What is an offering? For many it’s the money you put in the basket at church for others it’s giving something in faith that you really don’t have. What happens when we ad the word celebratory to it?
Let’s see what Webster’s says. In the 11th Collegiate Dictionary “Offering” is defined as: something offered especially a sacrifice ceremonially offered as a part of worship; a contribution to the support of the church. To offer is the presenting of something for acceptance; to present as an act of worship or devotion.
Webster’s has “celebratory” as being the noun for “celebrate” which means: to perform a sacrament or solemn ceremony publicly and with appropriate rites; to mark by festivities or other deviation from routine; to hold up or play up for public notice.
Worship is reverence paid to a divine being; an act of expressing such reverence; extravagant respect or admiration for or devotion to an object of esteem.
So is it safe to say that “Celebratory Offerings” are acts of acceptable public sacrifices of festive celebrations, which are filled with extravagant reverence and admiration for the God who deserves our undivided devotion and praise? My answer is yes but this is my own opinion, not that of any one else’s.
What I am trying to say without causing too much confusion is: “Let’s have a huge party with lots of music and singing and dancing, in honor of God whom we love and respect, revere and admire, and let this party be acceptable in His eyes filled with pure devotion and excitement for who He is and what He has done, keeping in mind our actions must line up with His Word.”
Over and over in the Psalms David celebrates God’s goodness. He honors and praises God with his life through acts of worship. Even when he was down in the dumps or deep in sin he lifted his voice as an offering to his Maker. He boldly came before His God in good times and bad.
In the following Psalms David wrote:
98 “Sing unto the Lord a new song for He has done marvelous things…Shout for joy to the Lord all the earth, burst into jubilant song with music; make music to the Lord with the harp and the sound of singing, with trumpets and the blast of the ram’s horn-shout for joy before the Lord, the King.”
150: “Praise God in the sanctuary… praise Him with the sounding of the trumpet, praise him with the harp and lyre, praise Him with tambourine and dancing, praise Him with strings and flute, praise Him with the clash of cymbals. Let everything that hath breath praise the Lord.”
149:3: “Let them praise His name with dancing, and make music to Him with the tambourine and harp.”
47:1 states: “Clap your hands all you nations; shout to God with cries of joy.” And 63:4: “I will praise You as long as I live and in Your Name I will lift up my hands.”
5:7: “But I by your great mercy will come into your house in reverence will I bow down toward your holy temple.”
95:6 “Come let us bow down in worship, let us kneel before our Maker.”
48:9 “Within your temple, O God we meditate on your unfailing love.”
119:15 “I meditate on your precepts and consider your ways.”
There are many ways to touch the heart of God, to celebrate His goodness but oftentimes we don’t feel like celebrating. Life hits us hard and the last thing we desire is to sing, shout and shake our tambourines. Whether you feel like it or not, as Nike put it “just do it”. Pick the way that best suits you. Dance or just sit quietly as you meditate on His Word. If you do I promise you will touch His heart and in turn He will touch yours.
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