Worship: Part 2 – Value of Corporate Worship

During the past year of pandemic, online learning, and “online worship,” many Christians are rethinking their own approaches to worship.  What attitudes and conditions are necessary for God-honoring worship?  Do we have to “go to church” in order to worship?  In “Worship: Part 1 – A Wider View of Worship,” we considered how a healthy lifestyle of worship should be a part of our work, recreation, and rest.  When this is true, our spiritual focus of each weekday can create a seamless connection to a more God-honoring and personally satisfying corporate worship.  

Turning our attention to corporate worship, what attitudes and actions in particular ought to characterize followers of Jesus Christ who gather to worship Him?  Warning: This is not a heavy treatment of the vast subject of worship.  This writer is only a layman with some points to share, and your responses will add much value.  (See “Comment” link at the end of this article.)

“Church Family” Gatherings
By definition, a church is an assembly of called-out believers in Jesus Christ.  After Jesus’s death and resurrection, His followers adopted the practice of continually devoting themselves to the apostles' teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer (Acts 2: 42).  As members of “the Body of Christ,” these “brothers and sisters” by faith in Christ were united by the Holy Spirit into a “faith family” in common love for their Savior.  Today we read from the Book of Hebrews the challenge to avoid forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more as you see the day drawing near (Hebrews 10: 24-25).

According to the Bible, God’s design and His desire as our Creator is that His redeemed children come together each week to “worship Him in spirit and in truth (e.g. John 4: 24).”  Spirit-filled Christ-followers enjoy being together as a “church family.”  Meanwhile, God is continually drawing non-believers to “come and see” His church in the process of worshiping and serving God and loving one another (John 13: 35).

God created us to be members of both a spiritual family and a biological family.  Spiritual and biological families each have aspects that unify their respective members.  Within each family, members are unified by their common lineage, their shared history; and ideally, their shared values and affection for fellow family members.  However, because we all have a sinful nature and tend toward pleasing ourselves rather than pleasing others, both biological and spiritual families often experience strife and disunity for some of the same reasons (Philippians 2: 3-6).  Therefore, it will be helpful to consider how certain behaviors and their adverse effects within biological families could provide insights into how to identify and understand the dynamics within our church families. 

“Biological Family” Gatherings
Let’s begin by considering how a biological family plans to host a summer family gathering or reunion.  Then, we’ll compare the dynamics and behaviors that make for a great family reunion with those that are necessary for a God-honoring local church family? 

Maybe you are already having mental flashbacks of past family gatherings.  While we’re at it, let’s reason through the steps as if you were planning a family reunion at your home.  We will need to schedule a date, list who to invite, and plan for food, activities, games, etc.  Men in our family tend to think in spatial terms, selecting outdoor games and arranging their locations, or planning alternatives for bad weather—“Better rent a tent, or maybe clear out the barn or garage,” they say.

Meanwhile, women handle the guest list and food.  Should we plan for a large-scale barbeque, or just order-in the meat already prepared?  How about having each family bring a covered dish and a salad or dessert?  Should we invite the “patriarchs and matriarchs” of our family?  How can we honor them?   Will we have music or other media.  If so, who will perform or coordinate the entertainment? 

Once the plans begin to take shape, who can best serve as the host, or emcee?  Our family gatherings are usually not overly structured, but we have several naturally gifted entertainers or emcee-types.  Nothing like a good host or emcee to keep things running smoothly.  The host may call the family to attention in order to grant honor to elders, recognize the latest accomplishments of younger family members, and otherwise make everyone feel welcomed, involved, and loved.
 
Worship As a “Church Family”
By now, you may realize that our comparison of a biological family gathering to the assembling of God’s people to worship may be a bit far-fetched.  Shouldn’t there be a striking contrast between the two types of gatherings because of the greatness of God and His worthiness to be worshiped?  We believe so. Great as family reunions are, gatherings of God’s people as a “church family” ought to have several distinct qualities that demonstrate heart-felt worship, love for God, and unconditional love for one another. 

Rather than attempt an exhaustive treatment of the subject of corporate worship, we will list several qualities which, according to the Scriptures, should characterize true worship of God.  Remember, this writer is not an expert on worship, or even a person who “has it all together” spiritually—ask Abby about all of these.  So, after reading, feel free to critique, criticize, and add helpful comments.  See the “Comment” link below.  We can all learn more if we are willing to share Scriptural insights based on God’s Word and our experiences.

Come with Preparation of Heart
We know what it means to carefully prepare for and anxiously anticipate an upcoming family reunion.  How much more should we prepare to join with our spiritual family to worship Almighty God?  Weekly worship and preaching from the Word of God can help us be victorious over our sin each weekday.  In “Worship: Part 1 – A Wider View of Worship,” we emphasized how a spirit of worship should be an integral part of the lives of Christ-followers every day.  Daily worship and reliance on God, in turn, helps us worship in congregation.    

The psalmist David was aware of both his sinful tendencies and his need for a “lifestyle of repentance” (See Psalm 32).  Nevertheless, David continually aimed toward a daily life of integrity and whole-hearted devotion in preparation for those regular times of corporate worship of God (See Psalm 119: 9-11).  In Psalm 15 and Psalms 24-26, David asks questions like, “Who may dwell on God’s holy hill?” David’s answer: “He who walks with integrity.”  We must realize with David that maintaining our integrity each day enables us to come with hearts full and ready to worship in congregation.  Psalm 26: 12 expresses this relationship: 
My foot stands on a level place;
in the congregation I shall bless the LORD.

