Matters of the heart

I have heard it said many times recently that people should participate in church with their hearts.

What does that mean?


I think that generally when someone says to do something with their hearts they mean that one is supposed to be passionate about it, to feel it.

I'm not sure how to do that either. For those of us who don't have sappy feelings all the time, are there steps to achieve to invoke a feeling to come about?

I remember as a child I did have a feeling during church, every.single.week. You see, every week the pastor would lead us in the confession of sins. Every week there would be a pause for us to reflect on God's Word and for self-examination. After I listed things like being mean to my sister or disobeying my mom or dad, there was still silence. I would wait, scared out of my mind that the pastor would say, "As a called and ordained servant of the Word I therefore forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit---except for Laura." I would literally hold my breath until the pastor was done. You know, the greatest feeling of forgiveness followed because he never once said that last part (except for Laura). I knew that I was forgiven because the pastor told me so. There is something great about having forgiveness proclaimed to you.

As far as worshiping with my heart, my heart often deceives me. It does and feels things that are not true. It sins. It is a rusty tin can. I will never worship correctly if my heart has to be fully involved. I can't even make it through a whole church service without sinning.

I can't even make it through a whole church service without sinning!

I don't think that I'm the only one who has wondered at some point why my heart wasn't involved more in the service. I mean, is it desire to have a heart like that which produces this feeling of intimacy during the service? Am I a sinner simply because I can't achieve this heart-felt state?

Truth is, we're looking at this all wrong.

The Divine Service is just that the Divine serving us. It is God giving us forgiveness through the proclamation of His word, through his sacrament at the altar.

It is such a gift to know that while my heart might not be fully participant in the service, it doesn't have to be. My receiving forgiveness does not depend on my actions. It is a gift. A gift that is put in my mouth. It isn't that God stands by and asks for me to feel something. He doesn't. He is there in His Word and in His Body and Blood. I know that I have forgiveness of sins because I ate it and because He told me so in His Word.

I know that God doesn't want me to give Him my heart or my feelings in the worship service, He wants to give me life everlasting. That is what worship is all about, God giving us His gifts.

Praise be to God that He takes care of it all because this sinner can't reach heaven climbing that ladder. Praise be to God that He came to us to die on the cross and continues to come to us through His Word and Sacrament.