Come, let us bow down in worship, let us kneel before the Lord our Maker. (Ps. 95:6)
Expanded Passage: 95:1-7; Acts 2:42-47
After Gandalf placed the crown upon Aragorn’s head, the people of the realm fell silent and bowed down before their king. Tolkien wrote that for the people it was as if they were seeing Aragorn for the first time, tall as the sea-kings of old, ancient and wise. Faramir then cried, “Behold the King!” And all the trumpets of the land sounded.
Kneeling and bowing down have long been symbols of respect, honor, and worship. Bowing down before God recognizes who he is and who we are in relation to him. In Psalm 95, the poet encouraged all believers to bow down and kneel before God in worship and praise. In Acts 2, the church united together as one body, worshiped together, broke bread, and cared for all in need. Our passages this week highlight two important themes of the church: unity and worship. We are the gathered people of God’s realm called to unite in common worship and service.
Division and disunity has plagued the church ever since its formation. In fact, division enters the church just a few short chapters after the church is formed in Acts 2. Yet we are called by God to be one, to worship with one heart and one voice. Proper worship and unity begins after we collectively recognize God as our one true King.
Behold Christ our King!
Mark Moore is an associate professor of theology at Jessup University (CA) and an associate pastor at Faith Legacy Church in Sacramento, California.
© 2025 Wesleyan Publishing House. Reprinted from Light from the Word. Used by permission. Scriptures taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®.
