The Rite
The Hymn of The Day is the chief hymn of the service. This hymn follows the theme of the readings and sets the stage for the sermon. The singing of hymns has been traditionally been a strong feature of Lutheran worship. Since the Reformation, Lutherans have been noted for their interest in the singing of hymns of high quality embracing a large number of traditions, particularly that of the chorale. Luther himself stimulated interest in hymn singing by writing the words and music for many hymns. In fact, until the time of Luther, congregational singing was non-existent; all chanting and singing was only by priests, monks, and choir. The Lutheran Church follows the advice of the apostle Paul to teach and admonish “one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God” (Colossians 3:16). This hymn may be one of praise, prayer, or reflection on the season of the church year.
The Sermon or Homily[1] is the living voice of God’s Word today, As God’s appointed speaker and the chief teacher of the congregation, the pastor sheds light on the meaning of the Scriptures and shows how their message applies to the contemporary situation. The Sermon is not just a number of off-hand remarks, but a carefully prepared proclamation of God’s message of salvation, repentance, and growth in faith. We believe that pastors “do not represent their own persons but the person of Christ, because of the church’s call, as Christ testifies (St. Luke 10:16), ‘He who hears you hears me.’ When they offer the Word of Christ or the sacraments, they do so in Christ’s place and stead” (Ap VII and VIII 28) (Tappert 173).
Yes, I hear the sermon; but who is speaking? The minister? No indeed. You do not hear the minister. True, the voice is his; but my God is speaking the Word which he preaches or speaks. Therefore I should honor the Word of God that I may become a good pupil of the Word [What Luther Says 1125].
The Sermon was an integral part of the liturgy in the earliest days of the church, and again, came from the Jewish practice of expounding the Scriptures in the Synagogue. We have New Testament evidence of this in the practice of St. Paul (cf., Acts 13:15 ff).
The Votum: “The peace of God which passes all understanding” (Philippians 4:7) is an optional benediction at the conclusion of the Sermon which brings the Liturgy of the Word of God to a close according to tradition. In LSB, however, the Liturgy of the Word continues through the Prayers, and so using or deleting the Votum is optional. I conclude sermons with both the Votum and the Trinitarian formula.
The Offering: As a response to God’s goodness, Christians offer their gifts and their very lives to Him.
One of the functions of the royal priesthood is to offer sacrifices. These consist of sacrifices of self, prayer, praise, and thanksgiving. We express this offering also in the material gifts of money, in which are included the bread and wine used in the Sacrament of the Altar (Lang, “Ceremony and Celebration” 101).
The Offering is placed in the Lutheran service after the proclamation of the Word of God, for it is only after He has spoken to us that we can properly respond to Him. We also correctly call it the “Offering” and not “The Collection.” We are freely “offering” our gifts to God, they are not being “taken” or “collected.” In our understanding and practice the offering replaces the “altar call” of the reformed churches (having an emphasis on “decision theology”). It is in this action, in the presentation of a tangible gift, that we respond to the Word read and proclaimed, giving and re-committing ourselves to God and His mission in the world. This is why “every-Sunday” proportionate giving is the biblical pattern. In this way our offerings are always a part of our worship, they are our weekly action response to the hearing of God’s Word. Each Sunday we hear God’s Word and each Sunday we respond.
The Offertory in Setting Three, a versification of Psalm 51:10-12, is sung as the gifts are presented, and asks God to prepare us for renewed living to His glory. We sing the offertory to express gratitude for all of God’s blessings, dedicate ourselves to God, and request His continued blessings. The Words “Create in me a clean heart” not only help us to understand the liturgical meaning and action of the offering but also assist us in preparing for the Service of the Sacrament. The tune of the Offertory is from a melody by J. A. Freylinghausen. In my current context the order of the offering and offertory as found in LSB is reversed. We do this because, historically, the Offertory followed the offering. The order in LSB is an unfortunate carry over from TLH.
In Settings One and Two, the Offertory is a versification of Psalm 116:12-13, 17-19 which first appeared in Worship Supplement (1968). The text was written by John W. Arthur. The tunes in Settings One and Two were composed by Richard W. Hillert & Ronald A Nelson respectively. Another offertory “Let the Vineyards Be Fruitful,” also found in both LBW and LW, was removed from Settings One and Two, but appears as a hymn in the liturgical sections (LSB 955).
The Prayer of The Church should also be understood as a response to the proclamation of the Word of God. It is part of our ongoing responsibility as the baptized people of God to pray for ourselves and for the world, bringing petitions, intercessions and thanksgiving before His throne of grace. Here we lay before God our prayer for “the whole people of God … and for all people according to their needs.”
