OUR WAY OF WORSHIP

An explanation of the Traditional Order of Service

Where lies the origin of our Order of Service?

Each church has an Order of Service; and each order of service has its origin somewhere. Some churches have a structured and very formal Order of Service. Others churches prefer to hold their services in an informal way, giving the pastor more freedom to lead the service as he himself is led. But even in the latter case, especially if a pastor remains in the same congregation for a long period of time, his way of doing it, becomes the new Order of Service.

The Lutheran Church belongs to the family of “traditional churches”. With regard to the Order of Service it means that its roots lie in “tradition”, going all the way back to the Christian congregations of the first century. Scripture, of course, does not contain a fixed Order of Service to be followed by all Christians throughout all generations. A complete, in-exchangeable Order of Service is unknown to Scripture. But large parts of the Traditional Order of Service are taken directly from Scripture. Words of praise which we sing, greetings which we speak, prayers which we pray, are all taken from Scripture itself and reflect the way the Christians worshipped in the Early Church and in the centuries that followed. Why is this so important to the Lutheran Church? It is important, because by means of our Order of Service we identify with the Christians throughout the ages. We are not a modern manifestation, representing a new church, but it is the same church of Christ also present today.

Worship Service or Divine Service?

The traditional Order of Service of the Lutheran Church is called a “Divine Service” in contrast to a “Worship Service”. This shift in emphasis highlights our understanding of the Sunday Service. The question to be asked is: Who serves whom? Do we serve the Divine-One by means of our prayers and praises, or does He serve us through his Word and Sacrament?

Scripture makes clear that God does not need our service, but we need Him. That is the reason why God has ruled: “Remember the Sabbath Day by keeping it holy”. Similarly the Lord Jesus says: “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath” (Mk.2,27). On the Sunday we are, therefore, being served by God. Our songs and prayers are not our service, but our response to God’s service, to whom indeed all glory and praise is due.

The meaning of our Order of Service

As in the first century, our Order of Service is characterised by two main points:

  1. The Word, consisting of two Scripture Readings and the Sermon; and
  2. the Sacrament of Holy Communion.

Everything before the “Word part” prepares us for the hearing of the Word. The Word part is followed by praise leading to Holy Communion. From Holy Communion words of thanksgiving guide us to the close of the service. This is depicted in the drawing below: (click to enlarge)

Preamble: Standing and Sitting

Notably in the Lutheran Church we remain seated when we sing and stand up when the Word of God is read or spoken or when a prayer is said. This is done out of respect to God.

  1. Confession

After the introductory hymn the pastor says:

        In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit!

With these words we are reminded to whom we belong since we were born, and especially since the day of our baptism. It is He who serves us and it is to Him that our worship is directed. This also applies to the pastor, who in songs of praise and prayer identifies with the congregation, therefore facing the altar.

We prepare to enter the presence of God by means of a confession. The confession expresses our realisation that we are not worthy to enter God’s presence, but do so solely by the forgiving grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. In the Early Church this confession often took place outside, in front of the church, before entering the building (see drawing above).

  1. Introit

The word “Introit” means “entry”. In the Early Church it was sung on entering the church. The introit announces the theme of the Sunday and consists of:

  1. A Psalm or a Bible verse
  2. The small Gloria: “Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit; as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever.”

The custom of singing Psalms is found already in the Old Testament and have always formed part of both the Jewish and Christian Services.

  1. Kyrie

“Kyrie eleison” (Greek) means “Lord have mercy” (today sung in our own language). The Kyrie entails a dual testimony:

  1. a) Jesus is the true Lord (In the first century the Roman Emperor was called “Kyrie”. By calling Jesus the “Kyrios, the Christians testify who to them is the true Lord of this world and the universe and to whom they pay homage.
  2. b) We need Jesus (With these words, for example, the blind man of Jericho called on Jesus for help – Mt.20:30f). It is an expression of our helplessness on earth.
  3. Gloria

The great Gloria is taken from Lk.2:14, sung by the angels, when Jesus, the Saviour of the World, was born in Bethlehem: “Glory be to God on high and on earth peace, good will toward men…”. Our cry of helplessness is answered by God in the sending of his own Son.

  1. Collect

Before the collect is spoken, the congregation is first greeted by the pastor: “The Lord be with you”. With these words the Christians in the first century greeted each other. In greeting the congregation, the pastor wishes the congregation the presence of the Lord, dearly needed for the receptiveness of God’s message. The congregation returns the greeting: “And with your Spirit”, meaning: May God also be with you as you lead us in this Service.

The “Collect” is a short prayer. It originates from an early tradition to come together before the main Service for a “preparatory Service”, called the ecclessia collecto (the gathering congregation). The service consisted solely out of prayers. The prayers spoken were then incorporated into the main service in a shortened form, originally consisting of only one sentence.

