Singing, the Lords Grace

In the Roman Catholic understanding (and the understanding of many other denominations in Christendom) of the divine service, what we are doing in the service is providing God our service to Him. Sort of an alms or sacrifice to God. With the thought that He requires it from us. That it's something we do in order to receive God's blessing. With a side order of "What a good boy am I" mind set. When the priests would offer the bread in the communion it was thought that we were sacrificing once again, a "re-presentation" of our Lords body to provide our forgiveness. To appease God.

What is truly meant to happen in the divine service is this, Christ serving us. We receive His Gospel. We receive His forgiveness. We receive His Holy Spirit through His Word. Like the old hymn that says "Thy strong Word bespeaks us Righteous, bright with thine own Holiness." Ultimately, the divine service is one of passivity. We receive from God. In the wise words of my good Pastor, Benjamin Meyer "it all comes back to justification, and in terms of that...we bring nothing."

Within the Hymns that teach us the very grace that we have received, we are taught once again to believe in His Mercy. To trust His Word! Also we are to rejoice in the Forgiveness of our sins, won for us, through the Blood of Christ.

I have found it fascinating, and overwhelmingly comforting to know that when I am singing in the Church Service I am singing God's Grace to myself, and to the Bride of Christ, my brothers and sisters. Also the Lord Himself hears and attends to the praise of His people. And here is the thing... the praise of His people, is this... His bride, singing God's very Grace to herself. Truly a divine service. Divine because it is simply recalling and proclaiming the Work of God in Christ, "reconciling the world to Himself"

I'm currently reading a book called "The Fire and the Staff" by the late Lutheran pastor Klemet Preus. And in this book, he talks at length about the service, and music in the Church. Preus states this...

"...the church has sung the Word of God's Grace to herself for centuries. She has become the beneficiary of God's love through the ceremonies drawn from the Bible. She is blessed with the liturgy. In liturgy we take God's Word and return it to God by giving it to His people.That is liturgy."

It also helps to understand that God does not need our worship, or our liturgy. But He loves us, and longs to give us His gifts. Lets remember that the next time we are singing a hymn in Church. The Lord God Almighty, is giving you another gift of His grace! Sing, the Lords Grace!

What a beautiful Savior!