Last month we started a series about worship. I want to explore why we do what we do when we gather on Sunday morning. My hope is that as we understand the meaning behind what we do, we will better appreciate it and be edified by it.
Last month I started by defining worship. It is important to understand what Christian worship is before we talk about how we worship. In short, worship is primarily about receiving God’s gifts of forgiveness, life, and salvation. We come to be fed with the Word of God and hear that our sins are forgiven.
This understanding of worship affects how we come into the sanctuary on Sunday morning. We come needy. We come in as broken people. We come as sinners into the presence of a holy God. This should be a humbling experience.
At the church I attended during seminary, we opened every service by singing “The Lord Is in His Holy Temple” (Hab. 2:20; Ambassador Hymnal, 395):
The Lord is in His holy temple,
The Lord is in His holy temple,
Let all the earth keep silence,
Let all the earth keep silence before Him,
Keep silence, keep silence before Him.
It seemed ironic to be singing a song that tells us to be quiet. But the point was that God is holy, and we are unholy. There is a certain amount of fear that is appropriate when we expect to be visited by the holy God.
So as we wait for the service to begin, we reflect. We reflect on the past week, particularly the sins we have committed, so that we can think of something concrete when we confess our sins and hear that those specific sins are forgiven. If it is a communion Sunday, look at pages 14-15 in the Ambassador Hymnal, “Personal Preparation for Holy Communion.”
Another good way to prepare for worship is to read the Scripture texts ahead of time, especially the gospel lesson. Often times, the prayers and hymns correspond to the theme for the day, which is typically driven by the gospel lesson. You can do this as you sit in the pew, waiting for the service to begin, or you can read them sometime during the week. The next Sunday’s lessons are always listed in the bulletin. The adult Sunday school class also provides an excellent opportunity to study the texts together before worship. I have heard several positive comments from those who attend the class about how it helps them understand the sermon better.
Of course, none of this means you will fail to receive the gifts of Christ if you come in and plop down six seconds before the service starts. Christ is present for you in the Word and Sacraments. That is the whole point. None of us can fully appreciate the depth of God’s gifts to us, but that does not make his gifts less effective. My hope, though, is that we will all grow to appreciate his gifts more and more, and this is bound to happen as we spend time reflecting on two things: who we are as sinners and God’s Word to us.
The peace of Christ be with you all,
Pastor Dan