As has been customary since ancient times, members are invited to offer petitions and thanksgivings through prayer requests. The whole congregation responds after each portion of the prayers to underscore that the prayers are of the church, and not just of the pastor or worship leader. We typically use two responses: one is called “responsive prayer” e.g., P: Lord in your mercy; C: Hear our prayer; and the other is the “Ektene”[2] response, e.g., P: Let us pray to the Lord C: Lord, have mercy. A third form is the Bidding Prayer. This had “its origins in the prayer of the faithful from the Early Church. In offering each bid, the deacon would bring the needs of the people before God and whole Church. The priest, symbolizing the intercessory work of Christ, spoke the prayer itself, while the people affirmed it with the “Amen” (Lutheran Service Book: Altar Book 406). The prayers are concluded by saying the final commendation, to which the people respond with a forceful “AMEN.” St. Paul indicates, in 1 Corinthians 14:16, that it was the practice of the church to audibly speak such an “Amen” to prayers and thanksgivings.
“Amen” transliterates the Hebrew word “amen,” and is pronounced ah-men. “Amen” is an affirmation derived from the Hebrew verb “to be faithful, true.” Winger says the “Amen” is a solemn formula by which the hearer accepts the validity of a curse or blessing, or an announcement (404-5):
Deuteronomy 27:15-26 — And all the people shall answer and say, ‘Amen.’ [this repeats twelve times]
Jeremiah 11:5 — 5 that I may confirm the oath that I swore to your fathers, to give them a land flowing with milk and honey, as at this day.” Then I answered, “Amen, Yahweh.”
1 Kings1:36 — And Benaiah the son of Jehoiada answered the king, “Amen! May the Lord, the God of my lord the king, say so.
Jeremiah 28:6 — 6 and the prophet Jeremiah said, “Amen! May Yahweh do so; may Yahweh make the words that you have prophesied come true, and bring back to this place from Babylon the vessels of the house of Yahweh, and all the exiles.
Amen is usually translated in the Septuagint (LXX, the Greek Old Testament) as “let it be so” (genoito). “It is also common at the end of liturgical doxologies, where the LXX tends to transliterate it as amen. … The LXX sometimes gives the transliteration amen at the end of a liturgical doxology.” (Winger 404) Transliteration is writing or printing (a letter or word) using the closest corresponding letters of a different alphabet or script. Other examples of transliteration are: Alleluia, Kyrie, Hosanna, Sabaoth. When a word is transliterated this shows that it has become an essential part of the liturgy.
“Amen” is the response and affirmation of ALL the people when the liturgical leader concludes a prayer. “The explicit statements that the people responded with the “amen” suggest that even in doxologies it should be understood as a response and not simply as a conclusion.” (Winger 404, emphasis mine) The “now and forever” formula at the end of a doxology or prayer indicates that it has drawn to a close and that the amen may now be voiced by all.
In 1 Corinthians 14 Paul discusses the abuse of speaking in tongues. Here he indicates that responding to prayers with “amen” was part of the worship practice of the early church. Saying amen after prayers and upon receiving both the Body and Blood of Christ in the Holy Supper is an indication of agreement.
1 Corinthians 14:16 — 16If you are praising God with your spirit, how can one who finds himself among those who do not understand say “Amen” to your thanksgiving, since he does not know what you are saying?
Saying “amen” aloud is a response to prayer and an indication of agreement. Some pastors conclude their prayers with the phrase “and all God’s people said” to get the people to say “amen.” I find this contrived, unnatural, and unspontaneous. God’s people should know to say “amen” as their response without being told or tricked into doing so.
The Ceremony
If the Hymn of the Day, or any other hymn, has a concluding Trinitarian doxology (marked with the symbol of a triangle in LSB), all stand in reverence and Praise to the Triune God. The final stanza should also conclude with an “Amen” unless already included in the text.
It is most appropriate that the Sermon is preached from the pulpit. This gives the proclamation of the Word of God an architectural anchor. This distinguishes the preaching of God’s Word from a lecture, presentation in a business meeting, a casual or even motivational speech. The sermon is also not a break from but the continuation of the liturgy during which the presence of God is still recognized.
As the Offerings are received, instrumental or choral music is played, and the presiding minister prepares the Lord’s Table and himself for the sacramental meal. It is at this point that I go to the vestry and put on the chasuble[3] (a traditional Eucharistic vestment). The Chasuble may also be worn by the presiding minister for the entire service. I chose to wear it after the sermon for a number of reasons: 1) it is a visual cue that in the transition from the Office of the Catechumens (Word) to the Office of the Faithful (Sacrament) something extraordinary is about to take place; 2) this was the example set by my catechist, Rev. W. A Kimberley (+); and 3) this is an option set forth in a rubric of the Worship Supplement (1969): “While the monetary offerings of the people are being gathered, … the ministers may don vestments appropriate to the celebration of the Eucharist” (Worship Supplement 65).
Eucharistic Preparation: In preparing the Lord’s Table, the presiding minister will remove the veil from the sacred vessels. The veil is a reminder of St. Paul’s words that we “see in a mirror dimly” (1 Cor. 13:12) and are not capable of fully comprehending the mystery of Christ’s bodily presence in the Holy Supper. The veil is folded in thirds, and then again in thirds and set aside. The paten[4] and chalice[5] are uncovered, and the chalice is filled with wine.
