<> Ask the Pastor Pastor Walter Snyder Q: The liturgy has been a great comfort to us as a military (USAF) family. Wherever we go (eight bases in 15 years), we have the sense of "home" that comes from the warm familiarity of the Divine Service. I understand that the Lutheran liturgy comes from Scripture and it is "modeled" after early churches. Does Scripture require us to use the formal liturgy? A: The liturgy (order of service) is an integral part of Christian worship, dating back not only to the earliest days of the Christian Church, but even in part to the Old Testament. Originally the word meant work done as a public service, but later took on a special ecclesiastical meaning as a rite of worship in the Christian Church. Every "Amen" we say or sing and all of our alleluias are quotes from the Hebrew Scriptures. A liturgy is not "required," but you will see how it is to be desired if we wish to remain faithful to Scripture. We don't have specific details about the earliest services, but the Bible speaks favorably of musical instruments and singing in the services. The Psalms are the original hymn book of both the Old and New Testament churches. We know that early services were modeled upon the synagogues, and that the sermon was an integral part of the service, second only to the celebration of the Lord's Supper. It seems that when an epistle (letter) from an apostle or other church leader came to town, it was read during the time of the sermon. These services were taking place even before the completion of the New Testament. Many people criticize the traditional Western Liturgy, no matter what exact form it takes. Some ultraconservative fundamentalists, Pentecostals, and other Protestants think that any manmade, structured worship is wrong. Many liberal Christians blame the liturgy on "dead white European males" who have caused so many of society's ills. Those seeking entertainment from church accuse the formal liturgy used by Lutherans, Catholics, and others of being dull and boring. These complaints are based either on misunderstanding or are because the liturgy is not being done well and with enthusiasm. The arguments against the liturgy are not well-grounded in either Scripture or in history. Nowhere does the Bible tell us to refrain from setting an organized ritual of worship. In fact, Paul commands "decency and good order" in public worship. The liturgy is the Christian Church's way of achieving this, for while there is weekly variety in hymns, readings, sermons, and prayers, there is also continuity in much of what is said and sung. Our Lutheran children learn the Creeds and the Lord's Prayer at an early age because they hear them week after week in the Divine Service (and, I hope, also in family devotions). The liturgy makes sure that there is time for confession of sins, for hearing God's Word read and applied, for prayer, for singing, and for the Lord's Supper. As for the Western Christian Liturgy being the spawn of the cultural imperialists of Europe, all we need to do is track down some of its parts to see that it comes from a variety of sources. It is crafted from passages in the Old and New Testaments, and its basic form may have first been assembled in North Africa. Great variety has grown from the outlines handed us by our spiritual forebears. The hymnals in my congregation have a total of six Sunday services and numerous midweek and special orders of worship. The basics of the Lutheran service are not much different from medieval Catholicism. A few changes were made because of doctrinal differences with Rome, but none were arbitrary. During the Reformation, the German Lutherans began to translate the orders from Latin into German. The same happened in other lands. For example, the Anglican Church made an English translation. These all changed along with their respective languages, although usually much more slowly. Eventually, as the Lutherans in the United States either reached out to English speakers or lost their European languages, the Anglican (Episcopal) Liturgy was taken almost wholesale into the Lutheran Church. After all, it had the same roots. As for people becoming bored, or at least complacent, with the liturgy, I wonder how this could be. It is a vehicle through which God reminds us of his love, his majesty, and his will to save us. In it, he speaks his forgiveness of sins. As part of it, we come forward as a church to join our voices in song and our hearts and minds in prayer. Even a pastor who preaches falsehood will find his answer in the Biblical truths each week revealed in the Christian Liturgy. Truly, the liturgy is and should remain the lifeblood of the Christian Church. Remember to "Ask the Pastor" at P.O. Box 1080, Jasper, Texas, 75951; E-mail xrysostom@aol.com; or catch me around town. Pastor Snyder serves St. Paul and Faith Lutheran Churches, Jasper and Woodville, Texas and is the coauthor of "What Do Lutherans Believe? A Study Guide in Christian Teachings for Adults." Copyright (c) 1997 by Walter P. Snyder Permission is granted by author to reproduce or retransmit this by any means, provided that its content is not altered, that this notice of copyright and permission is included, and that no financial gain is realized.