A Word from our Deans –January 2013
Why Worship is Central| The Rev. Marcia Bell
I was glad when they said to me,
”Let us go to the house of the Lord!”
-- Psalm 122:1
What a joy it is to gather each and every week at the house of the Lord!What a privilege it is to live in a land where we enjoy religious freedom, and we can freely gather as Christians to celebrate in word and sacrament.And it is certainly no surprise thatInspiring Worship has been identified as one of our Southeastern Pennsylvania Synod’s Missional Seeds.
Worship is the most important and the central function of our life together in the church, and everything we do as communities of faith flows out of that worship.Our service to those in need and to the world, our education of children and adults, our fellowship are all fueled by our gathering together to hear God’s word, to sing praise to God, to pray, and to be nourished by his holy supper.When are worship is spirited and inspiring, we find ourselves energized in other areas of serving.
Yet, worship is often the source of deep conflict and division in congregations, and this is certainly nothing new.We know from Paul’s correspondence to the church in Corinth that there were differences of opinion about celebrating the Lord’s Supper.In earlier centuries in our area, controversies arose over whether worship services would be conducted in English or German.Today, the issues that seem to cause the most dissension center on worship styles and music.
In the midst of changing trends and various opinions, it is helpful to remind ourselves that worship is not about us.We don’t make God happy because we worship nor do we earn points toward heaven because we worship.Rather, we worship because God is God!God has created us; God has given us all we have; God is greater than our imagination; and God is worthy of our praise and adoration.When praise is our primary focus, worship naturally is inspiring for everyone.
In the 12th chapter of John’s Gospel, Jesus is in Jerusalem for the Passover festival.His disciple Philip is approached by some Greeks who make a simple yet profound request:“Sir, we wish to see Jesus.” (John 12:21).Isn’t that desire to see Jesus at the very heart of our worship?Not to physically see him as the Greeks wanted, but to know him, hear his precious words, experience his real presence in the life-giving sacrament of Holy Communion, receive his grace, and then go forth to serve and tell others of his Good News.
May the churches of our Southeastern Pennsylvania Synod be places where young children and elderly folks, life-long Lutherans and brand new converts, immigrants and long time residents, and all God’s people gather to encounter the risen and living Lord Jesus Christ in lively and inspiring worship.
The Rev. Marcia Bell is our Synod’s dean for interim ministry and interim pastor at St. John Lutheran Church in Hatboro.