Come with Glad Anticipation
David wrote and sang this song (Psalm 122: 1): 
I Was glad when they said to me,
“Let us go to the house of the LORD”

We ought to come to church with glad anticipation.  What a privilege to offer to God our expressions of His “worth-ship!” Worthy is the Lamb that was slain for us (Revelation 5: 12)!  Some who are reading this article are used to going to worship regularly with glad anticipation in spite of difficult circumstances or limited religious freedom.  Others may anticipate assembling in spite of severe penalties or even threats against their lives. When we remember to pray for our Christian brethren who are persecuted in many nations around the world we are more prone to lay aside our petty concerns.  When we join fellow believers in corporate worship we join millions around the world who are responding to God's invitation to come in glad anticipation to praise the Lamb who was slain for us.  Psalm 95 conveys this glad invitation:  
Come, let us sing for joy to the LORD;
let us shout to the Rock of our salvation!
Let us enter His presence with thanksgiving;
let us make a joyful noise to Him in song.

Come to Encourage
Do you have a sense of glad anticipation as you make your way to church?  As a young family, we were not always glad and harmonious on Sunday mornings—ask our son and daughter.  But our family struggles often reminded us of how much we needed to be with fellow struggling followers of Christ to hold one another up in the presence of our Savior and Gentle Shepherd. 

As noted earlier, Scripture urges us not to forsake our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another (Hebrews 10: 25).  We gather to worship, but also to encourage one another.  To encourage (Greek, parakaleō) means “to come alongside, to exhort,” or “to comfort.” For more on the importance of comfort, literally “to come with fortification in faith,” see “Hearing the Voice of Jesus –2: When Suffering Comes.” 

Coming together as a spiritual family to encourage one another means the depth of our conversations ought to be greater and our purpose more intentional than in biological family reunions.  Conversations at family reunions range from very casual “Hi, how have you been?” to greater depths if we are willing to take the time and open up a bit about some of our family burdens.  Much more so, when God’s people gather as a church, it ought to be assumed if not evident that all of us are bearing at least some physical, emotional, and spiritual burdens.  Therefore, let us be intentional, according to Hebrews 10: 24-25, to consider how to lift up and encourage those with whom we gather to worship.  

Jesus Christ did not give His life blood to purchase followers that found “country clubs” where everyone comes “neat and tidy.”  Instead, as someone has said, the church of Jesus Christ is like a hospital where Christ-followers, carnal Christians, and unsaved sinners can come together.  Here, they can expose their spiritual bruises, emotional struggles, questions, and doubts; and be encouraged in a safe and loving environment where God is worshiped and His Word is central.  Does this description fit your church family?

Come to Focus Upward to God
Some biological family gatherings may express praise and thanks (vertically, upward to God) for the blessing of being together, for safe travels, for delicious food, and for God’s many blessings. Family members like to enjoy one another’s company and to catch up on the blessings, adventures, and accomplishments of each other since our last gathering.  Here, the main focus is on enjoying and strengthening human relationships—i.e. horizontal and not vertical and upward to God.

When Christ-followers gather as a church, the main focus ought to be on Almighty God and offering Him reverence, adoration, and thanksgiving.  The focus ought to be primarily upward.  According to Isaiah 6: 1, the Prophet Isaiah saw the glory of the Lord and was immediately humbled to worship. 
I saw the Lord seated on a throne,
high and exalted;
and the train of His robe filled the temple. – Isaiah 6: 1
Likewise, when we realize that we are coming to worship Almighty God, we will come with preparation of heart and glad anticipation to be encouragers who lift up our brothers and sisters. 

Our natural tendency is to focus on ourselves in ways that do not elevate our church experience above a family reunion—for example, what dress or slacks we will wear, who we will speak to, what to say to “Sally” who just separated from her husband, how much we will place in the offering plate, whether the choices of hymns or praise songs will be worshipful, who will give the message, whether the message will include memorable illustrations, will the pastor give an invitation?  If these concerns dominate our thinking, we are in need of a higher focus and purpose.

The Book of Psalms is filled with uplifting invitations to worship God:
Many, O LORD my God,
are the wonders which You have done,
And Your thoughts toward us;
There is none to compare with You.
If I would declare and speak of them,
They would be too numerous to count.  – Psalm 40: 5

Hear the Call to Worship
Many corporate worship services begin with a “Call to Worship.”  This “call” is intended to be “God’s call” for us to gather with our “focus vertically” in worship of Him.  To respond in obedience to God’s call is to come before Him with preparation of heart and glad anticipation.  We pray that the points we have offered above will cause readers, especially Christ-followers, to reflect on the quality of our obedience to God who is worthy of our humble worship.

But the Scriptures also remind us to come with a “horizontally focused” sensitivity so we can encourage one another in our faith. As we listen to God’s Word, respond in song and prayer, and submit to God’s Spirit in our lives, we are less likely to become distracted by the methods and means, including the music chosen to assist us in worship.  We have found this Spirit-led focus especially helpful when it comes to accepting the choices of music for worship.  In “Worship: Part 3” we will consider “Music for Worship.”

Would You Care to Comment?
Now it’s your turn to respond.  How has this article affected your thinking about the way we ought to worship God?  Is there an error in our thinking, or a missing point that you would like to add?   Often, readers who take time to use the “Comment” link below will add much to the value of an article.  Or, if you’d like to comment privately, just email to silviusj@gmail.com   Thank you for reading.

