I, along with many others, hopped on the liturgy bandwagon back in the day. I haven’t, in fact, hopped off. I have, however, come to a more modest understanding of the relative merits of high liturgy. Having spent the better part of the past four years with the option of either millennial shaped contemporary worship or liturgical services so scripted that even I couldn’t take it, I’m now left trying to lead the way at Sovereign Grace Fellowship.
I’m not at all surprised that the first thing I held tenaciously to, not that anyone has raised any objections mind you, is weekly communion. We celebrate it at Sovereign Grace. It does not cure all that ails us, but it faithfully points us to the One that does. I’m grateful to have the opportunity each week to preach from the text to the table.
What has surprised me was the next most important thing to my own spirit. I’m used to singing the Apostles’ Creed, chanting the Agnus Dei, coming forward and kneeling to receive the bread and the wine. What I have missed the most, however, is perhaps the most common bit of liturgy, that part of the liturgy that has survived the longest even in low-church services, the pronouncement at the end of the service of the benediction. In all the churches that the Sproul family has visited or joined in the years we’ve been in Fort Wayne, this was the one thing I asked every pastor for- can we have a benediction?
The purpose of worship is to glorify God, to bless and magnify His name. That’s why we sing, why we preach. It’s why we break into doxology, speaking words of praise to Him. Benediction, on the other hand, is God speaking to us, pronouncing His blessing on us. It is not something we give, but something we receive. And, it is important to note, that even though the pastor may be speaking it, he is not the one giving it. He is speaking it for the Lord, in submission to the Lord’s command in Numbers 6.
We depart from the worship of the living God having had Him pronounce His blessing over us. I want all those under my care to receive that blessing every Lord’s Day. Yesterday, at the end of the service of Sovereign Grace Fellowship I pronounced that benediction. It is such a delight, such a soul feeding thing that I get to do. It is here, however, that I miss being on the other side. Which is why I always remember one particular night of blessing.
Our family drove through the snow to attend a night of worship at another church. It looked nothing like what I was used to. There was dance going on, both formal and informal. Banners were being waved by small children throughout the service. There was no preaching and no sacrament. This was just about as low-church as a local body could be.
Until the end. Then the pastor raised his hand and spoke for God, “The Lord bless you and keep you. The Lord make His face shine upon you and be gracious to you. The Lord lift up His countenance upon you and give you peace.” And so the Lord did.
This is the nineteenth installment of an ongoing series of pieces here on the nature and calling of the church. Stay tuned for more. Remember also that we at Sovereign Grace Fellowship meet this Sunday November 10 at 10:30 AM at our new location, at our beautiful farm at 112811 Garman Road, Spencerville, IN. Please come join us.