There is a big difference between coming to worship out of obligation and stepping into worship with a joyful heart. The former often feels heavy because it's just routine, the latter contains longing, like someone coming home after a long day of work or travel. It is this experience that the psalmist expresses in Psalm 122. He does not say, "I came because I had to," but rather, "I rejoiced when it was said to me, Let us go to the house of the LORD". When joy precedes worship; worship is no longer a burden, but a purpose.

Psalm 122 is the third Pilgrimage Hymn, sung by a pilgrim who has finally arrived in Jerusalem. After the restlessness of Psalm 120 and the confidence in God's care in Psalm 121, the journey now reaches a point of location. “Now our feet stand at your gates, O Jerusalem.” This line captures the moment of rest: the weariness of the journey is still felt, but the heart is filled with joy at having arrived where God's presence is revealed.

Jerusalem is celebrated not merely as a city, but as a symbol of ordered life. The city is described as "tightly knit", a metaphor for security and wholeness. In a world of division, worship becomes a space where scattered lives are reunited. In Jerusalem, the tribes of Israel gathered to give thanks to the name of the LORD. Worship, then, is always communal: personal faith finds its meaning when lived out together.

But the joy of worship does not stop at praise. This psalm also alludes to the "judgment seats" of David's family. True worship is always related to justice. Joy in the presence of God is not separate from the responsibility to strive for order, righteousness and the well-being of all. The peace (shalom) Jerusalem longs for is not a passive tranquility, but a well-being born of living justly and in harmony with God's will.

The final part of the psalm turns into a prayer: "Let peace be within your walls, and tranquility in your temples" (Psalm 122:7). The psalmist wanted peace for the city for the sake of the LORD's brothers, friends and house. Joyful worship always overflows into prayer for others and commitment to the common good.

Friends of the Bible, today we are again challenged to reimagine the meaning of worship. Is worship still a source of joy, or is it just a routine? When worship is understood as an encounter with God that brings peace and establishes justice, the heart will again find its joy. The joy of worship is not a momentary emotion, but the realization that our lives are directed towards God's presence, the place where we are restored, united, and sent back to bring shalom to the world.