A song of ascents. Of David. I rejoiced with those who said to me, “Let us go to the house of the Lord.” (Ps. 122:1)
Expanded Passage: Psalm 122
The songs of ascent are a special group of psalms found in Psalms 120–134, which were sung as pilgrims ascended the uphill road to Jerusalem.
Imagine being a Jew in ancient Israel. Three times a year, you would travel to Jerusalem for the three main annual festivals. You would set out with family and friends from your town and along the way pilgrims from other regions would begin to crowd the roads as you all walked together toward the city. If all who started out were to make it, help would be required. Maybe someone’s cartwheel breaks and you helped repair it. Maybe your son got sick, and someone supplied you with medicine. The point is, you were not getting there alone. At the end of the journey, when you finally saw that city on a hill, wouldn’t your spirits rise? Wouldn’t you want to rejoice not only because you have reached your destination, but you have done so together?
For those in the church who feel disconnected, the drive to church is not as physically demanding as a walk to Jerusalem, but going there can feel just as daunting. They are searching for others who will say to them, “Let us go to the house of the Lord together.” Who can you join on their journey to the house of the Lord?
Strive to make another’s journey less daunting.
Aaron Wilkinson is an ordained minister in The Wesleyan Church and Chair of the Department of Business and Economics at Huntington University.
© 2026 Wesleyan Publishing House. Reprinted from Light from the Word. Used by permission. Scriptures taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®.
