I visited Mesa Verde, Colorado when I was still a young boy. I will never forget how I marveled at the Anasazi Indians’ homes, their pottery, and their resourcefulness. One of the focal points of the settlement was a Kiva. On the walls were paintings of spirits. In the center of the floor was a small hole, known as a sepapu. Here, we were told, their ancestors came forth from the belly of the earth, and there the men would pray to and worship the Great Spirit.
Pray to whom? Who was this Great Spirit who brought forth the world and was to be worshiped? And how did they know that this Great Spirit was to be worshiped? In the heart of every person, there is a small voice that cries out to worship God.
Archaeologists and anthropologists have never found a culture where people did not worship some god. Their gods may have been the Great Spirit or a distorted image of the Creator. It quickly becomes apparent that humankind was born to worship. When God is denied, our hearts find a substitute, whether it be a rock, a car, a substitute god or figure, or a cause. Worship deals with the worthiness of the object of our adoration and praise.
We need to rediscover what worship is all about. It is more than attending church. It is more than singing songs or hymns or reciting a liturgy and praying prayers. It deals more with your heart than your body. It is the submission of your soul to the Almighty, recognizing His person, His majesty, and His sovereign will in our lives.
Today Counts is available in bookstores nationwide. For more information, write to Guidelines Philippines, Box 4000, Makati;
e-mail box4000@guidelines.org; website www.guidelines.org.