Worship: Part 1 – A Wider View of Worship

During the past year, changes in requirements for social gatherings including church services have caused some people to ask, “What does it mean for me to worship?”  The original English spelling of “worship” is “worthship.”  According to The American Heritage Dictionary, “worship is an expression of reverent love and devotion expressed toward a deity, an idol, or a sacred object.”  

We all worship someone or something.  Because we have been created as relational beings, we assign varying degrees of “worthship” to the relationships we establish, whether to God or another person, or to some object or passionate interest.  Those who worship God recognize He is “worthy” of worship because they have come to treasure Him, His divine character, and His loving deeds.

We often associate “worship” with “going to church.” But in this article, we will consider how God is pleased when our worship overflows from our regular “corporate worship” and becomes a comprehensive part of our daily lives.  We will see that genuine worship is grounded in our exercise of good stewardship of the time, talents, and treasures God entrusts to us; and our discipleship demonstrates that we are willing learners and followers of Christ.  In "Worship: Part 2" we consider corporate worship and later, the role of music in worship.

Who and What Is Worthy?
As our Creator, God knows that we are most complete when we worship Him above all our other relationships and passions.  That is why God’s First and Second Commandments, respectively, state that You shall have no other gods before Me, and You shall not make for yourself an idol or any likeness of what is in heaven (Exodus 20: 3-6).  These and all of God’s commands and statues are not intended to steal our joy.  Just the opposite:  Obedience to God’s Word frees us from pride and rebellion.  Amazingly, submission to a loving, gracious, merciful God revealed in the Bible and in His creation opens our eyes to experience His direction, purpose, and joy in life.

The Apostle Paul was set free from prideful legalism and ceremonial piety when He met Jesus Christ, God’s Beloved Son.  Paul’s words express the joy he found in God’s grace, forgiveness, and freedom to truly worship God.  He declared, “For me to live is Christ, and to die is gain (Philippians 1: 21).”  In practical, day-to-day life we are most complete and satisfied when we “love God with all our heart, soul, and mind” as He created us to do (Luke 10: 27). 

When we read and meditate on the living, God-breathed Scriptures, it’s like inhaling “spiritual air.”  Then, we exhale our worshipful praises to Him.  For example, God has given us the Psalms as a book of praise songs to lift our souls.  From wherever place we find ourselves, the Psalms invite us to join in prayerful songs of reverence, confession of sin, intercession for others, and commitment to walk worthy of God’s calling.

Whether we are at work or play, God desires our worship—i.e. keeping Him at the center of our thoughts and activities.  This principle runs throughout the Bible beginning when “God took the man (Adam) and placed him into the Garden of Eden to till (serve) and keep (preserve) it (Genesis 2: 15).” 

We Worship as Stewards
God had equipped Adam our forefather with the ability to serve or steward the Garden.  Adam was to understand that his stewardship of the Garden through his work and his recreation was a form of worship.  Thus, the quality of Adam’s work and his rest were to be a “sweet-smelling aroma” that conveyed his love and worship toward God.  The Apostle Paul explains that we express our “worthship” to God when we learn to worship Him in “Whatever [we] do in word or deed, [doing] all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father (Colossians 3: 17).”  We worship God through both how we work and how we rest.

The God who desires our worship and knows that we are most fulfilled when we place Him first has made provision of a weekly rhythm of work and rest.  God’s Fourth Commandment states, Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord your God (Exodus 20: 8-10).  Although the topic of “Sabbath Rest” is not our focus here, the Bible clearly teaches that God has designated one day in each week for us to come aside from our workday routine to worship and enjoy Him, our family, and a time to rest. 

God intends our worship on one day of the week to reflect our character and priorities on the other six days of the week.  Historically, in largely agrarian cultures around the world including Israel and rural America, people worshiped in buildings without air conditioning.  In the heat of summer, rural churches had to open up their windows and doors to the fresh air, carrying the fragrance of plowed fields, the sounds of birds and livestock, and later, the smells and sounds of factories.  All of this is a reminder that our “Sunday worship” should express our willingness to assign greater worth to God than to any other things that can easily compete with God among things we value.  Along these same lines, God is most pleased when we give generously from our material earnings as a testimony that we acknowledge our dependence on Him for income, and our desire that He guide us in using the moneys we retain.

We Worship as Disciples
If worship is an expression of reverent love and devotion to God, how exactly do we know our worship pleases Him?  As noted above, we worship God through the quality of our stewardship of what He has entrusted to us as servant-managers for His glory (Colossians 3: 17).   Although we may not question the importance of good stewardship in our worship, we may still remain unsure of the genuineness of our worship.  For example, do we attend a Christian concert because we are enraptured by the Christian artists?  Or do we switch churches because we are more elated by one of the church’s worship teams?  Are we worshipping God or simply adoring the artists and the entertainment?   This potential confusion is clarified immensely when we include a second concept by which we can identify the quality of our worship; namely, discipleship.   

Those who worship God “in spirit and in truth” can become willing disciples.  A disciple is a willing learner and a devoted Christ-follower.  Jesus made it clear to His disciples that “Follow Me” required their complete devotion.  He said to them (emphasis added), “The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed and be raised up on the third day.”  And He was saying to them all, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross daily and follow Me.  For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake, he is the one who will save it (Luke 9: 22-24).”  From these words of Jesus, we conclude that Christian discipleship is costly, and requires great personal discipline and commitment.

