What's Essential: Thinking About Worship

As we have been making plans to add a Saturday evening worship service to our schedule, it has given me an opportunity to review my own thoughts about worship.

I think that worship that is true to our Lutheran heritage follows a basic structure. Principles For Worship, a document produced by the ELCA a few years ago, names four principle movements in worship: Gathering, Word, Meal and Sending.

Worship begins with a gathering of God’s people. As we are called into worship, we have an opportunity to prepare our hearts and to join together in songs and acts of praise.

The reading of the God’s word and some kind of reflection on what that Word means for us is the second movement of worship. Reflection on the meaning of God’s Word often takes place in a sermon, but drama and song can also be used to deepen our understanding of what God’s Word is saying to us. Hearing the word often leads us to prayer for ourselves, others and the world.

A third movement in worship is the meal. Sometimes people ask whether the celebration of communion really needs to be included in weekly worship. Lutherans have always regarded the sacrament as a means of grace, a way that God offers grace to us. Why wouldn’t we want the sacrament to be offered each week as we come together for worship? We certainly wouldn’t want God’s word to be an optional part of worship. It is just as important to our spiritual health that we have a weekly opportunity to receive the Sacrament. It also strengthens us for the life of faith.

The final movement in worship is the sending. Our worship. our honoring of God, continues as we are sent out into world to do the work God gives us to do as individuals and as a congregation.

There are other things that are often included in worship: an offering, a confession of faith, special music, etc. Nevertheless, we want our worship to include the four basic movements of worship.

We expect that our Saturday evening worship will look a little different from our other worship service. Yet as the worship planning team prepares to offer this new worship opportunity, it is important to us to include these four basic elements of worship in what we offer.