Abiding Word Lutheran Church

Worship Matters: A Confession of Sins

ShellyJohnson — Mon, 09 Feb 2015 02:28:41 +0000

“Jesus, come quickly, I’ve got a problem that I need you to solve…” Perhaps you can think of a bible story that a statement like this could come from. It was what Martha was thinking when her brother Lazarus had fallen ill. It’s what Jairus was saying when his daughter took a turn for the worse. It’s what Peter must have thought as his wife’s mother lay in bed with a fever. “Jesus, come quickly, I’ve got a problem that I need you to solve…” is at the heart of dozens of Jesus’ healing stories. And in every one of these stories, Jesus power solved the problems. What a tremendous Savior!

“Jesus, come quickly, I’ve got a problem for you to solve… “ It’s a statement we make every time we gather for worship. It’s at the heart of what we call “the Confession of Sins,” in which we say: I am altogether sinful from birth. In countless ways I have sinned against you and do not deserve to be called your child…” This is the problem that we share in common. Every one of our sins separate us from the love of God. Every one of our sins earns eternal death for us. Ever one of our sins is impossible to solve on our own.

But there is a tremendous Savior who can cure the curse of our sin, and so we call on him each week as we enter his presence: But trusting in my Savior Jesus, I pray, Lord, have mercy on me, a sinner. And then the miracle comes quickly after: we hear the promise of “the Absolution,” the the true promise that our sins have been taken away by Jesus’ sacrifice and death. We enjoy the same relief that Martha, Jairus, and Peter must have felt. We do not need to fear sin and death, because our problem-solving Savior saves!

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Worship Matters: The Word of the Lord

ShellyJohnson — Mon, 02 Feb 2015 02:27:44 +0000

This evening, millions of people will gather around televisions all over the world to enjoy what’s arguably considered ‘the greatest spectacle in American sports.’ Many may be watching because ‘their team’ has made it to the big game. Others are watching for the unexpected and unbelievable displays of athletic ability. And still others only tune in to see and hear the over-the-top commercials that cost millions of dollars to produce.

When we come into God’s house, there are some spectacular things for us to see and hear. We see the Lord’s Supper ready for us to receive and hear that our sins are forgiven. We see the body of believers in the faces of our friends and are happy to hear their prayers and singing. But one of the greatest things we hear each Sunday morning is a brief statement that follows each of the three Scripture readings: “This is the Word of the Lord.” What a spectacular moment! To think that God’s own Word and message for humankind is among us! The prophets and the apostles give us promises from God’s own lips! The gospel writers make us witnesses of the stories from the life of God’s own Son!

In today’s gospel, God demonstrates how powerful his Word can be, and in the lessons which support that Gospel, God urges us to pay attention to this Word! Week after week, the love of God is on full display. It’s the greatest spectacle there is!

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Worship Matters: Praise or Proclamation?

ShellyJohnson — Mon, 26 Jan 2015 02:26:42 +0000

Whether you consider yourself to be a strong singer or a not-so-strong singer, there are inevitably a few moments in a person’s life that move them to sing along (or at least hum along!) For some, it’s when an old favorite comes on the radio as they commute. For others, it’s when the toddler is having trouble falling asleep and another two lullabies are needed. For most, it’s when the baseball announcer asks us to stand and remove our hats to join in our national anthem. Whether we want to express emotions which are very personal or unite ourselves around a common cause, singing is a powerful way to do it.

The reasons for singing in church are much the same. When we want to praise our God, we want to do so in a way that expresses the joy (and sometimes the sadness) in our hearts. And when we want to unite ourselves with the generations that came before us, we sing the hymns that they handed down to us and then hand them down to the next generation. We blend new songs with old ones. We blend praise with proclamation.

We like to sing because it’s a way to communicate not just how we feel but also what we know. As the words of today’s opening hymn remind us, when we sing, we “tell how the Father sent his Son to save us. We tell of the Son, whom life and freedom gave us.” Whether it’s a brand new song or a 1500-year old Te Deum, God has enabled us to use music to praise him from our hearts and proclaim his true gospel to the world.

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