The Word of God for the people of God - origin?

Mike Binks

A search for the phrase 'The Word of God for the people of God' didn't give me any useful results.

I am looking find out a little about the origin and use of this phrase in worship.

Has anyone a resource with a useful article that they could recommend?

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Comments

Milkman

I get pretty well the same hits as you.

I searched the internet and there is a ton of references to "The word of God for the people of God." A lot of these have the phrase in sermons, bulletins, even books and theological articles, but I couldn't find a source that referred to the "origin" of the phrase.

Good luck.

Ken McGuire

Not familiar with that phrase. But I am familiar with "The Gifts of God for the People of God" and "Holy Things for Holy People" as statements the pastor says as an invitation to communion... Perhaps it is a modification of that?

SDG

Ken McGuire

MJ. Smith

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/589924#Comment_589924

The phrase is a liturgical one that I associate with mainline Protestants such as Methodists, Presbyterian and Congregationalists. I would look to a history of their order of worship or to the history of the response to the readings/lessons to find the answer.

Mike Binks

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/589957#Comment_589957

Thanks MJ (and others)

The phrase is 'liturgical' and I have heard it most often in non-liturgical churches (isn't that just typical?)

But I don't like words for words sake so am interested as to where it comes from and when it became part of the non-liturgical litany.

MJ. Smith

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/590017#Comment_590017

I was astonished that it didn't come up at all in my Logos library and my dead tree library lacks much in the appropriate tradition. I have started a thread pleading that this gaping hole be filled. It doesn't appear to have come down the Sarum Missal line which was my first guess.

fgh

http://archive.episcopalchurch.org/109399_15288_ENG_HTM.htm

Rosie Perera

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/590017#Comment_590017

"The Gifts of God for the People of God" is in the Book of Common Prayer.

"The Word of God for the People of God" appears to be a congregational response to the reading of Scripture. I've found it in Methodist and Presbyterian services online. Perhaps it was originally a conflation of "The Word of the Lord" (a standard liturgical response to the reading of Scripture) and "The Gifts of God for the People of God."

Kent

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/590047#Comment_590047

A Christian radio station Bott Radio uses Getting the word of God into the people of God.

Mike Binks

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/590040#Comment_590040

Thank you for taking the trouble fgh and Rosie...

I think I have a grasp on it now.

I too, was surprised that the original phrase didn't come up in my Library Search.

As you see it is included in a lot of on-line services.

Thanks again for digging around for me.

MJ. Smith

So, I'm nearly a decade late for the party but I've run into this on GoogleBARD:

[quote]

The earliest reference to the phrase "The word of God for the people of God" that I can find is in a book called The Life and Letters of Frederick William Robertson by Stopford A. Brooke, published in 1867. In a letter to his mother dated November 25, 1850, Robertson writes:

"The Word of God for the people of God"—that is the true title of all preaching.

I've not been able to find it as a congregational response before that date but I have detailed history only for Greek Orthodox, Catholic, Anglican, and Reformation liturgies. However, I have found a claim that it is used in the services of:

Methodist
Presbyterian
Episcopalian
United Church of Christ
Lutheran
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
Reformed Church in America
Christian Reformed Church in North America
Congregational Church (UCC)
Disciples of Christ
Quaker
Mennonite
Brethren

So, I would suspect it is actually much older as that would be an incredibly fast spread of an element of worship. However, several of these seem to have added it as a response in the mid-20th century when everybody was busy revising their services and lectionaries.

Mike Binks

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/1275113#Comment_1275113

Interesting - thanks MJ.

Now I will dazzle others (off line) with my erudition.

Mike Binks

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/1275113#Comment_1275113

Interesting - thanks MJ.

Now I will dazzle others (off line) with my erudition.

Sandra Carter

Good Morning Mike:

I am about ten years late to this party...lol, but I happen to be using this very familiar phrase as my sermon title and came across your question. As I was doing some research I found out in David Guzik's commentary on Blueletterbible.com the following: "Jewish rabbis often referred to God (especially in His more personal aspects) in terms of His word. They spoke of God Himself as “the word of God.” For example, ancient Hebrew editions of the Old Testament change Exodus 19:17 (Moses brought the people out of the camp to meet God) to “Moses brought the people out of the camp to meet the word of God.” In the mind of the ancient Jews, the phrase “the word of God” could be used to refer to God Himself." This makes sense to me taking into consideration John 1:1 therefore my conclusion since I don't have time to do further research at this very moment if that Moses was bringing the "Word of God (God) to Meet the people of God" and it has been adopted into our liturgies. Just my two cents.

Blessings on you