Divine Worship Service
Here at Redeemer Lutheran Church, we worship according to the historic liturgy that is contained within the Lutheran Service Book. If you are new to this, welcome! Don't worry if you don't know what to do – some of the people you are next to have been worshipping this way for most, or all of, their lives. Be patient; you can learn the divine worship service too. Those familiar with it had to learn it too, so they are not judging you – rather, they would be more than happy to help you! Our hope is that this page is a helpful explanation.
What is Worship?
The primary movement of worship is from God to us; we do not gather in worship to do something for God because He does not need our worship – rather, He wants our worship. God knows the depth of our sin and the deadening reality of our transgressions against Him. And for that reason, Jesus Christ died on the cross – in our place – for all of our sins.
When we gather in worship around God's Word, He serves us with His forgiveness through His Grace and Mercy that we do not deserve. Worship is the place where heaven touches earth and God announces His deliverance of us from our sins through His forgiveness. As a result, worship renews and strengthens our faith in Him through His free gift of salvation.
In the Divine Worship Service, God serves us by speaking to us with His Word. Wherever Christians are gathered in worship – and however they are worshipping – God's Word must be at the center of that worship. The heart of the Divine Worship Service is the Word of God. This is where God clothes His Word in Jesus' own Body and Blood that He willfully gave and shed on the cross for our salvation – particularly in the partaking of The Lord's Supper.
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Portions adapted from "The Lutheran Witness – January 2024,” The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod: St. Louis, MO, 2024.
