What Liturgy Is.
“Liturgy” is the word Christians use for the recipe for putting a worship experience together. Some like to think of liturgy as a prescription for doing worship right. The Morning Service in the Lutheran Church is related to the Divine Liturgy (Eastern Churches) and the Mass (Roman Catholic Church). Each reflects the commands of the Lord Jesus relating to preaching and use of the Lord's Supper. That's why Lutherans get excited about liturgy. Jesus Himself has influenced the liturgy we use.
Think about this! Our form of worship has been done by believers this way since the Great Commission. “The Common Service” used by Zion is virtually the same one found in the “Red Hymnal” of 1958 called the Service Book and Hymnal and printed by a number of churches going into the great mergers of Lutheran Churches of the time, including our historical Augustana Evangelical Lutheran Church which birthed our congregation a hundred years ago. The Common Service is comprised of “Ordinary” and “Proper” components. “Ordinary” relates to those things that occur every worship day while “Proper” relates to those things which occur irregularly as a function of church year or place.
Unlike some denomination traditions within Protestantism which rejected much of the past, Lutherans preserved ceremonial acts which separate what the congregation does from by-products of worship, things like evangelism, special church emphasis, etc. Our Lutheran heritage perspective has been simple: Preserve what is good and useful in the worship history of the church, but reject what has crept in to worship which is contrary to the Bible.
Office of the Word and Office of the Eucharist.
The two main divisions of the Common Service are the Office of the Word (the missa catechumenorum of the early church) and the Office of the Eucharist (the missa fidelium of the early church). Here's the difference between them. The Office of the Word had no limitations on who could participate. In a sense, we want everyone to hear God's Word. The Office of the Eucharist, on the other hand, was limited only to the baptized. There are some things that the Church believes that only believers can understand. Thus, the Common Service which has no Communion essentially is the Office of the Word. The Common Service with Communion (sometimes called “The Thanksgiving”) employs both the Office of the Word and the Office of the Eucharist.
Technically, the Common Service incorporates the use of the Preliminary Office of Confession (Invocation, Confession of Sins, Invitation, Versicles, Confession, Declaration of Grace), the Office of the Word (Introit with Gloria Patri, Kyrie, Gloria in Excelsis, Collect with Salutation and Oremus, Old Testament Lesson, Hymn, Epistle for the Day, Gradual for the Day or Alleluia, Gospel for the Day with Gloria Tibi and Laus Tibi, Creed, Hymn, Sermon), and the Office of the Eucharist (or Offering, Offertory, Prayer of the Church, Hymn, Eucharist, and Benediction).
Goals of Worship.
Let's put the technical things aside for a moment. What are the goals of worship? Well, we want to educate the congregation about God and worship. We want to recognize the distinction between services for worship and services for teaching. We want to understand our Lutheran heritage. We want to focus on God so that we have a sense of awe and reverence and mystery and transcendence in our worship experience. We want to experience Christ in the Service. We want all of this to encourage congregational involvement in the Worship, to attain spontaneity balanced with historical form and freedom in our worship so that we can relate our worship to our daily life.
Why We Have These Pieces in the Common Service.
Is there any significance in what Lutherans do on Sunday morning in worship? Why do we Lutherans do what we do? Why do we have a liturgy? There are answers. Let's examine the elements of the Common Service together.
The Prelude.
Yes, the music before worship begins has a specific purpose. Its purpose is to set the mood of worship and the attitude in which we approach God. Let's face it. Appropriate music like a hymn can develop devotional and Christian truth. Prelude music needs to be worshipful, so that it helps us express our Christian feeling and even remind us of good Christian doctrine. The right music will help a person see, feel, and “breathe” the Christian life. Sing-ability is not an issue in the Prelude, but lyric content if familiar, will be worshipful.
The Greeting.
The Greeting at the beginning of worship has its roots in synagogue worship. A brief Scriptural phrase may serve as a corporate devotional addressed to God to seek His blessing as we focus on Our Father in His House.
Opening Hymn.
