In the Lutheran tradition we prefer to speak of a Divine Service rather than a worship service. Why? Because the church service – in German Gottesdienst – is not in the first place about us serving or worshipping God. It is first and foremost God who calls, gathers and invites us into his holy presence. The Lord approaches us. He initiates fellowship. He is the one who serves us with his divine grace. He addresses us with his word of grace, the gospel; He adopts us, through baptism, as his children; He nourishes us with bread and wine; He listens to our prayers; He strengthens our faith and blesses us with forgiveness and peace. Our worship is merely a response to all that God is doing to us. The liturgy is therefore aimed at creating space for this divine encounter of God with us.