The
Divine Service with Explanation
Good morning! Welcome to
worship. We are still in the season of Epiphany, the season of light, of Jesus
revealing the will and power of God through his earthly ministry. Our worship
today will be different. You won’t see any differences in the order of service.
If you have ever wondered why we do what we do and how we can maximize the
effect of worship, today will hopefully provide you with new insight. We will
take breaks throughout the service to allow for an explanation on the parts of
the service and why they are important. Before we begin to prepare for worship,
if there are any special announcements or updates or additions to our prayer
concerns list I would invite you to share them now.
Allow time for announcements.
I will start off by
saying there is a lot of information that is going to be shared this morning.
It may seem overwhelming. You will not remember all of it and that's okay. Open
your mind and your heart to the Holy Spirit and let the Spirit guide you through
worship today. Another thing to mention is that some the information I share
about worship practices and their history may not reflect how we do them here.
There will be differences. There is also so much information to share that I
could not contain it into our worship service today. I invite you to think of
questions that you may have that are unanswered. Write them down and share them
with me. Lastly, I pray that in our worship today you may encounter the living
God in a new way, that you may receive his grace in a new way.
Most of what I explain
today will be about what parts of the service mean, why we use them and what
you can do to help get the most out of the worship service. The service itself
has evolved over time and so there is not as much historical information but
there will be some. You have an insert in your bulletin that gives all the
Bible verses that support each part of the service. Some of the words we use
are specifically quotes from these verses also.
To prepare for worship,
we'll focus on three things: vestments, the worship space, and the liturgy. Not
every church utilizes vestments. Vestments are what the presiding and assisting
ministers wear to lead worship. Historically, in the first century church, the priest
would wear what was worn by the general public at the time. It was normal to
dress this way in a lengthy white robe. When fashion adapted over time, the robe,
or alb as it is called was retained by the priests as the distinctive dress of
worship and is meant to symbolize the presence of Christ covering the minister.
More on that in a minute.
A stole is this colorful
band of fabric and is a sign of ordination. Stoles match the color of the
liturgical season and it is a symbol of the yoke of obedience to Christ
referenced when he says “take my yoke upon you.” There are other forms of
vestment that can be worn as well in addition to what you see here but I do not
have any examples to show you.
Ministers, whether
pastors or lay people, do not need to wear any of this for proper worship but
the priesthood of the Old Testament did wear distinctive dress. Christians,
therefore, retain this even though it is not prescribed by God. As a result, it
is adapted over time and practices vary from congregation to congregation. Are
vestments helpful for worship? yes. They set the ministers apart as leaders.
Vestments are intended to hide the pastor. Not literally, of course. The
vestments aim to remove the pastor's personality so they can be seen not as a
person but as a minister of God’s Word and Sacrament. In a basic sense,
vestments are a uniform that help ministers and worshipers be mindful of the
role the leaders play.
In the worship space, we
have two areas of the sanctuary, the nave and the chancel. The chancel can be divided
by a rail like ours is here. In the chancel, the altar is the focal point and
should be visible from every pew. The chancel is where ministry takes place and
becomes a holy part of the sanctuary. As a sign of reverence when you approach
the chancel during worship it is appropriate to pause for silent prayer or to
bow. Candles can be placed on or around the altar and lit when Holy Communion
is to be celebrated reminding us of the light of Christ present in our midst.
The altar itself is covered in front with the parament that is colored to the
season we are in. The color of the paraments depict the mood for the season,
green symbolizing growth and life as we follow the life of Christ and have our
lives fed by him. The altar is then covered with a fair linen that is embroidered
with five crosses, symbolizing the five wounds of Christ on the cross. A nail
in each arm, each leg and then the spear to his side.
By this time, we've
spoken about the worship space and the ministers. The only part missing from
worship at this point is the people and that is where we begin to talk about
the liturgy, which is the work of the people, the performance. Not like a
theater performance but it is the process, the order, from start to finish of
worship.
Our worship service gets
its name from what is known as the Divine Service. This is why we say “service”
instead of “mass” There are two parts of the Divine Service, the first is the
service of the Word, the second is the service of the altar.
