Beloved in the Lord,
Christ is risen! He is risen indeed, alleluia!
Over the past couple of weeks you may have noticed that I’ve been following a little bit of a theme as we’ve explored the gift and the purpose of worship, that is, namely, how it’s God who meets us with His grace, and how it’s Christ who speaks clearly through the faithful preaching of His Word.
And it’s these two truths that are key for us as we gather each Sunday in the house God has built as a community of believers.
This week, I’d like to continue this theme, by focusing on the spirit in which we gather, the attitude of our hearts as we enter into the presence of the Lord.
In Hebrews 12:28-29, the apostle writes: “Therefore let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, and thus let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe, for our God is a consuming fire.”
Reverence and awe. These two words are deep and they are powerful, they may even be a little bit intimidating. Yet, at their core, they capture the heart of what our response should be when we come face to face with the Creator of the Universe, the holy God who loves us and has redeemed us in Christ, the King of kings and Lord of lords.
Scripture repeatedly shows us what reverence looks like. Moses removed his sandals at the burning bush because he stood on holy ground. (Ex. 3) Isaiah, in his vision of the Lord, fell to his knees, painfully aware of his unworthiness yet profoundly moved by God’s mercy. “Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts!” (Is 6:5)
Peter, often so bold and brash, witnessed Jesus’ divine power, cried out, “Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord.” (Lk. 5:8)
Each of these examples, and so many more throughout the Scripture, remind us that reverence isn’t just tradition. It’s not just empty formality. Reverence is the natural, humble response of a heart that recognizes the holiness, majesty, and grace of our God.
And, because of that, reverence shapes how we fundamentally approach worship. It calls us to attentive listening, thoughtful participation, and a respectful acknowledgment of the sacred nature of what occurs when God’s people gather around Word and Sacrament. It challenges us – it challenges us to gently but firmly to examine our own hearts. It challenges us to ask the important questions that are both basic and formational in our lives. It challenges us to ask ourselves: Have we allowed worship to become too casual? Have we begun treating lightly what God Himself treats as sacred?
These questions aren’t meant to shame us or fill us with a sense of guilt. Rather, they are meant to draw us closer to Christ in humility, because each of us – every believer, every follower of Christ, myself included – is called to grow in reverence and awe, remembering that worship isn’t about our preferences. It is about honoring the God who saves us. It is the natural outpouring of a soul that has been filled with the grace, mercy and love of the God who saves.
And here, the good news remains: our Lord is patient and merciful. He lovingly corrects through His Word, continually calling and guiding us into deeper understanding and heartfelt worship. His grace never leaves us where we’re at. It gently moves us forward in faith and reverence.
So, in an age where reverence is so often replaced by entertainment and where the sacred is treated as ordinary, let’s hear the call to be diligent, to guard our worship. The world may be casual with holy things, it may treat worship as show, but we are called to something higher, something deeper, to approach Him with reverence and awe, grateful for the mercy and majesty of the Lord who gathers us by grace.
Let’s approach our worship not with the spirit of the age, but with hearts shaped by awe, humility, and gratitude.
Let’s pray fervently that our worship may always reflect our recognition of His holiness, our gratitude for His salvation, and our commitment to live lives shaped by reverence and awe.
Lord, grant this unto us all
Now may the peace of the Lord that surpasses all understanding keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus even unto life everlasting.
In Him,
Pastor Wyatt
