True Worship

[1] In the year that King Uzziah died I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up; and the train of His robe filled the temple. [2] Above Him stood the seraphim. Each had six wings: with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. [3] And one called to another and said: “Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts; the whole earth is full of His glory!” [4] And the foundations of the thresholds shook at the voice of him who called, and the house was filled with smoke. [5] And I said: “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!” [6] Then one of the seraphim flew to me, having in his hand a burning coal that he had taken with tongs from the altar. [7] And he touched my mouth and said: “Behold, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away, and your sin atoned for.” [Isaiah 6:1-7 ESV]

This beautiful text reveals the following about true worship:

• God is really present in His temple/house (6:1)
• Man is sinful and unworthy to be in God’s presence (6:5)
• Worship is directed to the Triune God (6:3)
• Worship acknowledges God’s holiness (6:3)
• Worship includes a confession of sin (6:5)
• God’s forgiveness is spoken by His servant (6:6-7)
• God’s forgiveness is delivered through means (6:6-7)

It's About Christ

I’ve heard it a million times. OK, maybe a thousand times. But it’s still misleading:

The church is not about buildings, it’s about people.

Let’s cut to the chase. The Church is not about buildings or people. It’s about Jesus Christ. He is the source of everything, the Word through whom all things were created, the Word who became flesh to save us from our sin, the Word whose blood was shed for our redemption, the Word who rose again on the third day to give us His new life. This same Word now comes to His people in the preached Word and the visible Word (i.e. the Sacraments) to give us Himself, His forgiveness, His life, His salvation.

Cut out that little word about and I agree with the statement above. The Church is people. The Church is the bride of Christ (Ephesians 5:22-33). The Church is the congregation of saints in which the Gospel is purely taught and the Sacraments are correctly administered (AC VII.1). As Luther wrote, even a seven-year-old child knows what the Church is, namely, the holy believers and lambs who hear the voice of their Shepherd (SA III.XII.2).

Words mean things. While the Church is Christ’s people, the Church is about Christ! It’s not about buildings, though Christ is regularly proclaimed in church buildings. It’s not about people, though Christ is always preached to sinners. The Church is about Christ. Let that be enough.

When the Church is about Christ, you can come to Him and confess your sins and go home justified. You can splash around daily in the baptismal grace with which He has washed you. You can live from every word that proceeds from His mouth. You can partake regularly of His true body and blood that He may dwell in you and you in Him. You see, when it’s all about Christ, you can take your eyes off of yourself and your own efforts toward righteousness and look to Him, the author and perfecter of your faith. This is a blessing not only for you, but also for your neighbor. For in looking to Christ, your eyes and ears and heart and hands will be drawn toward your neighbor in need, where Christ Himself will live His love through you as you serve those whom He has given you to serve.

Let’s stop the silliness. The Church is not about buildings or people. It’s about Christ!