For the last 1,500 years, Christians have been using Psalm 95 as a call to worship. This psalm is sometimes referred to as the “Venite” (which is the Latin translation of the opening word, “come”) or the “Invitatory” because of its function as an invitation to worship.
I want to reflect a bit on Psalm 95 because it is a biblical description of what’s going on when we gather every week for worship. I notice at least three things about how we’re to set about this task of praising God.

First, we enter into worship deliberately: “Come” we’re told (95:1); “Let us come!” (95:2). Worship doesn’t happen by accident; it’s a movement, a turning from one set of preoccupations, one sphere of life and activity, towards another. Where do we turn? In the direction of the presence of God himself. This move isn’t natural – it can only be made with the inspiration of the Holy Spirit – but enabled by God, we are to place ourselves before his face.

Worship involves an urgent, deliberate turning towards God.

Second, worship is earnest. It has a measure of intensity. “Let us shout aloud to the Rock of our Salvation [and] extol him with music and song.” (95:1-2) Scholars debate whether Psalm 95 is an accurate picture of the services that took place in the Temple. If so, worship in ancient Israel was exuberant – a loud, undignified succession of voices and instruments. Wouldn’t it be great if our hearts were so full of joy in worship that we couldn’t help but shout our praise to God? Having said that I do believe there is a way of engaging with God that is quiet and non-demonstrative yet just as intense. What matters ultimately is that our worship arises from and gives voice to deep joy in God.

Deliberate. Earnest.

Third and finally, the worship into which Psalm 95 invites us is public, not private. It’s addressed to the people of God: “Come, let us bow down in worship, let us kneel before the Lord our Maker; for he is our God, and we are the people of his pasture.” (95:6-7) You might say worship is not the deliberate, earnest movement of one heart towards God, it’s the action of a community. This is not to deny that worship is also a private matter. The individual does business with God, and no one can do it for us. But God is my God (Psalm 63:1) only insofar as he is the God of his chosen people.

Deliberate. Passionate. Communal. May God help our worship express all that Psalm 95 describes.

Love in Christ,

Pastor Dan