Thoughts on the Divine Service
15. Responses
Dear friends,
Fair warning: this coming November 15, the Old Testament reading is Zephaniah 1:7-16, which concludes with this declaration about the Lord’s coming: “A day of wrath is that day, a day of distress and anguish, a day of ruin and devastation, a day of darkness and gloom, a day of clouds and thick darkness, a day of trumpet blast and battle cry against the fortified cities and against the lofty battlements.”
Once I finish reading this, I will say, “This is the Word of the Lord.”
You will then respond, “Thanks be to God.”
I must admit that this moment will give me a bit of amusement as I wonder if you know why you just said that. It might be that you are thankful because you’re very pro-anguish, ruin, devastation and darkness; but I’m guessing that this is not the case. It might be because you got to daydreaming about the imagery in the text, and so you said “Thanks be to God” reflexively because everybody else was saying it. It might be because, since we always say, “Thanks be to God” after the first two readings that there must be a good reason for saying it, even if you’re not completely sure what it is.
So … why do we say “Thanks be to God” at the end of the Old Testament and Epistle readings? (Even when they’re about darkness, gloom and devastation?) There are a couple of good reasons that I’d like to highlight.
First, you’re saying “Thanks be to God” in response to “This is the Word of the Lord” because the Lord preserves His Word among us to be heard. Where the Word of the Lord is present, the Lord Himself is present to move sinners to repentance and to give them forgiveness, life and salvation. Where the Word is not present, God is not at work to save. That’s why we’re always thankful to hear God’s living, active Word.
Second, you’re saying, “Amen” or “Let it be so” to the portion of God’s Word that you have heard. God’s Word is sometimes difficult for sinners to hear; but trusting that the Lord is holy and righteous, we trust that His Word and ways are right even if we don’t understand them or like them. If you don’t feel thankful that the Day of the Lord in Zephaniah 1 involves distress and anguish, it doesn’t mean there’s something wrong with you. It may well be because you mourn the wages of sin and don’t delight in trouble for others. In these things, you reflect the Lord Himself, who desires all to be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth. (His judgment of sinners, a la Zephaniah 1, is called His alien work. He has no wish to condemn the wicked, but still acts justly towards the impenitent.)
The responses for the Gospel reading are a little bit different. When I announce the reading, you respond, “Glory to You, O Lord;” and at the end, you say, “Praise to You, O Christ.” The Gospel reading gets special responses because it’s in the four Gospels that we hear Jesus Himself speaking and acting for our salvation. The same Jesus—the Word made flesh—is present in the Word proclaimed, and so we bracket the Gospel reading by giving Him glory and praise. These phrases express the same as “Thanks be to God:” we rejoice that the Lord preserves His Word among us, for so He is present among us. What joy!