Scripture References:
st. 1 = Isa. 58:6
st. 2 = Isa. 58:7
st. 3 = Isa. 58:9b
st. 4 = Isa. 58:8-9a
st. 5 = Isa. 58:10b-ll

Inspired by a sermon on Isaiah 58:6-11, Marie J. Post (PHH 5) wrote this unrhymed hymn text to illustrate the prophet's concept of true worship. Written in Grand Rapids, Michigan, in 1982, the text was first published in the 1987 Psalter Hymnal.

The passage from Isaiah is a part of the prophet's sermon on the meaning of fasting. Through Isaiah's words God teaches his people that true worship consists not only in the proper rituals but also, and even more so, in the practice of righteousness in daily life. True worship requires fighting injustice, feeding the hungry, and clothing the destitute. The Old Testament prophets were insistent on this theme (Isa. 1:10-17; Jer. 7:21-26; Amos 5:21¬24; Mic. 6:6-8). God will accept our Sunday worship and bless us only when such righteous deeds characterize our lives.

Liturgical Use:
Worship that focuses on living the gospel in word and deed and on the meaning of worship; observances of world hunger, international relief operations, and urban ministries.

--Psalter Hymnal Handbook