Worship Is More Than a Song!Näide

Day 2 : Worship Reveals What We Believe

There’s an old saying in Latin from early church history: Lex Orandi, Lex Credendi which means “the way we pray shapes what we believe.” One of the great theologians, Father Aidan Kavanagh, said that “worship is where we truly learn what our faith is about. It’s not just a routine we do every Sunday, it’s how God shapes us”. Another great theologian, Alexander Schmemann, said something very powerful: “Worship shows us what our faith really means.”

In other words, if you want to understand what a church believes, don’t just read their doctrinal statements; observe how they worship. For instance, in the majority of the Baptist churches, the services emphasize personal faith, new life, and salvation through Jesus Christ. So, the songs, sermons, and prayers reflect that focus. In Catholic traditions, the Mass centers on communion, receiving the body and blood of Christ, which shows how deeply they believe in the presence of Christ through the Eucharist. Apostle Paul connects Scripture, worship, and belief, and says they are intertwined in Colossians 3:16. What we sing and pray together shapes how we see God, ourselves, and the world. If we only sing about miracles and blessings, we may forget that God is also holy. If we never pray prayers of repentance, we may start to assume we don’t need God’s grace.

In the Old Testament, worship included sacrifices, feasts, and rituals that reminded Israel of who God was and what He had done. For example, the Passover wasn't just a meal; it was a ritual that taught every generation about God’s deliverance (Exodus 12:24-27). In the New Testament, the early church modeled this in Acts 2:42. Their worship life reflected their beliefs in the resurrection, community, and the presence of Jesus. That’s why Schmemann called worship the Church’s “primary theology” (theologia prima in Latin). This simply means that before we ever write theology books or have debates about doctrine, the very first and most important way we declare our faith is through our worship. The songs we sing, the prayers we pray, the Scriptures we read, the sacraments, we practice; they all reveal what we truly believe about God.

Reflection:
When you think about the songs and prayers you repeat most often, what picture of God do they give you?

Prayer:
Lord, let my worship be more than tradition. Shape my beliefs through every song, prayer, and act of praise. Let my heart and mind align with Your truth. Amen