Vessels: Worship (Pt. 2)
Scripture
Psalms 137:1-4 NIV
By the rivers of Babylon we sat and wept when we remembered Zion. There on the poplars we hung our harps, for there our captors asked us for songs, our tormentors demanded songs of joy; they said, “Sing us one of the songs of Zion!” How can we sing the songs of the Lord while in a foreign land?
Big Idea
In Psalms 137, we find the Isrealites who are being taken away from Israel into captivity. We can picture them captured, maybe shackled to their neighbor. Leaving their home to be slaves in a foreign land. It’s a pretty depressing picture. And to add to it, their captors are insisting that they “sing those happy songs.” But the Isrealites have hung up their harps and musical instruments. Tonight, we’re going to consider that struggle: how do we worship when everything is going wrong?
Questions
For you, what sets a “good” worship experience apart from others?
What are some of the struggles that you’ve faced when it comes to worship?
Has your worship ever felt dishonest?
Read Psalm 137:1-4.
What is the “foreign land” in your life? What situations make it hard to worship?
What does worship look like when it isn’t easy to praise?
At our last table talk, we read Romans 11:33-36; how do you think your life and attitude is different when you worship out of reverence of who God is rather than when you worship out of gratitude (especially when you don’t have much to be thankful for at the moment)?
What can you worship God for right now?
Call To Action
Take a moment to pray for those at your table who feel like they are in the middle of a “foreign land” right now. Or give thanks for the times that He’s seen you through those times.
Extended Time: Read Jeremiah 29:4-14. This is where God speaks to the Israelites who are still in captivity, and promises that they will prosper even in the midst of Babylon. God also promises to fulfill His promise to bring them back to Israel, the promised land.
