When We Gather · Stop 3
What are the readings and the sermon for?
In the middle of the service, people read from the Bible, and then someone preaches. Luther cared about this part so much that he said Christians should never gather without God's Word.
Start this stopWord
In many Lutheran churches, the readings come from the Old Testament, a psalm, a New Testament letter, and one of the four Gospels. Many congregations use a lectionary, a list of readings that repeats every few years. That way the church hears a wide range of the Bible over time, instead of the same few favorite passages.
The sermon is a talk about the readings. Luther taught that when God's Word is preached, God is speaking to the people who hear it. That's why he wanted preaching in every service and in a language people understood.
After the sermon, many congregations say one of the creeds together. The creeds sum up what Christians believe. Saying one after the sermon is a way of answering God's Word with the faith of the whole church.
The Word often ends with the prayers. The congregation prays for the church, the world, people who are sick or suffering, and people who grieve. What they just heard turns into prayer for others.
Read it in your Bible
- Isaiah 55:10–11. God says his word is like rain and snow that water the earth and make things grow. It does not come back empty. It does what God sends it to do.
- Romans 10:14–17. Paul asks how people can believe in someone they have never heard of, and how they can hear without someone telling them. Faith comes from hearing, he says, and hearing comes through the word of Christ.
The Third Commandment, from Luther's Small Catechism
We should fear and love God that we may not despise preaching and His Word, but hold it sacred, and gladly hear and learn it.
Words to know
- Lectionary. A list of Bible readings for each Sunday that repeats every few years. It helps a congregation hear a lot of the Bible over time.
- Sermon. A talk that explains the Bible readings and shares God's promises with the people listening. Luther taught that God speaks through the preached Word.
- Creed. From the Latin credo, I believe; a short statement of what Christians believe. Saying it together joins your voice to the whole church.
- Psalm. A song or prayer from the Bible's songbook, often sung or read between the readings. People have prayed the psalms together for thousands of years.
- Gospel. Good news; also the name for the four books that tell about Jesus' life. In many churches, people stand for the Gospel reading to honor Jesus' words.