Doing worship however we
want is not biblical. The book of Exodus shows us Moses receiving specific
instructions on how to worship. In the New Testament we don't have form in
every detail but we have options. Paul in 1 Corinthians 14 instructs us to do all
things decently and in order. There may be differences but there is always
form. The book of Acts demonstrates for us that Christians come together to
read, pray and break bread.
Looking at our liturgy
itself, by turning to pages 56 and 57, I want to point out a few things. There
are black instructions and red instructions. The black words are called rites,
it's what the people or the ministers or both would say. The red are called
rubrics and this tells people or ministers or both what to do. Some rubrics are
required, others are optional. The easy way to remember it is to do the red,
say the black. For instance, number 1 on page 57 says that confession is
optional.
The entrance hymn is
where we begin. The entrance hymn is what covers the entrance of the ministers
of the day. They would process in under the cover of music, a hymn or a chanted
Psalm. The procession would be led by a person called a crucifer, who would
carry a cross. The cross goes in front to symbolize the church following the
crucified and resurrected Christ. Then, an acolyte carrying the light would be
next, followed by any number of leaders, a choir, a banner carrier, the lector
or reader and other assisting ministers. There might also be someone called a
thurifer swinging an object called a thurible filled with incense. Lastly, the
presiding minister concludes the procession.
The hymn itself at the
beginning of worship is meant to be one of celebration and calling of the Holy
Spirit into and to bless our worship. I know that is a lot of information,
especially at the beginning, but there is a lot to consider as worship begins.
At this point, we are ready to begin our worship by standing and singing our
opening hymn, number 358 in the green hymnal.
=============
OPENING
HYMN
=============
----------=============----------
CONFESSION
-----------=============----------
Hebrews 4:14
1 John 1:8-9
John 20:23
You may be seated and
turn back to page 56.
It is good to begin
worship with confession as we come into the Lord's presence, even if it is only
listed as a “may” rubric. It draws us to the fact that we are sinners. When we
acknowledge this, the beginning of conversion takes place because we see our
inability to amend for our ways. The confession we use is found on page 56 in
the hymnal. It starts with what we call the revealed name of God, the name of
God that is revealed to us in the Bible: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. In
saying these words, we call God to be present with us and it reminds us of our
baptism, giving the opportunity for us to make the sign of the cross.
The sign of the cross is
a reminder of the blessing of who you are. When I make the sign of the cross
during the confession I am reminding you that you have been claimed by Christ
through his death on the cross. The sign of the cross isn't Catholic, it's Christian.
It's okay to make the sign of the cross for someone else and it is okay to give
yourself the sign of the cross as well. It's reminding us who we are as
baptized believers in Christ.
Anytime we say
"amen" we are saying "so be it" or "it's true." The
presiding minister prays what is called the prayer for purity for both them and
the people by declaring that God knows all and sees all. We are asking God to
cleanse our hearts so that we might prefer nothing other than Christ. The
presider then quotes 1 John which provides hope for repentant sinners.
This is followed by
silence to recall sins. During this silence it is not required that we recall
each single sin. We would never move on if we did this. Recall the ones that
are heavy on your heart and pray for the ones you are unable to recall.
We're very vulnerable
when we express something bad we've done. Kneeling, in a way, emphasizes that
vulnerability because when you're kneeling, you're not going to go anywhere
very fast and your center of gravity causes you to be unstable. We're
vulnerable when we kneel just as we are vulnerable in confessing to God our
deepest secrets and sins. It's part of that confession. Repentance requires us
to turn around. Confession requires us to become vulnerable and humble.
When you have trouble
recalling sins, the spoken confession nicely lays everything out for us. It
universally incorporates everything could have done or forgotten. Even though
it does not recall specific sins, it is healthy to memorize confessions like
this for times we are not in worship. The presider then concludes with an
absolution. It may or may not be to the form shown in the hymnal. It is
acceptable during the absolution to make the sign of the cross again at the
mention of God's name to remember your forgiveness and baptism.
----------======----------
KYRIE
----------======----------
2 Timothy 4:22
Ruth 2:4
Luke 1:28
Mark 10:49
After the confession we
move into the beginning of setting one where the presider greets the
congregation. It bestows on the worshipers the grace, love and communion of
God. It invites us to enter the mystery of God that we are celebrating. This is
known as the apostolic greeting and it comes from the apostle Paul. The
congregation responds "and also with you" but some may remember in
the past saying "and with thy spirit" as a response to return that
greeting to the minister. You'll notice the Holy Trinity is also present in the
greeting.
