
Read more

Word for the day by Christian Education Forum

-
PRIESTHOOD: THE ANOINTED MINISTRY Exodus 40:12-16 Bring Aaron and his sons to the entrance to the Tent of Meeting... wash them with water. Then dress Aaron in the sacred garments, anoint him and consecrate him so he may serve me as priest (Exodus 40: 12-13). Priesthood among the people of God was a divine command and initiation. God wanted some people to be separated for the special ministry among his people. God appointed Aaron and his descendants to take up this kind of ministry among the people of God. Priests are always separated and appointed as channels that connect God with his people. All throughout the history of Israel, priests played an important role in connecting people with God and to lead and guide them in the statutes of God. But there are incidents in the Bible where the priests failed in their duties and that led the people to go away from God. So the priests have a special and significant ministry to perform in this world among his people. Two important things
Read more