Come, let us sing to the Lord! Let us shout joyfully to the Rock of our salvation.
Let us come to him with thanksgiving. Let us sing psalms of praise to him.
For the Lord is a great God, a great King above all gods.
He holds in his hands the depths of the earth and the mightiest mountains.
The sea belongs to him, for he made it. His hands formed the dry land, too.
Come, let us worship and bow down. Let us kneel before the Lord our maker, for he is our God.
We are the people he watches over, the flock under his care.
If only you would listen to his voice today!
The Lord says, "Don't harden your hearts as Israel did at Meribah, as they did at Massah in the wilderness. For there your ancestors tested and tried my patience, even though they saw everything I did.
For forty years I was angry with them, and I said, "They are a people whose hearts turn away from me. They refuse to do what I tell them. So in my anger I took an oath:
'They will never enter my place of rest.' " –Psalm 95
Reverend Mark Scott (Caleb), retired United States Air Force Veteran, Associate Pastor of Azusa Christian Community Center in Dorchester, and Boston Trinity trustee, exhorted students in Wednesday morning's Chapel to consider service.
"Consider Military service," he said. Reverend Scott told Chapel attendees he learned everything about working during the four years he spent in the Air Force, but most importantly he learned "group spirit" – being a team player.
"Consider Law Enforcement service," he continued. "The police are part of the community and part of the solution."
"Consider Community service," Reverend Scott added. "Become engaged and involved to make your community stronger, freer, more prosperous."
"But service, as important as it is, is not enough," he said. "We must seek justice... but justice is not enough. We must press on from justice to sacrifice... but sacrifice is not enough. We must press on from sacrifice to rest."
How do we get there? We must bring gifts when we come into God's house. "Bring your thanksgiving – an utterance," he said. "Thanksgiving is about God's goodness." He challenged the students to not only be thankful for the good things, but to be thankful in all circumstances: in times of struggle and of trouble. After having entered the gates of God's house with thanksgiving, we are to stand with praise. Praise, another utterance, is about God's greatness. "When you come before God with thanksgiving and praise, you prepare yourself to worship. Worship is not an utterance. Worship is an attitude."
Reverend Scott reminded all that God is holy; worship is our response to His holiness. What happens when we worship? God speaks (Psalm 95:7). God speaks to us in His word; the challenge for us is to listen. "When you have worshiped and God speaks and you've heard, don't run, whine, complain, quibble, or harden your heart," Reverend Scott admonished. "You need to say yes. When you do you will enter His rest. A rest He made. A rest He gives. A rest He made holy. A rest for your soul." He concluded by advising his listeners, "Say 'thank you' to God, praise Him, worship, bow down to His word, listen, say yes, and enter His rest."
