When Christians sing Come, now is the time to worship, what do they mean?
It’s a collective thing. They invite others to come and worship together.
- It’s a nice tune too.
- And there is a further thing, they worship, they say somebody or something else is really really fantastic they put this person or thing up somewhere prominent.
- And they give this person / thing all their attention, and shower praise to him / her / it.
Been there, done that? When I had the opportunity to lead an international conference of a research society, I felt an enormous gratitude for the opportunity, and I contributed more and more to the life of the society for the following decades. Having this opportunity is not quite to the same extent as something you want to praise God about, but it is somewhat similar in that the opportunity was completely unexpected. I didn’t deserve it neither, and there were many people far more qualified.
Come, now is the time to worship. What me? now? worship?
Based on what the Bible (New Testament) says, we can see that the Christians are worshiping Jesus – the one, the only one to whom everything in the heavens, on earth, and under the earth bow down on their knees to recognise his power and greatness.
that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion […] (Daniel 7:14)
Curiously, it’s not the power and greatness that human usually think of. The New Testament also says Jesus is Lord. Boss? Sounds like so.
Christians worship Jesus because he is so powerful and great that everything bows down to him, not because of fear, but because he makes everything – or he causes these other things to become. Wow. Boss? No longer so, much much more than boss.
He gives them life in the first place, and freedom. He also can give you freedom from the entanglement of life caused by the limits of our own condition – that which we feel we are just short of good enough, let alone perfect. Christians call it sin. You might not agree with the word “sin”. I can acknowledge there are lots of things in my life where even if I know what those things are and I want to control them for good purposes, I can’t always do it. It’s will power, well, no, not always.
At some point, you will reach your limit; you can’t continue.
It could simply be because you need some sleep; or maybe you think you should change track. Really, back track a few days or weeks and start anew. Yeah, I will be fine then.
But you never know that second chance, whether it is the second chance.
I don’t think, on our own effort, we have the capacity to be God, or be like God: we can know have parallel human existential experiences and say I’ve done better this time.
Actually, I’d rather not know.
Because it might be worse decision second time. It’s a different kind of ‘keep trying, better next time’.
Time. When I sing / play this song, indeed it is time. Even if it is not time, for example, I play it back on the CD or computer, and I am on my own, it’s not exactly “come together” alone. I am able to realise enough of who and why I worship, and I come, the way I make it purposeful.
It might be “mindfulness”. Indeed, mindfulness leads me to realising purposefulness. To come, to worship, because He is, anything aside means everything else meaningless, purposeless.
And still, the greatest treasure remains for those who gladly choose Him.
As such, another verse from the Bible, now the Old Testament, makes sense: You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your might. (Deuteronomy 6:5)
With all our
Heart (emotion)
Soul (spiritual)
Mind (mental)
Strength (physical)
We gladly choose Him.
It is not when I come now to worship him that then I worship him. Rather, because he is, I will come now to worship him. As he remains, and he does, I will come always (now) to worship him. I worship him so long as he is, not because I am in the capacity to worship him although that might be useful, but because of he is.
