Liturgy

   When Jesus went to worship on the sabbath, which the Bible says “was his custom” (Luke 4:16), the synagogue service had a structure.

   There was a gathering time, a time for reading and interpreting the scripture, and a sending time.

   Among liturgical churches like ours and most of the churches on the planet, the structure is the same today with one exception.  We add a meal between the Word and the sending: Holy Communion.

   In the pre-Christian Greek world “liturgy” meant a religious service offered by a rich patron.  In the Christian world, it became the work of the people.

   Liturgical worship is not about us.  It’s about God.

   There is nothing better than to be in God’s presence among God’s people.  It’s is God’s gift to us.  

   But, the world is mighty good at persuading people that their personal enjoyment is better, that where they worship is a consumer decision, that God won’t mind if they miss worship, that worship is boring, that we are better off finding God on our own.

   We do not worship alone.  We are made for relationship, and Christianity is about relationships with God and, as a consequence, our local Christian community and, therefore, with the whole Church on earth.  Worship is a relational event.  When we aren’t there, our community’s worship is diminished.  It harms our community and it harms us.

   Liturgical worship isn’t fun.  It is work, the most edifying and important work of our week.

   When we come to the end of a congregational worship service the question the world would have us ask is, “What did I get out of that?”  The question the worshiping community is called to ask is, “How did I do?”

   The odd thing is that be when our worship is directed to the living God, we discover who we truly are, who we were made to be.  It is one paradox of many in the Christian life that we are what we give, not what we get. 

   Worship is an expression of that paradox.  We know God’s presence when we seek God’s face and not our own. 

   Would you like to experience the worship of God? 

   Come and worship with us this Sunday at Faith Lutheran Church at 8:30 a.m. or at 10:00 a.m.  We’re located at 505 East Bonita Avenue (one-half block east of the Post office) in San Dimas.  Find more information at www.faithsd.net.  Contact Pastor Berkedal at flc@faithsd.net or at 909 599-3978 if you have any questions.