The Opening Hymn embodies Christian truth set to music. It enables the congregation to express Christian feeling and doctrine, and purposes to move individuals to a deeper Christian life. The melody typically is worshipful and well-adapted to its content and is comfortable for the congregation to sing. We often prefer a hymn emphasizing the Holy Spirit Who will help our worship of Jesus.
The Invocation.
The historic, “In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost” followed by the “Amen,” has been used by God's people as a marker of Godly devotions for hundreds of years. In “high church worship” the sign of the cross is used at this point, the words reflecting this devotional act.
Confession of Sins.
Historically, the Service actually began with the Introit with the Confession of Sins serving as an introduction. By the time of the Lutheran Reformation, the Confession had become a priestly act. Luther and the Lutheran Reformers were concerned that the Confession be returned to the people. Medieval emphases on the Virgin and the Saints were removed. From our worship standpoint, the Confession is our response to God's holiness.
In the Common Service the Confession rather than the Introit begins worship. It is an Invitation for all in the congregation to participate. Brief passages from the Psalms (called the “Versicles” and their “Responses”) are integrated into the Liturgy to encourage congregational involvement.
Declaration of Grace or Absolution.
The Declaration of Grace (or Absolution) is an explanation of God's response to Confession. The pastor declares God's acceptance of the Confession. It comes immediately before the Introit and Kyrie.
Introit.
The Introit comes early in the service. It is marked by a brief psalm or other appropriate verses followed by the Gloria Patri, and may be followed by Collects and Graduals appropriate to the Propers for the day. Believe it or not, the Introit was originally a psalm that was a choral antiphon. After the Reformation hymns instead of the specified historical Introits have been used at the point of the service called the Introit.
Here's why we want to have the Introit in our Common Service. The assigned Introits are psalms that Jesus actually sang and they quote God's Word directly. Unlike a hymn that talks “about God's Word,” the Introit “is God's Word.”
Sometimes we place a responsive reading, usually a psalm, in the Introit worship spot. We feel that every person becomes a participant in the experiencing God's Word when we do this. In a sense, we are bound together with every other believer in the reading, and it prepares the congregation for what comes later in the Common Service.
The Gloria Patri.
The Gloria Patri follows the Introit and affirms our belief in the divinity, equality, and eternity of the Holy Trinity. The pastor faces the altar during the Introit since it functions as an entrance psalm and is “sacrificial” in liturgical terms.
Kyrie.
Do you get the sense that we want to join with our Christian brothers and sisters of all times and all places in our worship? The form of the Kyrie is ancient (called the kyrie eleison). Its words of the Kyrie have been altered in some Lutheran liturgies, but the petition, “have mercy upon us,” occurs in Psalms 25:16; 26:11; 41:4; 51:1; 123:3 and in the Gospels of Matthew 9:27; 15:22 and Luke 17:13; 18:38-39. The Kyrie is a plea for help, drawn from the Greek-speaking world. It was a prayer for help in early church times. Yes, we are praying an actual prayer that comes from New Testament times every Sunday! The actual Kyrie form was introduced into the Western Church liturgy and was modified to incorporate an affirmation of the Trinity. The Kyrie now serves as the first prayer of the Common Service.
Gloria in Excelsis.
The Gloria is the church's first hymn of praise and joy which responds to God's goodness. It is our response to the Kyrie prayer. Luther thought the Gloria was very special. It probably was taken from the Matins or the early church.
The Salutation.
Right after the Gloria, the pastor and congregation share a special greeting. It serves as a transition between elements of the service. If you have been to any liturgical church, you will recognize the Salutation, “The Lord be with you,” and its response, “And with your spirit.”
The Collect.
The Collect immediately follows the greeting. It is a brief prayer relating to the Gospel or the Epistle Lesson for the day, and hence it is a Proper or variable portion of the Service. Historically, this prayer reflected communal prayer (the ecclesisia collecta or collectio) and consisted of an invocation, a basis for the petition, the petition, the benefit desired, and a concluding doxology. What an important liturgical inheritance! The Collect has been used for about twelve centuries by Christians, situated just before the Old Testament Lesson. Again, you can see how we connect with believers of the past by the form of worship we share with them.
The Old Testament Lesson.
