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Evangelical and Catholic: the Sunday Liturgy of the Lutheran Church (PDF File) |
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Martin Luther was concerned that Christians be prepared for worship. He prepared prayers to aid Christians as they sought to center their thoughts and hearts for worship. Several of these are included in our worship folder each week, so that you may take time to truly prepare inwardly for worship.
If there is one thing that has been lost in recent years in Lutheran churches, it is quietness before worship that allows and fosters intentional time for prayer, meditation and preparation. In the 60's and 70's, the push was for churches to become "friendly", "warm", "inviting", and "cordial". Hence, we built larger and larger gathering spaces for fellowship before worship (as with our Atrium!). This is right and good. But in some ways, this has spilled over into worship and liturgy, very naturally making the sanctuary itself a place for cordiality, chatting before worship, greeting one another in voices and volume more appropriate to being outside. Of course, how else to be heard over the organ!
In much of Lutheranism today, if someone unfamiliar with the Christian church were to come to a worship service, what they might conclude is that the primary thing about "church" is fellowship! It has become the be-all and end-all of many congregations, to be warm and friendly. We are not against these at Saint Luke's, but our primary reason for existence as Christians, is always to worship and glorify God! That is why we are here. Friendship and fellowship grows out of the fact that we are a worshipping community of faith. We are not a friendly fellowship which takes a few minutes out of our fellowship each week to squeeze in a little devotional time, although that's how it seems, at times.
One way to return to the proper perspective is through lifting up worship, and being intentional about silence and quiet before worship to allow ourselves (and others!) to prepare for a unique, intimate, powerful encounter with our Triune God. Taking time before worship for silent prayer and preparation reminds us of the value and importance of this time spent in the very incarnate presence of God. That's why in some traditions, kneeling in prayer before worship helps to bring to mind that in Christian worship, we are not just in the presence of other worshipers, but we are uniquely in the presence of the Lord of Heaven and earth, and we ought to humble ourselves in body, mind and spirit. This helps us to be ready to worship in Spirit and truth, as we hear in the Gospel of St. John.