In Bonhoeffer’s Cost of Discipleship, from the Shepherd’s Series (Holman, 1998) study notes for Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s The Cost of Discipleship (1937), we read this distillation of Bonhoeffer’s “costly discipleship:”

A Christian must deny self.  This means to be aware of Christ and not of self.  In this we must know that He leads and we are His only by keeping close to Him.  Only when we become selfless, unaware of the pain of our own cross, are we ready to bear the cross for the sake of Christ.  Rather than being a tragedy, such suffering—enduring the cross—for the Christian is in reality the fruit of “exclusive allegiance to Jesus Christ (p. 27).”

The disciple, with the inspiration of God’s Spirit and the Scriptures, who is disciplined to be “aware of Christ and not of self” can take up his own cross after the example of Christ who went before us (Hebrews 12: 1-3).  The above study guide (p. 28) adds that, in bearing His cross for us, Jesus modeled for us the meaning of “communion.” As His suffering maintained His communion with the Father, so our endurance is necessary for followers of Christ to maintain communion with God.

Worship for Wonderers
Jesus left little doubt that His call to “deny self, take up your cross, and follow me” would be a difficult one.  Do we realize what Jesus is calling His disciples to do?  Maybe we should take some time to ponder the previous paragraphs for a while.  As we do, let’s reflect on the Gospel message and the Life of Christ.  Do we doubt that we are up for such a calling?  Or, like “Doubting Thomas,” are we unsure of the reality and the deity of the Risen Christ who is calling us?

Recall that Thomas was not with the other disciples when the Risen Christ had appeared to them.  The other disciples therefore were saying to him, “We have seen the Lord!” But he said to them, “Unless I shall see in His hands the imprint of the nails, and put my finger into the place of the nails, and put my hand into His side, I will not believe (John 20:25).”  Eight days later, Jesus appeared again to the disciples and went directly to Thomas, saying, Reach here your finger, and see My hands; and reach here your hand, and put it into My side; and be not unbelieving, but believing (v. 27).”

The response of “Doubting Thomas” should encourage any of us who doubt Jesus or doubt our ability to follow Him as a disciple.  Jesus met Thomas’s doubt with a pointed invitation to intimately examine His hands and side.  Having seen and touched Jesus’s wounds, Thomas could only exclaim, “My Lord (Master) and my God (v. 28).” We can see in Thomas’s stewardship (of the evidence of the Risen Christ), his discipleship (he faced his doubts and stayed with the other disciples to examine the evidence), and his communion with Christ (being invited to literally touch the body of Christ and the marks of His suffering), a convergence of the key elements for WORSHIP (professing the deity of Christ: “My Lord and my God.”).

Today, the Risen Christ invites us as stewards of His unmerited favor (grace) to take up our cross and follow Him.  When we suffer as a result of our obedience, the Holy Spirit, our Comforter draws us into communion with the sufferings of Christ.  How can we not join with the Apostle Paul in worshipful praise with his worshipful words:

I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish in order that I may gain Christ, and may be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own derived from the Law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which comes from God on the basis of faith, that I may know Him, and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death; in order that I may attain to the resurrection from the dead. Not that I have already obtained it, or have already become perfect, but I press on in order that I may lay hold of that for which also I was laid hold of by Christ Jesus (Philippians 3: 8-12).

Is He Worthy of Our Worship?
Yes, God is worthy of our worship in congregational settings but also throughout our daily routines of work and rest.  Remember, God seeks those who “worship Him in spirit and in truth (John 4: 24).  We must first humbly repent and confess our sin before His righteous throne.  Perhaps God might use this article to lead you to repent of your sin so He can redeem you from the curse and penalty of sin by accepting God’s payment for your sin through the blood of Christ.  For more information on how you can invite Jesus Christ to be Lord and Savior of your life, see “Steps to Peace with God.”

Thank You for Reading
We have only scratched the surface of subject of the worship of God.  But hopefully, this article has encouraged our readers to dig deeper into God’s Word.  As always, we also hope you will share your Comments and Questions which add so much value to each article (Use link below).

For further reading on how worship of God can be a part of our daily lives, here are a few links to earlier articles in Oikonomia on the subject of worship, work, and recreation:
Looking Up from Our Work
Sports: Exhibit of Stewardship and Worship
Stewardship of Righteousness -- Part Two
Earth Day – Keeping the Earth with an Eternal Perspective
Stewardship: Aligning Work with God’s Providence

Pondering Christ’s Passion During Passion Week

When you think of Palm Sunday, what images or words come to mind?   Many of us have vivid mental pictures etched there from our childhood experiences with crafts, skits, or video portrayals.   We may have a picturesque image of Jesus riding on a colt, and with His followers cheering along His procession while waving palm branches and shouting, “Hosanna! and “Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the LORD…” (Psalm 118: 26; Luke 19: 38).  But do our mental images of Palm Sunday accurately portray the passionate heart of God on that Sunday before the crucifixion of Christ and His Resurrection three day later?  

The “Passion” of Christ is often rightly focused on His suffering and death on the cross.  According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, the word passion can also mean “an intense, driving, or overmastering feeling or conviction.”  This more deeply defined passion arises when one's conviction toward a belief or purpose, or love for a person is so intense that he or she is willing to suffer and die if necessary.  

