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For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. Ephesians 2:8-9 |
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Worship Practice “So the worship and divine service of the Gospel is to receive gifts from God...This passage, too, brings the greatest comfort, as the chief worship of the Gospel is to desire to receive the forgiveness of sins, grace and righteousness.” [Book of Concord, AP III, 189]
Public worship is a public confession of what we believe. (Matthew 10:32-33) Therefore, the liturgy we use, and the hymns we sing are a reflection of what we believe, teach and confess. Jesus Christ is at the heart and center of Lutheran worship. (John 14:6) The two main parts of this Christ-centered service are the Proclamation of the Word and the Sacrament of the Altar. It is through these external Means of Grace, instituted by God Himself, that Jesus Christ give us the forgiveness of sins, life and salvation. The liturgy that we use is based on Holy Scripture. The Apology of the Augsburg Confession teaches, “God is pleased only with services instituted by His Word and done in faith” (Book of Concord, Apology to the Augsburg Confession, Article XXVIII, line 70) God’s Word is more than just words of promise. Through the preaching of the Law and the Gospel we receive not only the conviction of our sin and the message of love and forgiveness but also the miraculous working of the Holy Spirit that forms and strengthens faith within us. Faith that is born in the waters of Holy Baptism and strengthened through the Word of God acknowledges these gifts received with thanks and praise. The rhythm, therefore, of our worship services is from Him to us, and then from us back to Him. Our response consists of eager thankfulness in Christ-centered hymnody and Scripture based prayer. In prayer we repeat what is most true and sure, God’s own Word. All music and hymnody used in Lutheran Worship are rich and varied, new and old, but they all remain Christ-centered and serve to assist in teaching the Christian faith. The Unchanging Feast is a presentation by the late Rev. Dr. Alvin Barry on the Nature and Basis of Lutheran Worship. Lutheran Worship: 2000 and Beyond; Seven Theses on Worship is a presentation of the Lutheran theology of worship by late synodical president Rev. Dr. Alvin Barry. For the Sake of Christ's Commission is the Report of the Church Growth Study Committee appointed by President Barry in 1995. OSLC uses the One Year Lectionary of the Lutheran Service Book. |