“Oh come, let us worship and bow down; let us kneel before the Lord, our Maker!” (Ps. 95:6, ESV).

Psalm 95 summons God’s people to a posture that reflects the truth of our place before Him. Worship is not entertainment, nor is it negotiation. It is humble surrender before the holy God who formed us, preserves us, and—in sheer mercy—redeems us.

Martin Luther saw Psalm 95 as a call to repentance and reverence. He wrote that this psalm “admonishes us not to harden our hearts, but to bow low before God, hearing His Word with fear and faith.” Luther knew that kneeling is not merely an outward act; it is the inward confession that God is God—and we are not.

LCMS pastors have echoed this same truth throughout the generations. Rev. Norman Nagel famously reminded the Church that in worship “we receive before we respond,” meaning that our kneeling is not a work to impress God but the recognition that everything good comes downward—from Him to us. Also, great Lutheran pastor from Australia, Rev. Dr. John Kleinig, often teaches that “true worship is faith kneeling before the Giver of every good gift.”

Psalm 95 warns against the hardness of heart that refuses to be led by the Lord. But thanks be to God, He does not leave us to ourselves. He calls us again and again into His presence to soften our hearts with His gracious gifts.

This happens supremely through His Word and Sacraments. In Holy Baptism, the Shepherd claims us as His own. In Holy Absolution, He speaks peace into our guilt. And at the Lord’s Supper, He kneels beside His kneeling people, placing His own Body and Blood into their mouths for forgiveness of sins, life, and salvation.

So come, let us worship and bow down. Let us kneel before the Lord our Maker, for He alone is our salvation, our Shepherd, and our joy. Amen.

Prayer – Almighty God, Maker and Redeemer, soften our hearts to bow in humble worship before You. Keep us ever mindful that true worship begins with You, our Rock and Salvation, and continues in lives surrendered to Your grace; through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.

In Christ’s service,

Rev. Richard S. Cody
Fourth Vice President, Missouri District