According to the Scriptures, God’s love for the world was so passionate that He was willing to suffer and die to provide for its redemption and restoration (John 3: 16).  Below, you will find seven short devotional meditations that focus on the passion of Jesus Christ leading up to and including Palm Sunday.  We hope these meditations will deepen you love and passion for God as you use them during the coming days of Passion Week.

Day 1 “Jesus Was Going On Ahead”
And they heard the sound of the LORD God walking in the garden [of Eden] in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God among the trees of the garden. Then the LORD God called to the man, and said to him, “Where are you?” (Genesis 3: 8-9).  
Adam and Eve chose the promised pleasure of eating the one forbidden fruit which resulted in broken fellowship with their Divine Creator.  But immediately, God’s passionate love moved Him to open a Way to restore mankind from the slavery of sin and death.  Hebrews 1: 1-3 summarizes how God…spoke long ago to the fathers [e.g. Abraham and the other patriarchs, and the nation Israel], in the prophets, in many portions and in many ways, in these last days has spoken to us in His Son[Jesus Christ] through whom God created the world.   Jesus is the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His nature, and upholds all things by the word of His power.  God’s loving plan to redeem mankind was the driving purpose of His Son, Jesus Christ.  Even as a boy twelve years of age, when His parents, Mary and Joseph, thought they had lost Him, Jesus asked, Why did you seek Me? Did you not know that I must be about My Father’s business (Luke 2: 49)?  His Father’s loving pursuit passionately compelled the ministry of Jesus throughout His life.  As His death was drawing near, Jesus stopped in the city of Jericho where He transformed the life of the chief tax collector, Zaccheus (Luke 19: 1-10).  There, Jesus repeated His mission:  For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost (Luke 19: 10).  God’s mission through Christ is still to restore lost people and His broken creation.

Consider:  When they were leaving Jericho, Mark 10: 32-34 and Luke 19: 28 reveal that Jesus was walking on ahead of them… walking resolutely to the place where He would be crucified.  Imagine that!  Three days later, Jesus rose again to provide  Eternal Life for all who would believe (John 3: 16).
Ask Yourself:  Can I imagine Jesus walking ahead?  Do I understand the depth of God’s love as shown in these verses?  Have I received God’s Gift of Eternal Life?  If so, am I “on mission” to know and do my Father’s will?

Day 2 “Ascending to Jerusalem”
A voice is calling, "Clear the way for the LORD in the wilderness; Make smooth in the desert a highway for our God (Isaiah 40: 3). 

It was customary in the eastern culture for servants to prepare the highway for a visiting king and his entourage.  The prophet Zachariah had written 5 centuries earlier, Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout in triumph, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your king is coming to you; He is just and endowed with salvation, Humble, and mounted on a donkey, Even on a colt, the foal of a donkey (Zechariah 9: 9).  But the highway that Jesus chose to travel to Zion was anything smooth and pleasant.  After His ministry to Zaccheus the tax collector, Jesus led the way out of the city of Jericho.  Interestingly, Jericho is the oldest city on Earth and is located west of the Jordan River at an elevation of 860 feet below sea level!  This means that for Jesus to “ascend to Jerusalem” (Luke 19: 28) He would need to walk approximately 17 miles on a steep, winding, and often dangerous road through desert terrain leading upward through an elevational change of 3,500 feet!  If that were not enough, Jesus was bearing the weight of comforting his disciples while knowing His suffering and death were immanent (See Mark 10: 32-34).
Video of a Jericho Road Trip:  See link HERE
Consider:  What steep and challenging path are you walking today?  Why are you on this path?
Ask Yourself:  Am I walking the path on which God has placed me?  Am I relying on His Spirit, my Helper and Comforter, to guide me along?   See John 14: 15-17; 26-27.

Day 3 “You Will Find a Colt”
Jesus said, Go into the village opposite you, in which as you enter you will find a colt tied, on which no one yet has ever sat; untie it, and bring it here (Luke 19: 30).
Our two meditations so far have focused on how purposeful Jesus was in setting out a long and difficult ascent to Jerusalem, the “city of God” on Mount Zion.  Now we learn from the Scripture above that Jesus had already planned ahead for His “Triumphal Entry” into Jerusalem.  He had prearranged to borrow a colt on which to ride.  When He asked His disciples to go bring the colt, Jesus, our Messiah, was fulfilling a prophecy from centuries before (Zechariah 9: 9).  At the same time, Jesus reveals that He is a God of order, planning, and purpose.  The God who planned and created the universe is the same God who revealed His plan from the beginning of human history to redeem us and restore all of His creation from the ravages of sin.
Consider:  Have you realized that God is not only purposeful but that He knows the future and is now bringing about His plans and purposes just as He did on the first Palm Sunday?
Ask Yourself:  Is my relationship with God such that I am assured of His love, plans, and purposes for my life?   See God’s promise in Jeremiah 29: 11-13, For I know the plans that I have for you ….

Day 4 “The Lord Has Need of It”
And as they were untying the colt, its owners said to them, “Why are you untying the colt?” And they said, “The Lord has need of it (Luke 19: 33-34).”