The Lutheran Reformation Liturgy reintroduced the reading of the Old Testament. It had disappeared in the Middle Ages, but was well-used in the early Church and we feel it is central to the Service of the Word, drawing directly from our Jewish synagogue inheritance where it was present from the time of Ezra. Historically, it may be followed by a psalm or hymn version of a psalm.
The Epistle Lesson.
In Zion's case, the Old Testament Lesson is immediately followed by an Epistle Lesson. “Epistles” are technically “letters,” but the church historically has not limited this particular reading to letters only, but has drawn on apostolic letters, Old Testament selections, the Book of Acts, or Revelation. The Epistle Lesson historically may be read from the south side of the altar facing the congregation, preceded by “The Epistle for ...” and followed by “Here ends ....” Our practice is to do all readings from the lectern to the right of the chancel.
The Gradual or Alleluia.
Like the Introit, the Gradual was a choral arrangement of psalm verses, sung between readings as in the synagogue. With the translation of the liturgy into the vernacular, many hymns with elaborate choral music were substituted for the Gradual from Luther's time, although Luther attempted to preserve the Gradual. The Common Service of 1918 reintroduced the Gradual texts which originally signaled pastor movement on the chancel.
In the case of Zion Lutheran Church, we utilize the Alleluia drawn from synagogue worship for the Gradual. It comes immediately before the Gospel.
The Gospel Lesson.
Often preceded by “The Holy Gospel is written ...” and followed by the congregational “Glory be to thee, O Lord” in the Common Service, the Gospel presents the devotional theme for the day. Lutheran worship has preserved the rising and standing of the congregation as a mark of reverence, obedience, and affirmation of praise to the Gospel's announcement. The reading of the text was historically from the north side of the altar. Congregational responses, found in the Common Service, are not used in Zion worship.
Anthem and Special Music.
Think about the role of special music. It is an offering. It seeks to nurture faith and truth. Music of worship wants us to see and feel and respond to Jesus Christ. Melody is important. It needs to be worshipful and reflect God's Word. When we have special music at Zion, we may place it at several points in the liturgy, as in this position here.
The Creed.
The Creed is not a rote activity practiced on Sunday morning. Again, Lutherans incorporate the Creed into worship because it is proclamation of the Gospel. It is the congregational corporate response of thanks for the proclamation of the God's Word. It compresses the historical events of the faith into a synopsis of the Christian faith. Zion uses the Nicene Creed for Communion Services and for Festivals. The Apostles' Creed is used for other services. Historically, the minister and congregation face the altar, “liturgical East” from whence comes the Sun of Righteousness for the Creed. In Zion's current worship usage, the Creed is shared by pastor and congregation in a face to face affirmation.
Hymn.
The Hymn before the sermon has had a congregational emphasis from Reformation times with this Hymn connected with the current part of the church year. The pastor and the congregation are involved in the hymn as part of corporate worship since it builds devotion, reinforces Christian truth, enriches worship by expressing Christian feeling and doctrine, and enables each of us to see, feel, and move more deeply within our Christian life. Often we sing all verses of a hymn to preserve its integrity. We know that as we grow in grace, we will be learning new hymns on occasion, but we like the old favorites because they are the memory of the church.
Sermon.
We believe God's Word and it is the task of the pastor to make God's Word real through the help of the Holy Spirit. The Sermon follows the Creed as testimony to the witness of the faith. We understand that a well-prepared Biblical Sermon will be the high point of the worship service.
Offering and Offertory.
The Lutheran Reformation simplified the Roman Catholic Offertory's “priestly prayers” to a brief psalm, a General Prayer, and the Lord's Prayer. We still understand that the second part of the Service traditionally commences with the Offering, the Offertory, and the Prayer of the Church. Here's our Lutheran understanding. The Offering, the Offertory, and the Prayer of the Church are sacrifices of substance, self, and prayer and praise. Jesus Himself understood offering as part of worship if you think about it. Historically, offering of gifts is first, being a remnant of Offertory procession and Prayer in the early church. Bread and wine as gifts were received historically at this point for later use in the Communion portion of the Service. In the old Augustana liturgy the Communion Elements were prepared for the Communion portion of the Service at this point. A psalm was sung during the Offertory procession, preserved at the Offertory in our Common Service.
