Ever wonder why we Lutherans use the form of worship we do? In this series we have examined the depth and meaning of the various elements of our Lutheran worship service.
This is the final article of the series.
How do we end our worship time with God in a meaningful way? It is customary to close our church services with the singing of a hymn. Interestingly, the orders of service in some recent hymnals have attempted to remove the closing hymn and end with the Benediction instead. While there may be something to be said for ending with God’s blessing in this way, it has not proved to be popular with congregations.
As it turns out, people want to conclude their worship as they began it—with singing. They want one last opportunity to thank, praise, listen, petition, or reflect before they leave. A closing hymn can effectively do any or all of these.
For thanking God, any number of hymns are especially suitable. Perhaps the most famous would be Martin Rinkart’s Now Thank We All Our God (TLH 36), which gives thanks for God’s tender care of us “from our mother’s arms” until now.
For praising God, there is no shortage of choices, many of them familiar favorites such as Praise to the Lord the Almighty (TLH 39), Oh, That I Had a Thousand Voices (TLH 30), or (especially for evening services) All Praise to Thee, My God, This Night (TLH 558).
For listening once again to the Word of God, a closing hymn can be chosen which reflects a prominent Biblical teaching from the service that day. For hearing about prayer there is What a Friend We Have in Jesus (TLH 457). For a life of sanctification there is Let Us Ever Walk with Jesus (TLH 409). For justification by faith there is Luther’s famous Dear Christians, One and All Rejoice (TLH 387). For forgiveness at the cross there is Just as I Am without One Plea (TLH 388). There are many more hymns that do a good job teaching Biblical truth. It is the particular heritage of the Lutheran Church that we have hymns which actually proclaim the Word of God and are therefore “useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness.” (2 Timothy 3:16 NIV)
For petitioning God (making requests of Him), the English hymn writer John Ellerton (1826-1893) wrote several beloved hymns for the close of a service. They are Savior, Again to Thy Dear Name We Raise (TLH 47) and The Day You Gave Us, Lord, Is Ended (WS 796). Many others hymns are appropriate for petitioning God as well, such as Lord, Dismiss Us with Thy Blessing (TLH 50), Now May He Who from the Dead (TLH 51), and Abide, O Dearest Jesus (TLH 53). Read some of these hymns and consider what you are asking of God as you leave church singing them.
For reflection there are quieter hymns that lead our thoughts toward peace in Christ, helping us meditate on our salvation. Classic hymns of reflection would be God Loved the World So that He Gave (TLH 245) and Jesus, Lead Thou On (TLH 410).
When your pastor chooses the closing hymn for your worship service, be aware that he does not choose it randomly. He has, almost always, one of these five purposes in mind. Further, the closing hymn will often include thoughts or references connected to the sermon, Scripture readings, or theme of the day, providing a mental summary of the service and helping you to take it with you out the door into the world.
What is your favorite closing hymn? If you’re like me, you have more than one. It depends on the Sunday, the season, the thoughts in my mind that day, and so forth. Our Christian hymns are a vast treasure the Lord uses to build up our faith and strengthen our lives in Him.
People want to conclude their worship as they began it—with singing. They want one last opportunity to thank, praise, listen, petition, or reflect before they leave.
is a professor at Immanuel Lutheran College in Eau Claire, Wisconsin.
