Lutheran Vocational Evangelism

(Explaining Lutheran Worship (Part Four))


What do you need to know about our Divine Service before attending so that you might get the most benefit from the gifts of God? Let’s continue examining the various parts so that we might better understand from where each part comes and how it connects to the next.

So far we have invited God to be a part of our service, we have confessed our sins and been forgiven, we have entered into God’s presence, begged for mercy, praised His name, and spoke His Word back to Him in prayer.

Now we move to hear God’s Word. Indeed, as God speaks most certainly and most clearly through His Word, we hear His Word read. We hear a word from the Old Testament, from one of the letters of the apostle’s in the New Testament (the Epistle), and words from one of the Gospels. These three lessons have been chosen so that they fit together (if not all three, at least two lessons have the same theme) and they are chosen to fit the time and season of the church year. We read lessons either from the Three Year or One Year pericope system known as a Lectionary. These lessons have been chosen, although modified in recent years, since the 5th and 6th centuries. Using these readings helps keep the preacher and the congregation focused, not on the favorite topic of the day, but on God’s Word and how today fits God’s Word.

The readings are followed by the hymn of the day which reflects the readings and through which we sing back to God what He teaches us in His Word.

The Sermon follows the hymn of the day and the purpose of the sermon is to speak God’s Word. Understanding that we cannot add to God’s Word, nor should we subtract, the attempt of the sermon is to simply preach God’s Word. As seminarians are told, “Preach the Word and sit down!” Let God’s Word do what God desires. The Word is preached and the hearers are to hear, believe and obey.

30 of 52    © Rev. Dr. Ronald A. Bogs (2018)