Divine Worship Services

There is a wide chasm between God in his holiness and us in our sinfulness. We need a clean heart in the presence of the Lord. So at the very beginning of our worship services, we need to lay our sins on Jesus and be assured that God does not condemn us for our sins, but forgives and forgets. We need to “lay down our burdens at the doorway before entering upon the praises of God.”

There are a variety of words in our services for the Confession. They include words like, “Let us confess our sins to God our Father,” or “Beloved in the Lord! Let us draw near with a true heart and confess our sins to God, our Father . . .,” or “O Almighty God, merciful Father, I, a poor miserable sinner confess unto You all my sins and iniquities...”

When we confess our sins, we agree with what God says about us in His Word: “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23) and “If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us” (1 John 1:8). In the presence of the Lord, our sins are obvious, and He wants to remove them from us. See Psalms 124:8 and 32:5.

Likewise, the Absolution (declaration of forgiveness) uses a variety of words, such as, “Upon this your confession, I by virtue of my office, as  a called and ordained servant of the Word, announce the grace of God unto all of you, and in the stead and by the command of my Lord Jesus Christ I forgive you all your sins..."

Jesus Himself is here and speaking through the pastor’s mouth. Here we are brought back to our baptism. Our sinful nature, having been crucified again with Christ, is clothed in His righteousness. We are declared innocent! See John 20:19–23.

I Forgive You All Your Sins!

On most Sundays, we hear three readings from Holy Scripture: a reading from the Old Testament (Genesis–Malachi), a reading from the Letters or Epistles (Acts–Revelation), and a reading from one of the four Gospels (by St. Matthew, St. Mark, St. Luke, or St. John). Holy Scripture is God’s own Word. He wants us to know Him and His love so much that He speaks to us in these words, which are inspired and breathed out by the Holy Spirit. See 2 Timothy 3:16. 

After the first two lessons, the congregation normally stands during the proclamation of the Gospel reading.  In praise to God they sing Alleluia. All Scripture is equally divine and inspired, yet the reading of the Holy Gospel brings Jesus Christ into our midst in a unique way: here He is, God in human flesh who lived, died, and rose for us. We greet Him as He comes to us in the Word with His salvation by singing “Glory be to You, O Lord!” and then reply to the Good News we just heard with “Praise be to You, O Christ!”

Following the reading of the Word is the proclamation of the Word from the pastor. Our Lord Jesus Christ uses the pastor’s mouth again during the sermon. Because Holy Scripture is inspired, as the pastor preaches Scripture it is Jesus Himself speaking to us. The sermon is not a separate “high thing” but a continuation and extension of the second “high thing,” the reading of God’s Word. See Hebrews 13:17.

This is the Word of the Lord!

Thanks be to God!

The Third High thing is the Sacrament of the Altar.  Once again we hear the gracious words of Jesus when He instituted the Lord's Supper.  We hear the following spoken jor chanted by the pastor.

Our Lord Jesus Christ, on the night when He was betrayed, took bread, and when He had given thanks, He broke it and gave it to the disciples and said: “Take, eat; this is My body, which is given for you. This do in remembrance of Me.” In the same way also He took the cup after supper, and when He had given thanks, He gave it to them, saying: “Drink of it, all of you; this cup is the new testament in My blood, which is shed for you for the forgiveness of sins. This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.” (Matthew 26:26-28, Mark 14:22-24, Luke 22:19-20, 1 Corinthians 11:23-25)

It is not the power of the pastor or the faith of the people that makes this miracle happen, but the gracious words of Christ Himself, speaking with the pastor’s mouth: “This is My body”; “This is My blood,” the very same body and blood that were born of Mary and crucified for us. And so it is, just as He says! This is the true body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ under the bread and wine, instituted by Christ Himself for us Christians to eat and to drink. See Matthew 26:26–28, Mark 14:22–24, Luke 22:19–20, and 1 Corinthians 11:23–25.

The body and blood of Jesus is a gracious gift, and so we must be rightly prepared to receive Him. Examining ourselves for sin, trusting Jesus as our Savior, believing in His real bodily presence in the Lord's Supper, seeking reconciliation with others, and confessing the faith together with the entire congregation, we receive His body and blood for the forgiveness of sins, life, and salvation. All who receive the Lord's Supper with us must first be instructed in these things, which our pastor will be very glad to do. Please contact us to learn more. During the distribution of the Lord's Supper, we sing hymns together, and pray silently for ourselves and for others. See 1 Corinthians 11:27–32.