From there we begin the
Kyrie. Kyrie is a Greek word, the beginning of the phrase Kyrie Elieson, which
means "Lord, have mercy." While most of the service directions are
more modern, the word kyrie still appears here for no other reason than
tradition. Lord, have mercy represents the cries of a number of people in the
Bible appealing to Jesus.
You will see that the
presiding minister would now give way to the assisting minister at this point
in the order, designated by the "A".
Having just asked for
God's mercy in our own lives through the confession, the kyrie moves to asking
for God's mercy in other areas of life where we need God for a fruitful spiritual
life. There is a series of petitions for peace, for those who are worshiping,
for unity. We begin worship, we come in fractured from the week. We petition
the Lord to form us into his people. To bring us closer together.
----------===============----------
HYMN OF PRAISE
----------===============----------
The hymn of praise is
another "may" rubric. You'll recognize that we observe this during
Lent when we omit the hymn of praise. The traditional hymn of praise is what is
called the Gloria on page 59 but the LBW added the one that we sing here on
page 60. Both have biblical connections. The Gloria brings us back to the
angels at Christ's birth and John the Baptist declaring Jesus as the one who
takes away the sin of the world. This is the Feast brings us references from
Revelation in the Lamb of God, the power the glory, etc. It meditates on the
Easter victory of Christ.
This idea of a victory
feast comes from references to Jewish feasts and holidays that were actually
centered on eating. The victory feast of Christ therefore, is seen in the same
fashion. When we are here in worship, we are experiencing a foretaste of the
feast to come. Christ is saying, I am offering to you what the world cannot
offer and I am offering it to you freely. We do partake in the victory feast of
God in our worship. The food is the Word of God and the body and blood of
Christ himself in Holy Communion.
----------==================----------
PRAYER OF THE DAY
----------==================----------
Jude 1:25
The prayer of the day,
otherwise known as the collect in Latin, takes place next. It gets its Latin
name because it is a collection of all the prayers of the people for this
particular worship service. It begins with a salutation that is responded in
saying “and also with you.” Another way to think of this exchange is that the
congregation is acknowledging the presiding minister as the one who is called
to rightly lead this particular prayer. It’s their commitment to pray for them
as they lead.
The prayer of the day is
is pre-appointed. It collects the themes for worship into a short general
prayer. These prayers begin on page 13 in the LBW. The prayer generally follows
a five part structure: address, the basis for petition, the petition itself,
the reason for the petition, and finally the conclusion and praise.
After the prayer of the
day we get into our readings a perfect place to stop explanation and continue
our worship. So, before we go any further, having sung our opening hymn, let us
now continue with the confession of sins on page 56 in the front of your
hymnal. Please stand.
=============
CONFESSION
=============
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of
the Holy Spirit
Amen
Almighty God, to whom all hearts are open, all
desires known, and from whom no secrets are hid: Cleanse the thoughts of our
hearts by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, that we may perfectly love you
and worthily magnify your holy name, through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen
If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves
and the truth is not in us. But if we confess our sins, God who is faithful and
just will forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
I now invite you to be seated or to kneel for a
moment of silence and self-examination.
Most merciful God,
we confess
that we are in bondage to sin and cannot free ourselves. We have sinned against
you in thought, word, and deed, by what we have done and by what we have left
undone. We have not loved you with our whole heart; we have not loved our
neighbors as ourselves. For the sake of your Son, Jesus Christ, have mercy on
us. Forgive us, renew us, and lead us, so that we may delight in your will and
walk in your ways, to the glory of your holy name. Amen.
This is the good news. Almighty God, in his
mercy, has given his Son to die for us and, for his sake, forgives us all our
sin. As a called and ordained minister of the Church of Christ and by his
authority, I therefore declare to you the entire forgiveness of all of your
sins, in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
Please stand and we'll continue on page 57.
======
KYRIE
======
The Grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of
God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all.
And also
with you
In peace, let us pray to the Lord
Lord, have
mercy
For the peace from above and for our salvation,
let us pray to the Lord.
Lord, have
mercy
For the peace of the whole world, for the
well-being of the Church of God, and for the unity of all, let us pray to the
Lord.
