Martin Luther - Why We Worship How We Worship

MARTIN LUTHER

L U T H E R A N C H U R C H
A N D D A Y S C H O O L

GROW. CONNECT. SERVE.

WORSHIP

Why We Worship How We Worship by Pastor Jeremy Walloch

Liturgical worship is odd. Within worship, we follow a different calendar than the rest of the world, we use a different space than the rest of the world, and we experience a different movement than the rest of the world. Through this odd experience, we get a glimpse of the odd world God yearns for: a world where strangers make peace with others, a world where strangers listen to others, a world where strangers eat together, and a world where strangers even sing praise together.

The ancient pattern of worship has developed over thousands of years and across thousands of miles. It moves from the worship of early Israel through the present day unto the coming of God's kingdom. Learning the divine, biblical, and historical roots of spirit-led liturgical worship helps the worshipper glimpse the God who reveals himself amidst odd time, space, and movement.

Time

The Church, which exists only because of Jesus' life, patterns its year on Jesus' life. While an annual calendar has seasons based on the anticipation, emergence, life, death, and subsequent new life of plants, the church calendar tracks the anticipation, emergence, life, death, and subsequent new life of Jesus. Just as plants change colors to reflect their season of life, the worship space utilizes different colors to reflect the emotion of the church season.

The year begins with Advent (blue), a time to anticipate Jesus' coming into the world. It continues with Christmas (white), when we celebrate God coming to us in Jesus. It carries on with Epiphany (white, then green), when we witness God's light revealed in Jesus. During Lent (purple) we spend one tenth of the year focusing on our human failures and frailties. In Holy Week, we dwell with Jesus during his seemingly last week: Palm Sunday (scarlet) when he entered Jerusalem amidst a palm procession, Maundy Thursday (scarlet) when he instituted Holy Communion and washed the disciples' feet, Good Friday (colorless) when he was tortured and executed on the cross, The Vigil of Easter (white) when Jesus overcame death and the grave, and Easter (white) when we celebrate with the earliest witnesses to Jesus' resurrection. After Jesus' ascended into heaven, his Spirit came to guide his followers on Pentecost (red). This season of growth (green) continues until the next Advent, when the year starts all over again.

The Bible readings used within worship repeat a three-year cycle in which one year focuses on the gospel written by Matthew, then Mark, then Luke, with John used throughout the three years. This is done because the first three gospel writers wrote Jesus' biography chronologically, whereas John took a more poetic and philosophical approach to chronicling Jesus' life.

Just like every calendar has its special days, the church calendar also includes special days beyond the seasonal celebration: the Transfiguration of our Lord, Holy Trinity, All Saints, and Christ the King (all white) and Ash Wednesday (black) are additional feast days observed every year.

This calendar of celebrations and readings is used by many different denominations. The only uniquely Lutheran commemoration is that of Reformation Sunday (red).

Space

The worship space, too, is quite odd. First of all, people wake up early in the morning or get ready later in the evening to go to church on the weekend, when there are many other duties or joys they could be accomplishing or partaking. Instead, the community gathers for worship. The gathered assembly looks to the front of the sanctuary (called the chancel), which announces four special places: the baptismal font, the lectern, the pulpit, and the altar. These spaces emphasize God's word (revealed in the reading of scripture, preaching, and hymns) and sacraments (baptism, communion, and maybe even confession and forgiveness).

The worship service starts at the baptismal font where there may be a welcome and announcements, and either confession and forgiveness, thanksgiving for baptism, or a baptism. Since we are welcomed into Christ's Church at the font, we are welcomed at the font. Since we are forgiven through the waters of baptism, we confess our sins and receive Christ's forgiveness at the font.

Standing beside the font is a large candle called the paschal candle. This candle, new every Vigil of Easter, celebrates the promise of resurrection and hence is lit for baptisms, funerals, and during the Easter season. During the Easter season it even leaves the font and stands to the left of the altar to remind us that the cost of resurrection is Jesus' sacrificial death. During funerals it stands alone in front of the casket or urn to remind us of the resurrection promise made at baptism through Jesus' Easter resurrection.

Later, God's word is proclaimed from a lectern and pulpit. From these reading desks, a lay reader (lector) reads the first reading (from the Old Testament or Acts), may lead a psalm (usually from the Psalms) that responds to the first reading, and reads the second reading (a non-gospel reading from the New Testament). Preceding the reading of the gospel is a gospel acclamation, in which the congregation rises out of respect for the risen Jesus and sings (usually Alleluia, which means "praise the Lord") to Jesus. On feast days the gospel is read from the assembly as a reminder of Jesus' coming to dwell among us.

In the center of the worship space is an altar. Early Israel was commanded by the Lord to bring offerings to the altar, to make sacrifices there, to burn incense for God there, and to keep a flame perpetually lit there. Hence, our monetary offerings are presented to God at the altar, the Lord's Supper of Jesus' sacrifice is celebrated there, incense is stored and burned there, and a sanctuary candle stays perpetually lit there.

Worship leaders in this odd space wear odd things. The alb (a white robe) is worn to replace our personality revealed in our clothing with our identity as someone washed clean in baptism and wearing eternal life. It is sometimes girded with a cincture (a rope belt), which was first used to help poorly-fitting robes or tuck in the hem of the robe for running and later become a sign of chastity. A pectoral cross (a cross necklace) is sometimes worn over the alb, though traditionally this was only reserved for bishops. Stoles (long strips of fabric) are worn by ordained ministers as a reminder of the responsibilities which rest on their shoulders. The chasuble (it looks like a Christmas tree skirt!) is worn for presiding over communion as a reminder of the fullness and expansiveness of Jesus' life, death, and resurrection.

The assembly sits in pews, which not only groups us into more inclusive units than simple individuals or families, but also faces us all in the same direction.

Movement

The basic movement of a worship service is that of gathering, word, meal, and sending. We gather following a processional cross and flames, reminding us that we all follow the crucified one who brought light into this world. We hear God's word through readings, sermon, and hymns. We celebrate the Holy Communion and partake Jesus' real, life-giving presence in bread and wine. And then we are sent out following the cross and Christ's light to live out our calling to love God and others, bringing about God's odd kingdom.