To accomplish the plan for His entry into Jerusalem, Jesus evidently had arranged with the owner of the colt to lend it to the two disciples who would use the code phrase, “The Lord has need of it.”  Here, we see a glimpse of the God who planned, created, sustains, and owns the universe now has planned to borrow transportation to ride to His sacrificial death.  Here, the Mighty God empties Himself to the point of having to humbly borrow a lowly donkey on which to ride into the city where He would eventually give His sinless life in exchange for yours and mine.
Consider:  How wonderful and awesome is this God, Jehovah, Creator and Owner of the universe, that He “had need of a colt” for transportation?   How humble and unrecognized was the kindness of the colt’s owner to have said “yes” to those who came to get the colt?
Ask Yourself:  What current “need” might God be asking me to address, even “to the least of His brothers and sisters (Matthew 25: 40).”  What gifts and abilities has God given me to share as His steward?  See 1 Corinthians 4: 1-2.

Day 5 “Hosanna,” [or] ‘Save Us Now’
“Hosanna to the Son of David; blessed is He who comes in the name of the LORD (Matthew 21: 9)

In a bold, preplanned move, God’s Messiah, the popular “prophet Jesus” enters Jerusalem, riding on a colt.  Meanwhile, He has a price on his head (John 11: 57).  But rather than slipping into the city unnoticed, or entering on a white horse like a conquering king, Jesus rides in on a lowly donkey.  His disciples join the odd procession, praising God, waving palm branches, and shouting, “Hosanna!”  To the nation Israel oppressed under the iron hand of Roman rule, “Hosanna” meant “save us now from the Romans.”  The Jewish leaders urged Jesus to silence His followers out of fear that the Romans would violently squelch the gathering.  But Jesus had repeatedly taught that, “My kingdom is not of this world (John 18: 36).”  Unknowingly, the multitudes were observing the beginning of the climax of God’s restoration of His groaning creation.  The meek leader on a borrowed colt was about to give His life, be buried in a borrowed tomb, then rise again to establish His spiritual kingdom.  This kingdom would outlive the Roman Empire and eventually inaugurate Jesus’ reign on Earth as King of Kings for 1,000 years, and then in the New Heaven and New Earth (Revelation 21).

Consider:  If you had been in the Palm Sunday procession, what would you have been shouting?
Ask Yourself:  To what extent have I unwisely surrendered my hope in the rule of Christ to a hope and trust in political leaders?   How do I decide between my allegiance to government and to God?  (See Romans 13.)

Day 6 “He Saw the City and Wept”
When He approached Jerusalem, He saw the city and wept over it… (Luke 19: 41)
This dramatic scene has Jesus pausing during the Palm Sunday procession as it descends from the Mount of Olives (Luke 19: 41-44).  From here, Jesus and His followers were afforded a magnificent view of the city of Jerusalem.  But shockingly, in the midst of the joyous procession in this beautiful setting, Jesus, seated on the donkey, weeps over the city.  Earlier, at the tomb of his friend Lazarus, Jesus had wept quietly and shed tears (John 11: 35).  But now, God the Son in all His humanity expresses His grief through audible sobbing.  The “high drama” of this scene becomes evident when we realize that Jesus will soon present Himself in the city of God for all to see.  On top of that, this first Palm Sunday is also “lamb selection day” when sacrificial lambs were customarily selected for sacrifices for sin as part of the Jewish Passover observance.  Jesus, the Lamb of God now enters the city to offer Himself as God’s perfect sacrificial lamb.  Each person must decide whether to receive Jesus, the Lamb of God, as their Messiah or to reject Him.

Consider:  As you meditate on the Scriptural accounts of Jesus’ “Triumphal Entry,” what praiseworthy character traits of God and His Son do you find?

Ask Yourself:  Have I ever been deeply grieved to the point of weeping at the awareness of how my sin grieves my Father in Heaven (Ephesians 4: 30)?  How does my relationship to the “sobbing Son of Man” affect my attitude toward God and my passion for lost family members and friends?

Day 7 “Who Is This?”
And when He had entered Jerusalem, all the city was stirred, saying, “Who is this?” And the multitudes were saying, “This is the prophet Jesus, from Nazareth in Galilee” (Matthew 21: 10).
How ironical and how sad that Jerusalem, the city of the Great King (Matthew 5: 35), was thrown into confusion by the entry of Jesus, the “King of the Jews,” riding in on a colt.  This was not the first time the Jews and others failed to recognize who Jesus really was. Nor was it to be the last time.  On Tuesday following His Palm Sunday entry, while Jesus was teaching in the temple, the Jewish leaders interrupted Him, saying: Tell us by what authority You are doing these things, or who is the one who gave You this authority (Luke 20: 2)?  They still did not believe Jesus’s claim to be the Divine Son of God.
Consider:  Jesus claimed to be One with God the Father:  He said, I and the Father are one (John 10: 30).  According to C.S. Lewis, anyone who would claim to be God is either a liar, or a lunatic, or who He said He is—the Lord God.
Ask Yourself:  Who do I say Jesus is?  Have I confused Him with my own caricature of who God is and what He expects of me?  What do I need to do to know Him better?   See John 15: 1-17.

How Will You Respond?
We hope the “Palm Sunday ponderings” have stimulated a deeper appreciation and reverence for Jesus Christ who did not waver from His mission to “seek and to save the lost.”  We invite you to share a spiritual insight you have gained.  Please click on the  “Comments” link below to share or raise a question as the case may be.  Or, you may write to us at silviusj@gmail.com.  Thank you for reading.

Related Reading:   Palm Sunday: Don’t Miss Jesus Today!  Oikonomia, April 9, 2017

Women in Science: Helen Purdy Beale

The timely development of the rapid COVID-19 test in 2020 is the result of many little-known scientists who helped to unlock the secrets of viruses. Within this history of discovery lies important lessons which are worthy of our consideration. 

