07-First Things First

The first two chapters of Luke form what I have called 'The
Watershed of the Ages',1 with Zechariah's prophetic song of
praise at the birth of his son, John the Baptist, playing an
important role in that watershed. As such it is key to any
discussion of 'worship' in the new covenant. Here is the song:
Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, for he has visited and
redeemed his people and has raised up a horn of salvation for us
in the house of his servant David, as he spoke by the mouth of
his holy prophets from of old, that we should be saved from our
enemies and from the hand of all who hate us; to show the
mercy promised to our fathers and to remember his holy
covenant, the oath that he swore to our father Abraham, to grant
us that we, being delivered from the hand of our enemies, might
'serve' him without fear, in holiness and righteousness before
him all our days. And you, child, will be called the prophet of
the Most High; for you will go before the Lord to prepare his
ways, to give knowledge of salvation to his people in the
forgiveness of their sins, because of the tender mercy of our
God, whereby the sunrise shall visit us from on high to give
light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to
guide our feet into the way of peace (Luke 1:68-79).