The Divine Service Liturgy: Perfect Praise Every Time

By Rev. Jon J. Sollberger

God’s Word vs. man’s feelings and opinions… One is almighty and never changing; the others are feeble, and change like the wind. The Scriptures and our Small Catechism teach us that God’s Word is the highest authority. But far too often, people make how they feel and what they think the deciding factors when it comes to worship.

Consider the following statements that Christians sometimes make:

• “The most important thing about worship is to make people feel good.”

• “Genuine faith is proven by how much joy one shows (especially in worship).”

• “The subject of sin is just too negative for a good, joyful worship experience.”

In many congregations (even some Lutheran ones) these sentiments have become the most important things to people. With the best of intentions, and even with genuine concern for other people, many people say these things in order to promote or defend an emotionally based kind of worship called Contemporary Worship or Praise-Band Worship.

Contemporary worship is said to be very popular with young people. This may be true for some, but actually, most of the people who promote contemporary worship are older people who—again, with genuine concern and love—have been led to believe that praise bands will bring in the young people and revitalize their churches.

God’s Word, however, disagrees. God Word alone calls and gathers people into the Church (See Isaiah 55:10-11, and the Small Catechism: The Meaning to the Third Article of the Creed). A wise Christian pastor and musician once said: “Emotion can never lead to faith, but faith often leads to emotion.” God’s Word verifies this saying as trustworthy and true (Ecclesiastes 5:1-2; Psalm 51:15).

Sadly, contemporary worship fails to begin with what Our Lord has done for us. And because of that, it simply can’t be faithful, because our praise for God is empty and sinful when it fails to begin with what our Heavenly Father does for us, through His Son. A quick comparison may be helpful:

Contemporary Worship

CONGREGATION: Audience (like a concert)

GOAL: Mountain-top Feeling

EMPHASIS: What We Do for God

Liturgical Divine Service

CONGREGATION: Body of Christ (receivers)

GOAL: Sins Forgiven/Faith in Christ Granted or Strengthened

EMPHASIS: What Christ Does for Us

Too often, when people think of worship, they think mainly of their own participation, rather than God’s. But all men are sinful, and even hostile toward God (Romans 8:7). The Church’s liturgy, on the other hand, makes sure that:

1. God also participates in worship;

2. God participates first (He has the first word), and

3. Man’s participation is with words far better than our own: God’s Word.

This is why worship is also known as “Divine Service”: Divine = God, and Service = giving. So, the Divine Service Liturgy, then, is God giving us what we need: forgiveness, life and salvation in Christ.

But the Liturgy isn’t just an arbitrary collection of Scripture; it’s the proper Scripture, in the proper order, for the appropriate purpose: to meet us in our sin, then to cleanse us by Christ’s forgiveness, and finally, to strengthen us in Christ’s faith for daily living.

When people fail to consider that God must speak first in worship, the emphasis easily becomes our own words and intentions (however well-intentioned). And that kind of praise—centered on man—very easily deteriorates into a time primarily intended to make us feel emotionally uplifted. This is not God-pleasing, because good feelings will not save us.

Still, our praise to God is an important part of the Divine Service Liturgy. But we might be surprised to learn how God defines “praise.” Psalm 51:16-17 says this: You [Lord] do not delight in sacrifice, or I would bring it; You do not take pleasure in burnt offerings. The sacrifices ofGod are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.

This is God’s definition of praise: broken spirits and contrite hearts. This is a far cry from what many people often mistakenly think praise is. The Divine Service Liturgy never depends on us having to be uplifted in our thoughts and feelings. In fact, the forgiveness of sins is to be received when God’s Word of Law condemns our sin and makes us humble and contrite (sorry for our sins). Only then will man receive God’s Word of Gospel (Christ died so that you could live). Only then will we know the peace of God: sins forgiven, life restored. In that there is much joy—the kind that never leaves you, no matter how you feel. And that’s perfect praise every time because it’s God’s Word.

Rev. Jon J. Sollberger serves the Parish Immanuel Lutheran in Louisville, Nebraska, and is a national and regional speaker on liturgy and church music. He can be reached at revsoll@yahoo.com.