"It is time to re-think our liturgy"

by Pastor Ben Dolby

One Sunday in February, I was driving to All Saints about two hours before early service, and I needed to start my Sunday routine. I have formed some habitual behaviors to help my brain “wake up” for Sunday morning duties. My routine is to select one of my habitual solutions:

• Spotify playlist of Chris Tomlin praise music?
• Sacred Music on Lutheran Public Radio?
• Go a bit rogue and find one of those Catholic preachers with a wonderful accent on one of the local radio stations?
• Catch up on one of countless podcasts that recently have been interested in the historical reliability of the New Testament documents.

This Sunday routine has become a great habit that not only wakes up my brain for Sunday service but inspires me to keep being challenged to speak God’s Gospel out loud, with my life. I often want to be comfortable in being left alone while leaving my neighbor alone. But our monthly memory work of Isaiah 12:4-5 reminds us of the heavenly calling we share as believers, as forgiven sinners: Make known his deeds among the peoples, namely the work of Jesus Christ for the sake of all mankind!

“Give thanks to the Lord, call upon his name, make known his deeds among the peoples, proclaim that his name is exalted. Sing praises to the Lord, for he has done gloriously; let this be made known in all the earth. - Isaiah 12:4-5

So, one Sunday in February, as I am departing my neighborhood I realized the radio was off and I had not yet selected a listening option. I ended up driving to All Saints in silence that morning. As I arrived at church, I realized it is time to re-think the liturgy of our daily routines. I confess the title is slightly “click-baity” since the word liturgy is primarily used to define the customary or usual order of public worship service.

That early Sunday morning drive does not mean I should drive in silence every Sunday, but it sure was a blessing to not be filling my ears, mind, and space with anything for a change. We have so many choices to fill our ears, mind, heart, and entire being every moment of every day. Can we dare to leave some empty space and intentionally seek some silence? Or will all the other choices cause us to forget what God can provide in silence?

I had time to be uncomfortable with whatever may come to mind: Do I need to do another pass on my sermon notes? Am I going to be effective and helpful to my confirmation students between services or will I be too distracted? Is there anyone I need to add to the prayers I did not add to my notes on Saturday?

Finally, I shook my head and silently prayed, “God, be my strength today. Help me to focus on your Word because I am distracted by many important things and many unimportant things.”

The divinely inspired words of Solomon came to me, “…a time to tear, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak.” – Ecclesiastes 3:7

I desperately needed God to help me entrust him to use the words of my sermon to tear, that is bring us to repentance in a time to undo what we have done.

I desperately needed God to help me entrust to him to use the words of my sermon to sew, that is to bring us comfort, assurance, and healing that he promises to repair what we have undone or torn apart in our sin.

The time of silence he afforded me on the drive to church prepared me to be blessed by the time he afforded me to speak as a pastor just a few hours later, standing on the rock of his blessed and perfect Word.

It should come as no surprise (but it did!) that I ended up being the most confident and comfortable I have been preaching and publicly speaking in about eight months. 

I have plans and prayers to challenge us to draw comfort from God’s calling on our lives to uncomfortable places. God calls upon us to make his deeds known verbally and visibly to the dying world around us. This will certainly include a lot of sound speaking and thoughtful action towards our neighbors for them to hear, see, and receive from us in the flesh.

However, this requires us re-thinking our personal, daily liturgy.

Maybe the many things, sounds, and commitments that fill your daily routine are more interesting than my Sunday morning choices.

It may be a safe bet you have more fascinating selections than Tomlin on Spotify, centuries old hymnody on Lutheran Public Radio, or podcasts on historical Christianity being discussed with non-Christians.

But I invite you and challenge you to re-think your daily routine. Do you have ample room for silence? Will you make an intentional plan to set aside 30 minutes, an hour, or another significant amount of time to be silent before God?

It is time to re-think our liturgy. It is a good time for silence. The biblical definition of silence I want us to apply is this: Set aside every earthly thing and fill it with silent prayer, reading Holy Scripture to yourself out loud…and slowly. Do not be afraid to linger on a verse or a word, or a brief passage for minutes at a time or more.

There will be a time to speak. There will be exciting opportunities to answer the heavenly calling of our monthly memory work in Isaiah 12:4-5.

But first, let us begin in silence at the foot of the cross. Put every earthly thing where it belongs when you start and end your day, put them as a priority lower than God where he promises to be with you, through his Holy Spirit in prayer and in his Holy Word. He has drawn near to us. Will we recognize the treasure of drawing near to him where he promises to always be found?

I invite you to close with me in a prayer that can be our companion this month.

In the Name of the Father, and of the + Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Dear heavenly Father, give us our daily bread, good seasons, and health. Protect us from the many sounds and sights that so easily distract and cause us to forget you. Give us wisdom to seek silence, prayer, and time for your Holy Word above and before everything else. Comfort us as you call, equip, and prepare us for the uncomfortable calling: Making your deeds known to the peoples. Grant us this, O Father, through your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.

God bless your Lenten journey with silence.

In Christ,

Pastor Dolby