Worship with Justice

We continue our trip through the Bible with today’s readings from the prophets Amos and Micah. Reading Amos is, in some ways, hard because it is largely gloom and doom. Amos lived in the period when the Assyrians were threatening from the north, and he was warning that the reasons had to do with Israel’s infidelity to God in their mistreatment and neglect of the poor. This can guide us into self-examination: choose what is good and reject what is evil. God rejected their worship because it was empty – they leave worship and then do not live it out. Does our worship lead to change in our lives? Micah’s words are instructive as to how we must live: Do justice, love kindness, and walk humbly with God. Both prophets then instruct us to change our lives. John Wesley at one point expressed concern that Methodists would keep the form of worship without the power of worship, which is a reflection of these prophets.