Our Divine Service Liturgy

Why we worship as we do

The original meaning of the Greek word (leitourgia) “liturgy” means “public service”. Liturgy was any public work by concerned citizens on behalf of society and for the well-being of society. That meaning applies to our church’s ‘liturgy’ also. An ancient church father put it: ‘The world is ruled by the prayers of saints.’

As we gather for our divine service, it may be important not only in order to understand the divine service, but also to appreciate our divine service better, to ask ourselves the question: for whose sake do we worship? There are several possible answers, but these are some to consider:

We worship for our own sake – to be forgiven, taught, nourished and
blessed through the means of grace The means of grace being God’s word
(read and preached) and the sacraments (Baptism and Holy Communion). We worship for our congregation’s sake – to support our brothers and
sisters in Christ in their worship.

We worship for the sake of visitors – and those who are just asking
questions or inquiring about the faith and for those searching for faith.
We worship for the sake of the world – by our prayer, praise and proclamation we serve the community and those around us in seen and unseen ways.

Ultimately we worship for God’s sake – to give him the glory he is worthy of, to ‘keep his name holy’, and to ‘sanctify the Sabbath.’ All these aspects are part of the “why” of worship.

Question: For whose sake are you worshipping today?

Pastor Darryl