Some parishes provide a lavabo[6] for the presiding minister to wash his hands. This is both practical and ceremonial. The Lavabo ceremony, which includes the recitation of the Psalm Lavabo (Psalm 26, or at least verses 6-8: “I wash my hands in innocence and go around your altar, O Lord, proclaiming thanksgiving aloud, and telling all your wondrous deeds. O Lord, I love the habitation of your house and the place where your glory dwells”), goes back to the fourth century, being described in lectures of St. Cyril. As the celebrant recites the Psalm he may wash his hands over the lavabo, or a server (with the lavabo in his left hand and a towel over his left arm), may pour water from a cruet onto his hands held over the lavabo. The presiding minister washes and dries with the towel, returning the towel to the server’s arm or the credence table. He then finishes reciting the Psalm concluding with the Gloria Patri (see here).
As a part of his personal preparation for receiving the Holy Eucharist, the presiding minister uses this time to pray the following (sotto voce):
- O Lord Jesus Christ, Who said to Your Apostles, “Peace I leave with you, My peace I give unto you,” regard not my sins, but the faith of Your Church, and grant to her that Peace and Unity which is according to Your will, Who lives and reigns one God, now and forever. Amen.
- O Lord Jesus Christ, Son of the Living God, Who according to the will of the Father, and by the cooperation of the Holy Ghost, has by Your death given life to the world; deliver me by this Your Most Holy Body and Blood from all mine iniquities and from every evil, and make me ever to cleave unto Your Commandments, and suffer me never to be separated from You, Who with the Father and the Holy Spirit lives and reigns one God, now and forever. Amen.
- Let the partaking of Your Body, O Lord Jesus Christ, which I, though unworthy, do presume to receive, according to Your lovingkindness be profitable to me for the receiving of forgiveness of sins, life and salvation, Who with the Father and the Holy Spirit lives and reigns one God, now and forever. Amen. (Piepkorn 36)
In the early church it was at the Offertory that the people brought food and other gifts for the poor and for the support of the clergy. They came in an offertory procession singing Psalm verses. The custom was to dedicate these gifts to God’s service. What we have in the offertory today is our expression of this ancient tradition and ceremonially helps us understand that in presenting our gifts before God they are dedicated for use to His service.
It is appropriate that the ushers reverence the altar when receiving the offering plates and returning them to the acolyte or pastor. When receiving the plates from the ushers after the offering the acolyte or pastor should also reverence the altar before placing the offerings on the credence shelf. The offering plates should not be placed on the altar.
In Settings One, Two and Four, LSB gives the option to exchange “the peace of the Lord” after the Prayers of the Church (LSB 159, 175, 207). This is a welcome change from the peace being shared in the service of the sacrament (as it was in LW) which effectually destroyed the solemnity and reverence which “The Great Thanksgiving” (this will be discussed in a future post) had just created. This was especially true in parishes where unnecessary disorder and commotion was created when people left their places, roaming and meandering about the nave rather than just greeting those nearest to them. This option is also more in line with the practice of the early church where the “Kiss of Peace,” as it was known, came before the offering. This was done in keeping with the biblical injunction to be reconciled before bringing offerings to the altar (St. Matthew 5:24).
As early as the middle of the second century, the Service of the Sacrament followed the Service of the Word. But the transition between the two involved the exit of any who were not communicants. They would leave the assembled congregation and the deacons and subdeacons would close the doors (hence the term “closed” communion) and stand guard. This happened before the prayers and the exchange of peace. Later they were not dismissed until after the prayers. The dismissal of the catechumens still remains in the Byzantine rite.
Notes:
[1] from the Greek homilia, “companionship by communication” or “speaking with”. Used in 1 Corinthians 15:33, St. Luke 24:14, and in Acts 24:26. The discipline of sermon preparation and delivery is called “homiletics.”
[2] Greek for “earnest” or “fervent”
[3] For more information on the chasuble, please look for a future blog post “Liturgical Vestments.”
[4] from Latin patina, “pan, shallow dish”
[5] from Greek kulix, “cup”
[6] Latin, “I shall wash,” from which we derive the word “lavatory”
Works Cited
The Book of Concord-the Confessions of the Evangelical Lutheran Church. Edited by Theodore G. Tappert, Mühlenberg Press, 1959.
Lang, Paul H. D. Ceremony and Celebration. 1953. Emmanuel Press, 2012.
Lutheran Service Book: Altar Book. Concordia Publishing House, 2006.
Peipkorn, Arthur Carl. The Conduct of the Service. Concordia Seminary Press, 1965.
What Luther Says: An Anthology. Compiled by Ewald M. Plass. Concordia Publishing House. 1959.
Winger, Thomas M. Concordia Commentary: Ephesians. Concordia Publishing House. 2015.
Worship Supplement. Concordia Publishing House. 1969.
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