WORSHIP NOTES
Volume 21, No. 6 (June 2026)
One of the most precious New Testament truths, one which the writer of Hebrews develops at some length, is the fact that in Jesus Christ a holy, transcendent God has come close. Theologians speak of his immanence, or nearness, as contrasted with His transcendence. (Of course, both are perfectly true of God without contradiction.)
When Martin Luther translated the Bible into German for the first time, he made a profound theological point along these lines, simply by his choice of pronouns. The German language has two different pronouns for the second-person singular (“you” in English): an informal/familiar one (Du) and a formal/polite one (Sie). The polite form is used in addressing everyone but one’s own family members and closest friends. Yet Luther used the familiar form in his translation when God was being addressed!! There is a world of New Testament theology embedded in that single grammatical decision. (Even the “Thee’s” and “Thou’s” of the King James Version, while some find them a little stilted and stuffy today, were actually the familiar second-person pronouns in the English of its day.)
We live in a day when in many churches, not to mention in society as a whole, people have sought to throw off what they consider to be outmoded and stifling formality, and have opted for more relaxed, informal forms, practices, dress, etc. The worship and music likewise reflect a more relational age, and the immanence of God is valued and invoked. In many ways this is a healthy departure from a lifeless traditionalism where God is admired from afar but kept at a distance. God has come near in Jesus Christ; we are his children, Christ is our brother. And he does look on the heart, not on the outward appearance.
But I’m curious about the consistency of those who advocate most strongly utter informality in worship. What if a president or a king were coming to their house for dinner? I dare say that most would get out their best china and nicest tablecloth and dress up a little. Or what if their child were getting married? Most likely there would be no shying away from finery and time-honored traditions. Why should we give God less? Let us not forget that when we gather for corporate worship we come to honor the King of kings and Lord of lords and to celebrate his victory over sin and death.
Let us not forget in our worship that our God who has come close is still the transcendent Lord of glory. The fact is, if Jesus were to appear in our service, he would not be in blue jeans, and we would not put our arm around his shoulder. Rather he would appear in dazzling splendor (as he does in Revelation 1), and we would fall at his feet!
The fact is, the Lord Jesus Christ is present in our services—he is close; but he is also glorified and holy. He is our friend; but he is also our Lord. We must come with confidence and joy, yet with reverence and awe. Let us boldly approach the throne of grace (Heb 4:16), but bow our knee to him who sits upon it.
“Informal” need not mean “casual“!
How simply the Psalmist (in 2:11) expressed the delicate balance between God’s transcendence and immanence as we come to him in worship:
“Serve the Lord with fear,
and rejoice with trembling!“