The Prayer of the Church.
The Prayer of the Church is a very significant part of the liturgy, since it is a recognition of the priesthood of all believers. The Prayer of the Church focuses concern for the world, for the church, and for all human society, being ecumenical in nature. Its concern is beyond the congregation. It does not seek to touch, please, instruct, adore, confess, or give thanks since the liturgy provides other opportunities for these activities in the Service. When Communion does not follow, the Service concludes with the Lord's Prayer, a Hymn, and the Benediction.
Lord's Prayer.
The Lord's Prayer is associated with worship. In the Common Service it is part of the Communion liturgy when Communion is celebrated. This Prayer is almost universally associated with Communion. But, when no Communion is present in the liturgy, the Lord's Prayer occurs at this point in the Common Service.
Closing Hymn.
The Closing Hymn ends the service. Again the emphasis remains on faith, hope, and doctrine.
Benediction.
The Benediction “crowns” the worship hour. The pastor shares the Benediction in scripturally precise terms without embellishment. “The Lord bless you ...” is the only Benediction definitely commanded by God (Numbers 6:24-26). “In the Name of the Father ...” was added to the Liturgy by the Swedish Lutheran Church and found its way into several American Liturgies, but it is drawn from our Jewish synagogue worship inheritance and is God's blessing to His people. The congregation stands to receive the Benediction.
Three-Fold Amen
It isn't because Christians love to say “Amen.” There is a Biblical basis for doing “Amen” three times. The Three-Fold Amen reflects the Trinity, yes, but in Hebrew you make a superlative through repetition. The word construction found in the Old and New Testaments where the phrase, “Holy, Holy, Holy,” is used, for example, describes the “greatest” God. This proclamation technically concludes the Common Service.
Announcements.
But Zion Lutheran Church doesn't let you out yet. There is the little matter of updates for the congregation. We feel that announcements, whether explanatory of the liturgy or descriptive of forthcoming church activities, interfere with the flow and texture of worship and may prove a distraction. Therefore we place them immediately after the Common Service worship experience. If there is a need for explanation during the service, appropriate direction may be given within the service.
Doxology.
A doxology is a hymn of praise. In fact, the “Greater Doxology” begins the “Gloria in Excelsis” and the “Lesser Doxology” begins the “Gloria Patri,” but we conclude our service after our announcements with a simple hymn of praise.
The Postlude.
Back to music! Just as the music before worship begins has a specific purpose, so does music as people exit the worship space on a Sunday morning. Its purpose is to remind us that we have had an encounter with our Heavenly Father, with His Son Jesus Christ, and with His Holy Spirit. The right music reminds us where we have been and what we have done. It reminds us of God's graciousness and love in saving us through the Son Jesus Christ.
Not a Last Word.
You can see why we do what we do on Sunday morning. You also get a sense that every Sunday morning, regardless of which Christian church honors Christ, each in its own way will use a liturgy to honor God. They may not call that worship form a “liturgy,” but that's what it is. And now you know why we use a liturgy out of the Lutheran tradition with roots back to Jesus Christ Himself.
Some Non-Exclusive References.
Blackwood, Andrew W. The Fine Art of Public Worship. Nashville, TN: Cokesbury Press, 1934.
Coordinating Committee of the Association of Free Lutheran Congregations. Ambassador Hymnal for Lutheran Worship. Minneapolis, MN: The Association of Free Lutheran Congregations, 1994.
Hayford, Jack; Kininger, John; Stevenson, Howard. Mastering Worship. Portland, OR: Multnomah Press, 1990.
Reed, Luther D. Worship: A Study of Corporate Devotion. Philadelphia, PA: Fortress Press, 1959.
Streng, William D. Toward Meaning in Worship. Minneapolis, MN: Augsburg Publishing House, 1964.
Webber, Robert E. Worship: Old and New. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1982.
Wiersbe, Warren W. Real Worship: It Will Transform Your Life. Nashville, TN: Oliver-Nelson Books, 1986.