  1. THE WORD

The “Word” (the first high point) is introduced by two readings:

  1. a) an Epistle Reading from one of the New Testament letters about life in the church of Christ, and
  2. b) a Gospel Reading with either words spoken by Jesus himself or a narrative about his salvation work.

After each reading, the congregation answers with a word of praise, which in turn is followed by the creed. The creed fulfills the following purpose:

  1. a) It is our answer to God’s Word.
  2. b) It is worship of God – listing his deeds of grace and salvation.
  3. c) It is identification with the Christians throughout the ages.

The apostolic Creed has been in use since the 4th century and is spoken by all Christian’s world wide.

The Sermon forms the pinnacle of the Word part. It is our firm belief that through the preached word, God himself speaks to us. This is true even if a preacher has no special charisma. God has always used “ordinary” people (fishermen) to convey his divine message. Greetings and words of blessing spoken before and after the sermon itself, are also taken from Scripture.

  1. Thank offering

The Thank offering has always been part of the Divine Service. Gratitude for God’s saving work is not only expressed by words of mouth, but also by active contributions to the building of God’s kingdom.

  1. Offertory

In the Early Church time was made during the service for all those attending to present gifts (an offer) at the altar (including food, clothing and money) for the priests and the poor. At the same time preparations were made for Holy Communion. Sufficient bread and wine were set aside and placed on a table next to the altar.

The words “Create in me a clean heart, O God” are taken from Psalm 51:12-13. The Psalm was David’s prayer of repentance for the sins he had committed with Bathsheba. It prepares the congregation both for the general prayer (one sinner praying for others) and for Holy Communion (with the inner wish of renewal through communion with Christ).

  1. General Prayer

Through his apostles, the Lord has called on his people to make intercession “for everyone” (1 Tim.2:1ff). Whereas the prayer directly after the sermon focuses on the message that has been heard, the general prayer is primarily a prayer of intercession for the rulers of this world, the poor and the sick, and many more.

  1. Preface and Sanctus

The Preface and Sanctus (= holy) leads us towards the sacrament of Holy Communion. After having just experienced the miracle of having our living Lord speak to us in his Word, another miracle is soon to take place. The same Lord is about to meet us in His very body and blood.

This is an occasion for joy. So we encourage each other to “lift our hearts” and “to give thanks to the Lord our God”. This is also a time to adore the Saviour, culminating in “Holy, holy, holy…”, the song the prophet Isaiah heard the seraphim singing around the throne of God (Is.6:6). As we gather around the altar, we gather as if around the very throne of the almighty and merciful God.

  1. Hosanna

We do not worship a distant Saviour, but one who is always present. Joyfully, therefore, we welcome our gracious King with the glad “Hosanna”. This is the song that first greeted His ears when he entered the city of Jerusalem on the Sunday before His death (Mt.29:9) – the death that brought deliverance from death to all.

  1. The Lord’s Prayer

At a moment like this, as we are about to enter the New Testament “Holy of Holies”, we want nothing in our hearts nor on our lips but prayer. And how better could we pray than in the words our Lord Himself taught us.

  1. THE SACRAMENT

With the Sacrament of Holy Communion we reach the second high point of the Divine Service. The sacrament is not just a reminder of an event that took place many years ago. Instead “Do this in remembrance of me” means, that what happened on the cross of Golgotha is made present for the participants today. As we kneel at the altar, the Lord himself is present. Under the bread and the wine he presents us with his body and his blood, given and shed on the cross for our sins. The words “for you” highlight God’s gift of salvation to you personally. The joyful fellowship we enjoy with the Lord and with one another in the celebration of this Sacrament, is a foretaste of the heavenly celebrations awaiting all believers in eternity.

The words of institution are spoken as Jesus himself spoke them on the night before his death. As the Sacrament is distributed, we sing the Angus Dei, a liturgical prayer dating back to the 8th century: “O Christ, the Lamb of God…”, emphasising the vicarious (“in my place”) sacrifice of Christ, as God’s Lamb, for the forgiveness of our sins.

  1. Nunc Dimittis (Go now!)

“Lord, now let your servant depart in peace…” These words were spoken by the aged Simeon in the temple after he had held the gift of God, the Christ Child in his hands (Lk.2:29-32). Having embraced the Lord, Simeon declared himself ready to depart from this world in peace. How fitting it is for us to sing this song of Simeon having met the Lord in His Sacrament and having been assured of his forgiving grace. In the prayer of thanksgiving that follows, we speak as a grateful congregation, asking God that His blessing rest upon this Gift of His to us all.

  1. Benediction

Just as Jesus lifted up His hands when he blessed the disciples before ascending to heaven, so the same Jesus through the voice of His minister imparts His blessing to us. It is the blessing given to Aaron, the priest of God, to bless God’s chosen people (Num.6:24).