Lord, have
mercy
For this holy house, and for all who offer here
their worship and praise, let us pray to the Lord.
Lord, have
mercy
Help, save, comfort, and defend us gracious Lord.
Amen
===============
HYMN
OF PRAISE
===============
This is the
feast of victory for our God. Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia. Worthy is Christ,
the Lamb who was slain, whose blood set us free to be people of God.
This is the
feast of victory for our God. Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia. Power, riches,
wisdom, and strength, and honor, blessing, and glory are his.
This is the
feast of victory for our God. Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia. Sing with all the
people of God, and join in the hymn of all creation: Blessing, honor, glory,
and might be to God and the Lamb forever. Amen.
This is the
feast of victory for our God. Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia. For the Lamb who
was slain has begun his reign. Alleluia. This is the feast of victory for our
God. Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia.
==================
PRAYER
OF THE DAY
==================
The Lord be with you.
And also
with you.
Let us pray.
O God, you know the perilous choices we are prone
to make that fall short of your desire for human faithfulness and obedience.
Without you, our fragile nature cannot survive. Support us with your Word of
truth, that we may grow in faith in the midst of our trials. Grant this, we
pray, through Jesus Christ, your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with you
and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.
You may be seated and now I would like to invite
up the young or the young at heart.
===================
CHILDREN'S
MESSAGE
===================
----------=========----------
READINGS
----------=========----------
Luke 4:17-20
Acts 2:42
John 6:68
John 6:63
A children's message is
not part of the historic liturgy. This is a more modern adaptation to worship
that I believe started to be seen sometime around the 1970s but this could vary
from congregation to congregation.
Before I explain the
readings, I want to take this moment to talk about how worship can differ from
congregation to congregation. There is a Greek term called Adiaphora, which
means small things. Because a lot of what we do in worship is not required as
you can see by the may rubrics and the additions of things like children’s
messages, we consider it adiaphora. In essence, adiaphora is anything that does
not concern itself with salvation. Worship is not a fixed pattern. We can move
things around. As long as we may space for Bible readings, preaching and Holy
Communion, everything else is not a matter of salvation and can be changed or
not included at all.
Another thing to mention
is what you might see me doing. During different parts of the service, you may
see my hands doing different things. When praying, you might see my arms up
like this in what we call the orans position. You might say it looks like
prayers are being directed upward from my palms. It is a prayer position to
show that what is happening now is something being brought to God. Another
position you may see me doing is holding my hands up and out. This is a
proclamation posture where I am saying something to or about you.
That being said, we have
now gotten to one of the three most important parts of worship. There is an
idea that we only come to worship to be served but because our worship is
liturgical, it means that we do not just sit to be filled, we have a role to
play. During the readings, our role is to pay attention. This is the very Word
of God being read and there is nothing more important than that. The lay reader
has the most important and daunting responsibility in worship to proclaim the
very Word of God in scripture.
An Old Testament reading
is not essential but helpful. In fact the early church may have tended not to
read from the Old Testament because they felt Jesus abolished it. This is not
true. Both Old and New Testaments have Law and Gospel in them. Law, being that
which creates and maintains order while also showing us our sin. Gospel, being
that good news that Jesus sets us free where we fall short. The Gospel is clearer
in the New Testament. The Law is clearer in the Old Testament. Being an (A)
rubric, the readings can be read by someone other than the presider. Readers
will approach the chancel as anyone would during worship showing reverence by
bowing or offering a silent prayer before walking to the lectern to read.
Psalms can be read or
chanted. Page 290 in the LBW gives instructions on how to chant them. The
second lesson might be called an epistle, meaning letter. But, not all New
Testament books are epistles, Acts and Revelation being two examples.
The alleluia verse comes
next. Or it doesn't. What I mean is, there are actually appointed verses for
each Sunday to be sung. However, congregations do have the option of choosing
one of the two listed. The second one is most often sung during Lent during
which the word alleluia is omitted from worship. Because the Gospel readings
are typically the very words and deeds of Christ, we acknowledge God's presence
through the reading by standing.
To add to this knowledge
of God's presence, it may be appropriate to make the sign of the cross during
or right after standing and right before you sit down. The presider may also
make the cross on the reading itself.
