Making the Way to Worship
Dear Hope Family,
I was glad when they said to me, “Let us go to the house of the Lord!” Psalm 122:1
We don’t embark on collective pilgrimages in the modern church. Visiting holy sites evokes awe in us, of course, and exploring significant biblical sites inspires us, but there’s no collective journey to a singular place at a particular time.
It didn’t used to be that way for God’s people. At God’s command, my Jewish forebears pilgrimaged three times every year to His sanctuary, where His glory dwelled above the ark of the covenant. The Feasts of Booths, Passover, and Pentecost became grand-scale reunions for the entire family of God after they scattered and settled in the Promised Land: regular occasions for His people to remember, celebrate, and worship alongside one another.
As I’ve studied and written about the pilgrimage feasts, one thing that captured my imagination took place weeks before the pilgrims even left their homes. Every spring, teams set about fixing and smoothing all the roads washed out by Israel’s winter rains. Others scooped the gloppy mess out of wells throughout the country so that pilgrims could find refreshment along the way. Teams crushed lime and mixed it with water, whitewashing tombs to warn weary travelers away from uncleanness. Sentinels formed outposts for pilgrims coming from as far as Babylon, protecting them through the desert’s dangers. And every Jewish household in the land donated a half shekel to pay for it all.
The whole effort strikes me as a beautiful snapshot of the whole family of God helping one another draw near to Him. And then worshipping In His Presence side-by-side.
That unity in service, mission, and worship makes me wonder what it would look like today – on this side of the Cross – to help others make their way toward the presence of God. Whether for the very first time or the thousandth. What would it look like – as individuals, as a congregation, and as the Church universal – to help rebuild washed out paths in people’s walk toward God? To quietly clean out wells for people who thirst for living water? To protect those coming from foreign lands as they traverse the dry desert? To give resources so that as many people as possible can discover and experience the goodness of God? And, in the process of it all, for us to grow closer to one another as we each draw closer to Jesus?
As fall approaches, bringing new ventures and different paths, new classmates and coworkers, teachers and students, bible studies and life groups – not to mention a new sanctuary growing before our eyes – I invite you to join me in discovering afresh what it might look like to walk as a pilgrim through this world while also helping others find their way to life and hope in Christ.
Tammy Priest