In this article, we will see that science thrives in academic freedom where scientists are unfettered to explore and report their findings.  Advancements in the sciences are born out of
(a) faith in objective reality
(b) belief in an orderly creation which is
(c) governed by principles that are discoverable.  "Good science" as we define it dispels superstition and fear as Edward Jenner's historic discovery of the smallpox vaccination illustrates.  

Sadly, our culture today has become obsessed with discrimination, identity politics, and political wokeness related to ethnicity and gender.  This obsession is stifling education and scientific understanding of the physical creation. Such distorted thinking even contradicts the biological theories underlying the distinction of male and female, and of the rich ethnic diversity of the human species. While affirming gender and ethnic distinctions, we can also encourage both men and women to pursue excellence in the sciences as judged by their individual academic merit and not according to their ethnic or gender classification.  

During this March, Women's History Month, we want to celebrate the achievement of women in the sciences.    What follows is a brief history lesson in how one woman overcame cultural obstacles to contribute to our understanding of the viruses.  First, we will provide some background on viruses.

Making Viruses "Visible"
Viruses have been around since the beginning of creation.  We associate viruses with disease, but many viruses also play beneficial roles (Click HERE for more detail.).  Their submicroscopic size helped viruses to elude discovery until the invention of the electron microscope in the early 1930’s.  Until then, viruses wreaked havoc on human and animal lives through diseases like smallpox and rabies.  They also reduced crop yields by interfering with photosynthesis and other plant processes.  Both medical and agricultural pathologists were helpless in efforts to combat this invisible enemy.

Imagine if you are a scientist one century ago who is pursuing an invisible pathogen known to cause a disease:  What would you do to identify it?  Here’s a brief history in which each of three scientists  major discoveries, one by each of three different scientists who contributed toward making an “invisible pathogen” become “visible:”

1) Viruses are transmissible agents -- In 1882, the German scientist, Adolph Mayer, had been studying in Holland what he termed “tobacco mosaic disease” (TMD).  He named the disease from the mosaic pattern of brown mottling of tobacco leaves.  Mayer demonstrated that the disease could be transmitted by rubbing sap from diseased tobacco leaves onto healthy leaves. 

2) Viruses are smaller than bacteria – In 1892, Dmitri Ivanovsky, a Russian microbiologist, concluded that the agent causing the TMD was smaller than bacteria because it passed through a sterilizing filter that could trap bacteria

3) Viruses multiply in dividing cells -- In 1898, Dutch microbiologist Marcus Beijerinck observed that the agent responsible for TMD could multiply only in dividing cells, and proposed that the agent is a “contagious living fluid,” or virus.  As a result, TMD was attributed to the “tobacco mosaic virus,” or TMV.

Helen Purdy Beale:  Her Contribution
In spite of these pioneering discoveries and others in the early 20^th century, by the dawn of the 1920’s, viruses still remained largely a mystery.  Our fourth major researcher is Helen Purdy Beale (1893-1976) who graduated with her doctorate from Columbia University in 1929.  Max Koslov, writing in The Scientist (February 1, 2021), describes how Beale’s research contribution led to the first successful serological approaches to studying viruses:

“After graduating from Columbia, Beale returned to the Boyce Thompson Institute (BTI) in Yonkers, New York, where she’d previously worked as a plant pathologist for a few years.  She postulated that a substance in animal serum—today known as antibodies—could be used to study plant viruses. Indeed, Beale found that the serum of rabbits that were injected with TMV-infected sap could then be mixed with samples of sap from other plants to test whether they were also infected:  only TMV-infected sap would form a heavy precipitate (made of antibody-bound virus) when mixed with the serum. Different plant species infected by the virus yielded similar precipitates, indicating that the disease did not arise from a defect of the plants themselves, but was caused by an infectious agent. Beale subsequently found that the precipitate formation was specific to TMV, and she devised assays to determine viral concentration—methods that were among the first serological techniques in virology.” [Click on image to enlarge.]

Beale’s research on the binding of TMV by rabbit antibodies demonstrated that antibodies can neutralize a virus.  She further revealed that binding specificity exists between antibodies and viruses such that the specificity can be used to distinguish and purify specific strains of the TMV.  Dr. Beale’s distinguished research career spanned over five decades. Kozlov cites Karen‐Beth Scholthof and Paul D.Peterson (2006) who describe Helen Beale as the “mother of plant virology and serology.”     

After her retirement, Dr. Beale compiled an extensive bibliography of more than 29,000 references entitled Bibliography of Plant Viruses, and Index to Research.  As noted above, Beale’s gifted dedication and publication of her research into serology and virology makes her an unsung but major contributor to our current war against COVID-19 and many other microscopic pathogens.   

Helen Purdy Beale:  Her Challenges
On every Ada Lovelace Day, there is an international celebration of the achievements of women in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM).  On October 13, 2020, Helen Purdy Beale was posthumously honored by the Boyce Thompson Institute.  She was described as “one of the first researchers at BTI in 1924, “and hailed as “a pioneer in serology and virology.”  (See Video HERE.)  But a surprising backstory accompanies the scientific achievements of Ms. Beale.

After graduating from Barnard College in 1918 with an A.B. in botany, Helen Purdy Beale enrolled in Cornell University to pursue her Ph.D. in plant pathology.  She conducted her research in the laboratory of Dr. Herbert H. Whetzel, the creator and chair of the department of plant pathology.  By 1919, according to Kozlov, it appeared that Helen was “on track to become the first woman to graduate with a doctorate from Cornell University’s plant pathology department.”  Unfortunately, as Helen’s outstanding competence in research became evident, Whetzel began to discourage her efforts out of a lack of confidence in her future prospects as a woman in science. 

