God’s Service and Our Response

Oh sing to the LORD a new song; sing to the LORD, all the earth! Sing to the LORD, bless his name; tell of his salvation from day to day…Ascribe to the LORD the glory due his name; bring an offering, and come into his courts! Worship the LORD in the splendor of holiness; tremble before him, all the earth! Psalm 96: 1,2,8,9

I have shared in the past that historic Evangelical or Lutheran worship is Divine Service. The term “Divine Service” goes back to the German language at the time of the Reformation, translated as “God’s Service.” The Lutheran Worship hymnal decades ago, in its introductory essay, gave a fitting description of what has been called the rhythm of Divine Service. I would like to share some quotes from this with you.

“Our Lord speaks and we listen. His Word bestows what it says. Faith that is born from what is heard acknowledges the gifts received with eager thankfulness and praise. Music is drawn into this thankfulness and praise, enlarging and elevating the adoration of our gracious giver God… ‘The rhythm of our worship is from Him to us, and then from us back to Him. He gives His gifts, and together we receive and extol them. We build one another up as we speak to one another in psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs. Our Lord gives us His body to eat and His blood to drink. Finally, His blessing moves us out into our calling, where His gifts have their fruition. How best to do this we may learn from His Word and from the way His Word has prompted His worship through the centuries.” - The Rev. Dr. Norman Nagel, Introduction to Lutheran Worship (Concordia Publishing House, St. Louis, 1982)

In the Divine Service there is very much a rhythm from God to his people and from his people back to God. From the Invocation to the closing Benediction God speaks his word to us and we respond in faith. That is where he meets with us and calls us to himself in his word and Spirit that we might set our hearts and minds on things above. As we gather for his worship in his word we share together this moment of heaven on earth. It is for our good. It is for his glory! May God be praised for the gift of his Divine Service!

Pastor