The Why's of Worship

Welcome to this six-week study on Deepening Worship. 

Whether you are newer to the church, considering joining, or a lifelong member, the hope from this six-week study is that you might begin to understand more clearly the “whys” of worship. Why do we do the things that we do in church? 

In the Lutheran tradition, we trust that worship is primarily about the movement of God. In the time that we gather, we believe that God comes to us in a number of simple and mysterious ways: through the presence of one another, through water, through bread and wine, through prayer, through the Word, through the sharing of the peace, through song and music, through giving. In fact, we believe that God is continually coming to us during worship, feeding and renewing our spirits, then turning us outward to be Good News for the world. What an incredible thing to proclaim! 

And yet, many of us never learn how to worship. As such, worship can become rote and dry, and we may find ourselves going through the motions or confused about why we do the things we do. Enter Lent! 

While many might associate Lent with the giving up of chocolate or sweets, in the ancient church, Lent was primarily a time of preparation for those seeking to be baptized. As we engage in this study, we return to a traditional understanding of Lent – a time to learn and deepen one’s understanding of faith. 

In this six-week study, you will be invited to examine more closely various elements of worship. You will be encouraged to take part in discussion, and you will be given a challenge/homework at the end of each session. My hope is that by the end of these six weeks, you will be surprised by how deeply meaningful worship can be. 

This curriculum is not comprehensive. There is much about worship that is not covered here. The Lutheran church is blessed with an abundance of liturgical scholars, which are teachers and thinkers whose work centers on the liturgy. Several of them are listed in the bibliography, and I encourage you to read more from them, if you would like. This is just a beginning. Blessings on this time of learning and formation. 

May you have a holy Lent. 

Peace, Pastor Mindy Roll 

To receive this five-week curriculum (free), please contact Pastor Mindy through the "Contact" tab.