Sensing the lack of support from her mentor, Helen decided to postpone her doctoral research.  Meanwhile, the newspapers of 1919 were regularly reporting the progress of the Woman Suffrage movement, and Congress was deliberating on a proposed 19^th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.  By the time the amendment granting women the right to vote was ratified a year later, Helen had redoubled her determination to succeed in her scientific pursuits.  Her resume includes a teaching stint at Vassar College and the continuation of her research in diverse locations including the University of Copenhagen, the New York City department of health, the New York Botanical Gardens, and the Hawaiian Sugar Planters Association before beginning her long career as a researcher at the Boyce Thompson Institute (BTI), in 1924. 

At BTI, Helen applied her growing expertise in microbiology to her research under Louis O. Kunkel who, in 1925, encouraged her to resume her graduate studies in Whetzel’s lab at Cornell.  Helen Purdy Beale’s final hurdle toward obtaining her doctoral degree was to gain the approval of her adviser, Herbert Whetzel.”  However, he returned Helen’s thesis “heavily marked up with red ink.”  And, if her advisor’s response was not discouraging enough, she soon learned that Whetzel had predetermined that women should not be awarded doctoral degrees, believing that they would have no chance of becoming employed.    

Helen had every right to mount a protest against a clear case of gender discrimination by crying foul and bitterly turning away from her effort to earn a doctoral degree in plant pathology.  But in 1927, once again with the encouragement of her colleague at BTI, Louis Kinkel, Helen resumed her quest for a Ph.D., this time at Columbia University where she completed her work in 1929.  Because of her unwavering determination coupled with the encouragement of male colleagues like Louis Kunkel and her faculty mentors at Columbia, Helen was able to publish her dissertation containing the first of her groundbreaking discoveries that have since made her famous.

Legacy to “Good Science”
St. Catherine of Siena, co-patron saint of Italy with St. Francis of Assisi, is quoted as saying, “Nothing great is ever achieved without much enduring.”  Many of the great contributors to both the sciences and the Christian faith are testimonies of this principle.  Helen Purdy Beale was no exception.  An illustrious career and contributions by this gifted woman would not have been possible without her personal determination and endurance in the face of unfair gender discrimination.  

It is unlikely that Helen’s unfortunate experience at Cornell was the only encounter in which her credibility as a female scientist was questioned.  Her scientific findings may have received less attention in her field than if they had been published by a male researcher.  However, as women were able to make increasing inroads into the sciences, and as respect for women grew among their male colleagues, scientific publications by women received their deserved attention.

Scholthof and Peterson marvel that “plant pathologists were still using the tools and methods of the early 20th century as late as the 1960’s before they rediscovered Beale’s experiments and began using her assays, the fundamentals of which are still used today. Frederick Charles Bawden, a plant pathologist, wrote in 1970: “I still remain puzzled to understand how it was that so many virus workers long remained reluctant to use these invaluable techniques. With hindsight, it is very evident they were even more valuable than those of us who used them appreciated.”

Discoveries in the natural sciences have never come easy.  The natural world, or “creation,” is wonderfully complex.  At the same time, we humans are fallible in our ability to observe, think, measure, analyze, and unselfishly cooperate in unbiased research.  What we have called “good science” is threatened when any or all of these are absent.  Previous articles in Oikonomia have addressed the importance of “good science” with respect to the following:
Science Museum Collections -- See HERE
Ethics and Accountability -- See HERE     
“Follow the Science” -- See HERE
“Settled Science” and the career of Barbara McClintock -- See HERE
Science and Culture – See HERE

Thanks to women like Helen Purdy Beale and her mentors, we have yet another context in which to realize the essential requirements for scientific pursuits to be successful in formulating accurate claims about the creation.  Just as a baby chick requires the environment of a warm incubator, so the sciences require a culture that values science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education.  Included in these curricula are objectives that aim to teach students to develop the skills needed for the conduct of “good science” as shown (SEE ABOVE "Essentials for 'Good Science'").

Beyond the more obvious essentials of “good science,” there must be a political and cultural environment of civility and respect that encourages freedom of expression and rigorous discussion.  Finally, the role of Helen Purdy Beale’s encouraging mentors, including Lewis O. Kunkel of BTI, highlights the valuable and often unsung role of dedicated teachers and faithful mentors in nurturing future contributors to the sciences.

Dedication
Abby and I want to thank God for the honor of teaching and mentoring many fine young men and women during the years between 1969 and 2011.  We especially dedicate this article to the women students who have pursued God’s calling into meaningful careers in science or other vocations. Many women, including women faculty at Cedarville University with whom we have served, have had to balance their careers as wives, and in many cases, mothers of one or more children.  We honor women faculty members and former students for their testimony of faith in God, including women who may not be in the sciences at present but are having a positive role in raising up young scientists for tomorrow.

Response from Readers
We invite you to share your responses to this article, particularly as related to your challenges and blessings as a professional scientist or educator; or, as a wife and mother who participates in science education of your children, family members, or community.  We would love to read your “Comment,” question, or a helpful reference you choose to share.  Just click on the “Comment” link below to enter your message, or write to us at silviusj@gmail.com.  Thank you for reading.