Amos, in his prophecy, verbalises what God has seen His people utter. The New Moon and the Sabbath were religious festivals during which the people would stop and turn to God. The wealthy merchants of the day wanted these times to be over with, so that they could continue to do their business and make money. A
pause to focus on God was inconvenient for them, it disrupted their times for making profits and it moved a customer's focus from their businesses to God.
Years ago my parish priest often said that instead of preaching to those few who came to church on Sunday, we should be preaching to those who attend “The Cathedral of the Shopping Malls”. He had a point. For a
while we would not open for trade on a Sunday, because people would attend church. It was a time for God. It was the Christian Sabbath. When I was a child, my grandparents lived across the way from a Jewish Synagogue and on Friday evenings I would watch the Jewish families attend worship. On Fridays our Muslim brothers and sisters close their businesses for a period of time for prayer. Times have changed for some faith communities and specific times for worship have changed. The wealthy
merchants hold sway or do they?
What is the time you set aside for corporate worship and prayer? Is there anything that would detract you from this?
How do you honour and protect the time of others to worship and
pray?
