“For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them.” – Matthew 18: 20 What happens on Sunday mornings? I am quite confident that if I asked any of you this question you would be able to respond in detail describing our liturgy, hymns, rituals, and traditions. Some may have even memorized our liturgy and hymns knowing these traditions like the back of their hand. So why would this question be important? Perhaps it even sounds a little silly given everything you know.
Well, unfortunately, in these recent times there seems to be a misunderstanding on the purpose of worship. What do I mean by this? More often than not I hear people describing worship as something that we do for God. We sing, we pray, we read, we listen, we stand, we sit, and all of those things are true! These actions are good, right, and proper for us to do. However, it is important to remember that we are not the main focus of the Divine Service. Let me explain.
Sunday mornings are not about what we can offer God, but what God gives us. The Divine Service is God’s service to us in which he blesses us beyond compare and continues to tell the story of how He has rescued us from sin, death, and the devil. That is the point of the Divine Service. Jesus forgives us, guides us, teaches us, and reminds us of His love constantly. Our response to these great gifts the Lord gives us is praise and adoration. Arthur A. Just Jr. in his book Heaven On Earth sums it up nicely, “In our worship, Christ, the author of life, is present, telling that story through the words of the prophets and apostles and serving as host of a heavenly feast where the world’s story is given its heavenly reality.” The only thing that makes the service divine is the presence of Jesus. He alone is the one who hallows our ground and purifies our words.
For the next few months, I plan on writing about several different parts of the Divine Service and show how the heavenly reality of our Lord is made manifest here with us on earth. How wonderful it is that we can shout with confidence, “Our God is with us!” and it be true.
Yours in Christ,
Pastor Tommy