THEME: Rooted in Christ through Worship
by Pastor Shaun
Oh come, let us sing to the Lord; let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation! (Psalm 95:1 ESV)
DEVOTION:
Worship is not an indifferent matter. When we hear, believe, and confess the truth about God, and receive His gifts in Word and Sacrament, we are formed in faith and ROOTED in CHRIST. Prosper of Aquitaine, a 5th Century lay-theologian, acknowledged this when he first composed the famous Latin maxim: Lex orandi, lex credendi. The phrase is literally translated, “the law of prayer (is) the law of belief.” In other words, as people pray (and worship), so they also believe. If we pray and worship using words that are true, then our faith will be formed in truth. But if we tolerate falsehood in our lives, and especially in our worship, we will be formed by that, too.
This is the main reason we should be cautious about singing hymns and songs that aren’t in our hymnal. It’s not that new things are forbidden, but rather that everything should be carefully tested by the Scripture. We should NOT casually sing, “I have decided to follow Jesus,” because it’s a catchy song that makes us feel good. Instead, We should ask ourselves, “Is that true?”
Is my faith defined by my decision to follow Jesus, or is it defined by the faithfulness of Christ, who chose me before the foundation of the world? Do poor sinners choose to follow Jesus or are they in bondage to sin and unable to free themselves? Are we saved because we chose Jesus or because Jesus chose to rescue us out of the prison house of sin by His death on the cross? In every case it’s the latter. But as the church prays and worships, so the church believes. If we tolerate bad theology, we are likely to believe false and dangerous, deadly things about ourselves and about God.
This is also why our Lutheran Worship Services are ALMOST ENTIRELY comprised of quotations from Scripture. Take for instance the reading from Psalm 95:1, which says “Oh come, let us sing to the Lord; let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation!” Does that sound familiar? We sing it every day in chapel. We know it as the “Venite,” from the Order of Matins. It is an ancient call to worship. We sing it because it’s true. We know this because it is the Word of God, who always speaks the truth. And singing His Word forms us.
So dear Christians, worship often, and let your Worship be founded on the great truth of God’s Word. Read the Bible. Sing and pray the Psalms. Sing the old Christian (Lutheran!) hymns that confess the truth. And as you pray and worship, so believe and be deeply ROOTED in CHRIST, who loves you and forgives all of your sins. Amen!
CATECHISM MEMORY:
The Seventh Commandment You shall not steal.
What does this mean? We should fear and love God so that we do not take our neighbor’s money or possessions, or get them in any dishonest way, but help him to improve and protect his possessions and income.
READINGS for THIS WEEK:
Mon: Psalm 46 Tue: Acts 16 Wed: Psalm 47 Thu: Exodus 15:1-21 Fri: Psalm 95:1-7 Sat: Matthew 21:23-32
REFLECTION QUESTIONS & ACTIVITIES for the READINGS
- What do the readings teach you about worship?
- Why is worship important for the Christian life?
- How does worship affect the lives of non-Christians?
- What does Lex orandi, lex credendi mean?
- Why is it good to worship using prayers and songs based on God’s Word (like Psalm 95), rather than words invented by man?
- What questions do you have about the readings this week?
(Write them down and share them with Pastor Shaun!)