A brief meditation designed to snap you back into the restoring power of God’s love.
2026-03-08
Come, Enjoy the Lord!
Let’s consider why we come together with other believers for worship, whether on Sundays or at other times, and why I emphasize inviting church members to join us in person when physical barriers like distance or illness do not prevent them.
Every Sunday, we begin our worship with uplifting songs, a prayer, and a reading, usually from the book of Psalms. Here is one of those readings:
Oh come, let us sing to the Lord;
let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation!
Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving;
let us make a joyful noise to him with songs of praise!
For the Lord is a great God,
and a great King above all gods.
Oh come, let us worship and bow down;
let us kneel before the Lord, our Maker!
For he is our God,
and we are the people of his pasture,
and the sheep of his hand.” (Psalm 95:1-3; 6-7).
This Sunday, we will revisit this psalm, which invites joyful worship through singing and thanksgiving. Many view worship as sombre and stiff, as if standing before a judge rather than a joyful God. I remember from childhood that laughter was not permitted in church; I still recall my second-grade teacher slapping me on the head for smiling with another boy during mass. We learned that rejoicing at church was not acceptable. However, true worship is very different. Theologian Baxter Kruger wrote:
“It has been said that while the Bible speaks often about heaven, it does not actually tell us much about what heaven is going to be like. Well, if you want to know what heaven is like, here it is. It is a party. It is a feast. It is a celebration thrown by God the Father and He is the lead dancer. Heaven is about being at the Father’s party and being the celebrated guest of honor, in spite of your disqualifying failure.” […]
That is heaven. It is the excitement of God; it is the Father’s dancing joy, exploding into the greatest party in history.
Is that not a wonderful picture of what church is to be like here and now–the joy of God taking shape in our hearts and producing a celebration? We are into “models” today when we talk about the church. Well, here is a great model: the partying church.” (B. Kruger. The Parable of the Dancing God. P.14).
Every Sunday and whenever we gather for worship, we respond to our Triune God’s invitation to partake in the heavenly feast, celebrating God’s victory over death and the homecoming of many prodigal children. It is the eternal celebration of Jesus’ coronation as our Lord, Saviour, and King of Kings, among many reasons to rejoice. On Sundays, we do not just hear a sermon; we gather with fellow believers to join in the heavenly celebration and be uplifted by the joy of the Lord.
“Then he said to them, “Go your way. Eat the fat and drink sweet wine and send portions to anyone who has nothing ready, for this day is holy to our Lord. And do not be grieved, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.” (Nehemiah 8:10).
Yes, “the joy of the Lord is our strength,” our worship is a joyful, heavenly feast that lifts, heals, and strengthens our spirits. Come, join us each Sunday for praise and worship. May our gathering reflect that eternal heavenly feast prepared by God for His Son and His Bride, the Church.
In the joyful love of Christ,
Alvaro Palacio
gcitorontoeast.org 