For the next few months, I would like to write about the different parts of worship and why we do them. In writing about the parts of worship, I hope to explain why we worship the way we do.
The liturgy gives us a framework to use and to keep not only the clergy but the laity on track during worship. The liturgy keeps us focused on why we in church which is to worship our God and to hear the good news He has for us.
The liturgy we use goes back to the beginning of Christianity. The liturgy we use today connects us to the saints of the past and reminds us of our heritage.
Confession and Absolution keep us honest — honest with ourselves and honest before God. The act of confession is not some work that we lay before the Father’s throne; rather, it is the simple acknowledgment that God’s Word is true and right and that when we measure ourselves against its demands, we come up short.
After our confession comes our absolution or goods, we hear God’s words of forgiveness for us. With his forgiveness, our sin is removed, Christians know that, but they also need to hear it often. We need to be reminded that those familiar words, “I forgive you all your sins,” are not just some impersonal announcement. They say what they mean and accomplish what they promise. Jesus himself said to his disciples that the sins they forgive are forgiven (John 20:23).
Next month we will continue to look at why we worship the way we do.