Just Worship

About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them. (Acts 16:25 NIV)

I love my Lutheran Church!  I love our focus on grace.  I love the hymns and the worship songs.  I love the liturgy, both traditional and newer.  I love that there is order to our worship services.  I know I will have the opportunity for confession and forgiveness, statement of faith, prayers of the people, etc.  BUT... there is always room for improvement.

I think those of us from denominations that worship liturgically have a lot to learn from those who don't.  I think we become too dependant on our bulletins, worship books and projections screens.  We don't do "spontanous" very well.

What if we were in Paul and Sila's circumstances?  How many hymns could we sing by heart?  How many scripture passages could we share?  Are we too dependent on the idea that worship only takes place inside a church building... that we have to have the words?  Not just the words to the hymns, but even the words we use to worship?

How about it Lutherans?  Can you confess in your own words?  Can you express your faith without using the words of a Creed?  Can you share the peace with your neighbor without upbeat music in the background?  Can you sing every verse  of your favorite hymn/worship song by heart?  Can you express your love for God without the words being printed out for you?

Try worshiping at home alone or with family.  Break away from the familiarity of a well-ordered worship service every now and then.  Just love God and feel God's love back.

Holy God,
Help us to reconnect to the very heart of worship... our love for you.  Amen.