“Come Adore on Bended Knee”

Newsletter article for January 2026

Christmas and Epiphany are an especially appropriate time for us to reflect on a ceremony retained here at Our Father’s but not necessarily retained in other Lutheran Churches. It is the ceremony of the Pastor genuflecting during various parts of the service. As we joyfully sing, “Come to Bethlehem and see
Him whose birth the angels sing; Come, adore on bended knee Christ the Lord, the newborn King.” (LSB 368)

What is it to genuflect? It is to get down on one knee. As a 90s kid, I grew up knowing what it meant from the movie Aladdin. During the song “Prince Ali,” Robin Williams’ Gene character sings, “Genuflect, show some respect Down on one knee.”

The ceremony is ancient, but why retain it? As with any practice, Our Father’s retains it because, as our Lutheran Confessions say, it helps teach what we believe. In fact, any ceremony that involves our bodies (how we pray, crossing ourselves, when we stand or sit) is in a way acting out what we believe.

Now, Christmas and Epiphany are good times to think about this because of the Shepherds and the Magi. Both are often, Joseph also, portrayed as genuflecting before the infant Christ. In fact, we’re told that the Magi “fell down and worshiped him.” (Mt 2) Literally, they prostrated themselves (bowed fully to the ground) before him. But to portray this instead as genuflecting echoes another Biblical passage, Philippians 2. There Paul confesses in the conclusion to one of the earliest Christian hymns: “Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” (From this passage the ancient ceremony of bowing the head at Christ’s name originates.)

What are the traditional places to genuflect? Well, the general guiding principle is that they have to with the two greatest mysteries of the Incarnation of Christ and the presence of His body and blood in the Sacrament of the Altar. There are a few places in the Matins service (Venite and Te Deum). Finally, after the Benediction in the Divine Service.

Before I take up each in turn, I must dispel any thoughts of the mandatory nature of genuflecting. It is a fine ceremony and is good to keep it around. Yet, “it is not necessary that human traditions, that is, rites or ceremonies instituted by men, should be the same everywhere.” (AC VII) In fact, in Kansas I did not genuflect, since I had not yet taught the practice there. Though I did employ a profound bow, which is the cousin ceremony to genuflecting.

Finally, this is no mandate or law to bind anyone’s conscience. It is to foster a thankfulness that the ceremony is retained among us, for it is truly a meet, right, and salutary ceremony. In fact, bowing to any degree is as much a reverent practice, especially when someone’s constrained by a pew. Why not settle to have the pastor do that instead? Well, according to Philippians 2 we’ll all do it eventually, so might as well have someone get some practice in before the Last Day.

“Was Made Man”

“The Word became flesh and dwelt among us.” (Jn 1) Christ is “God of God, Light of God, very God of very God, begotten not made, being of one substance with the Father, by whom all things were made.” He is the eternal Son of the Father. “In Him the fulness of the godhead dwells bodily.” (Col 2) This is the “great mystery of godliness, that He was manifested in the flesh.” (1 Tim 3)

All this great and awesome mystery is contained in one small phrase in the Nicene Creed—“was made man.” The shepherds and wise men bowed before Him as a babe and child. At it His birth the angel preached: “He is Christ, the LORD,” and the heavenly host sang their glorious song.

The incarnation itself is worthy of praise, but it is the “was made man” that draws out a ceremony. For He “was made man,” he was tired (Jn 4), he was hungry (Mt 4), he was emotional (Mt 21), he sweat blood (Lk 22), he suffered, died, and was buried. Christ suffered to limit Himself in all these ways. As Paul began the hymn in Philippians 2: “though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.”

It is at the “and was made man,” which was often bolded in medieval liturgies by putting the Latin in all capitals (HOMO FACTUS EST). Why not throughout all of Chirist’s humiliation? Because the knee ought to be bent in adoration to Christ alone and not bent to any another name (“Virgin Mary…Ponitus Pilate”).

The Sacrament of the Altar

The pastor genuflects at two points during the consecration of Communion. Both these confess that the bread and wine really are what Christ says they are. After blessing the bread to be Christ’s body with His Word, the pastor elevates the Celebrant’s host, which is only bigger so you can see it in the back, and then he genuflects in adoration in faith that Christ truly has kept His Word. After blessing the wine to be Christ’s blood with His Word, the pastor elevates the Chalice and genuflects to again praise Christ for keeping His Word. It adores Him, for He has sacramentally united His body and blood to the bread and wine, so that that is what they really are.

During distribution another genuflection takes place. In fact, it’s a double genuflection. The members kneel, as they are able, to receive Christ’s body and blood in deep and humble adoration. Again, there’s no law here. If it’s easier to stand, faith is a matter of the heart, and often “the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak.” (Lk 22) In fact, many Lutheran churches, including where I came from in Kansas, had no communion rail or kneeling bench.

The Benediction

Finally, I genuflect in adoration to the Triune God, at the conclusion of the service. Having just spoken His name (“the LORD”) three times, and having just been the “steward of the mysteries of God” (2 Cor 5), it is appropriate to genuflect, humbly saying, “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of the living God, have mercy upon me a sinner.” After all, as Christ says, “When you have done all those things which you are commanded, say, ‘We are unprofitable servants. We have done what was our duty to do.’” (Lk 17)

Matins

There are two placed in Matins for a genuflection or bow. The first is during the Venite. In the Venite (most of Psalm 95), there are the following words, “O come, let us worship and bow down, let us kneel before the Lord, our maker.” Seems appropriate to go along with what we’re saying to “let us” do.

The second is during the Te Deum, during the phrase “We therefore pray You to help Your servants, whom You have redeem-ed with Your precious blood.” In context, the Te Deum at this point is confessing Last Day stuff, and so it hearkens back to Philippians 2. Also, the reference to the redemption of Christ’s blood hearkens also back to His body and blood given and shed for you for the forgiveness of sins, now and at the Last Day.

Conclusion

With genuflecting, as with standing or even kneeling, each does as he is able—no condemnation here. After all, “it is not necessary that human traditions, that is, rites or ceremonies instituted by men, should be the same everywhere.” (AC VII) And yet, “ceremonies should be celebrated to teach people Scripture, that those admonished by the Word may conceive faith and godly fear, and may also pray. (This is the intent of ceremonies.)” (AP XXIV)

The reason for retain the ceremony is great! For “great indeed is the mystery of godliness.” (1 Tim 3) “The Word became flesh and dwelt among us.” (Jn 1) He “WAS MADE MAN.” With His own Words He blesses the bread and wine to sacramentally unite to them His body and blood. These are the greatest mysteries of our Christian Faith. It is meet, right, and salutary that the ceremony of genuflecting be retained among us. We confess with our bodies, or at least the pastor does, that these things are true and wonderful and that they are believed here at Our Father’s.