The blessing of St. Boaz to his workers, as recorded in Ruth, says, "And behold, Boaz came from Bethlehem. And he said to the reapers, “The Lord be with you!” And they answered, “The Lord bless you.” (Ruth 2:4).  Today we meditate on the Salutation in the Divine Service, that moment when the pastor, with outstretched hands of blessing and greeting says 'The Lord be with you.," and the congregation responds, "And why thy Spirit." Why does this pastor say this and why does the congregation respond in the way they do? Is this just a greeting to transition the church from singing a hymn to praying and reading of scripture, or is there some deeper meaning to this ancient greeting and blessing.

The Salutation is a blessing from the pastor to the people, that the Lord would be with them as the pastor prays for on behalf of the people, reads the Scriptures to the people, confesses the Creed with the people, and preaches the Gospel in the sermon to and for the people. The salutation is a greeting, but more than a greeting, is a blessing, a welcoming to receive the Holy Spirit in prayer, reading of Scripture, confession of the faith, and reception of the forgiveness of sins in the preaching of the Gospel. The pastor speaks this salutation because he stands in the stead of Jesus and because of this, he blessed the people with the presence of the Lord in order that they may receive the gifts with faith for their eternal benefit.

Just as the greeting the pastor gives is not just a greeting, but a blessing and a welcoming, so the congregation doesn't respond with just a "Hi. Hi. Hiya! For the congregation isn't just acknowledging the greeting, but responding in kind saying, "And why thy spirit." The congregation responds this way because the pastor is now, not doing all the work of the ministry in and of himself, but rather is he who stands in the stead of Jesus. He prays, read, and preaches to the congregation as one who is the given the Holy Spirit, just as the Apostles were given Him in John 20, to forgive and retain sin, to do the work of the ministry. The congregation responds to the salutation with the confession that the pastor isn't just some guy, but is the one placed into the Office of the Holy Ministry to go before the altar to pray, to read the Scriptures publicly, to preach the Gospel, to baptize, and the administer the Lord's Supper for the salvation of all that the Holy Spirit gathers together. Just as the pastor blesses Jesus' people in the salutation, so the people bless the pastor in their response as he goes to continue the work of ministry in the context of the liturgy. The salutation is for the further comfort for all who hear and receive, that they receive the gifts of the cross from Jesus Himself for the benefit of their eternal life and salvation.

Peace be with you. May the devil be silenced, the world be hushed, and the Old Adam be drowned anew so that you hear only the voice of your Savior Jesus who says, "The Lord be with you, and may the Lord bless you and keep you, that you may know that you are Mine forever, welcomed as a beloved child into the heavenly realm," Amen.

 Jesus' Sheepdog,

Pastor Hull