November 4, 2024

Living liturgy

I happen to be a Lutheran Christian who values the liturgy of the church and is amazed by the way that the liturgy and appointed Biblical words speak into our situation so frequently, even when, frankly, the liturgy knows very little of our situation.

Yesterday, our confession had us speak these words: "We confess that sin has taken hold of us and we are complicit in its power. We are disturbed in spirit and our hearts cannot rest." The last song we sang asked God to take away our "love of sinning." The plea was not that sin would be taken away, but that we would not be ruled by the fact that we rather enjoy sinning.  Wow, I thought! How did the folks who wrote these know us so well?