All this being said, let
us hear from the Word of God in our readings for today.
=========
READINGS
=========
Jeremiah 1:4-19
4 The word of the Lord came to me, saying,
5 “Before I formed you in the womb I knew[a] you,
before
you were born I set you apart;
I
appointed you as a prophet to the nations.”
6 “Alas, Sovereign Lord,” I said, “I do not know
how to speak; I am too young.”
7 But the Lord said to me, “Do not say, ‘I am too
young.’ You must go to everyone I send you to and say whatever I command you. 8
Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you and will rescue you,” declares the
Lord.
9 Then the Lord reached out his hand and touched
my mouth and said to me, “I have put my words in your mouth. 10 See, today I
appoint you over nations and kingdoms to uproot and tear down, to destroy and
overthrow, to build and to plant.”
11 The word of the Lord came to me: “What do you
see, Jeremiah?”
“I see the branch of an almond tree,” I replied.
12 The Lord said to me, “You have seen correctly,
for I am watching[b] to see that my word is fulfilled.”
13 The word of the Lord came to me again: “What
do you see?”
“I see a pot that is boiling,” I answered. “It is
tilting toward us from the north.”
14 The Lord said to me, “From the north disaster
will be poured out on all who live in the land. 15 I am about to summon all the
peoples of the northern kingdoms,” declares the Lord.
“Their kings will come and set up their thrones
in the
entrance of the gates of Jerusalem;
they will come against all her surrounding walls
and
against all the towns of Judah.
16 I will pronounce my judgments on my people
because
of their wickedness in forsaking me,
in burning incense to other gods
and in
worshiping what their hands have made.
17 “Get yourself ready! Stand up and say to them
whatever I command you. Do not be terrified by them, or I will terrify you
before them. 18 Today I have made you a fortified city, an iron pillar and a
bronze wall to stand against the whole land—against the kings of Judah, its
officials, its priests and the people of the land. 19 They will fight against you
but will not overcome you, for I am with you and will rescue you,” declares the
Lord.
Psalm 71:1-11
1 In you, Lord, I have taken refuge;
let me
never be put to shame.
2 In your righteousness, rescue me and deliver
me;
turn
your ear to me and save me.
3 Be my rock of refuge,
to
which I can always go;
give the command to save me,
for you
are my rock and my fortress.
4 Deliver me, my God, from the hand of the
wicked,
from
the grasp of those who are evil and cruel.
5 For you have been my hope, Sovereign Lord,
my
confidence since my youth.
6 From birth I have relied on you;
you
brought me forth from my mother’s womb.
I will
ever praise you.
7 I have become a sign to many;
you are
my strong refuge.
8 My mouth is filled with your praise,
declaring your splendor all day long.
9 Do not cast me away when I am old;
do not
forsake me when my strength is gone.
10 For my enemies speak against me;
those
who wait to kill me conspire together.
11 They say, “God has forsaken him;
pursue
him and seize him,
for no
one will rescue him.”
1 Corinthians 12:31b-13:13
And yet I will show you the most excellent way.
13 If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels,
but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 If I
have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and
if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing.
3 If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I
may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing.
4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not
envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It does not dishonor others, it is
not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6
Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7 It always
protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
8 Love never fails. But where there are
prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled;
where there is knowledge, it will pass away. 9 For we know in part and we
prophesy in part, 10 but when completeness comes, what is in part disappears.
11 When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I
reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind
me. 12 For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face
to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.
13 And now these three remain: faith, hope and
love. But the greatest of these is love.
Alleluia.
Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. Alleluia.
Alleluia.
The holy Gospel today comes to us from the 4th
chapter of the Gospel of Luke.
Glory to
you, O Lord
31 Then he went down to Capernaum, a town in
Galilee, and on the Sabbath he taught the people. 32 They were amazed at his
teaching, because his words had authority.
33 In the synagogue there was a man possessed by
a demon, an impure spirit. He cried out at the top of his voice, 34 “Go away!
What do you want with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I
know who you are—the Holy One of God!”
35 “Be quiet!” Jesus said sternly. “Come out of
him!” Then the demon threw the man down before them all and came out without
injuring him.
36 All the people were amazed and said to each
other, “What words these are! With authority and power he gives orders to
impure spirits and they come out!” 37 And the news about him spread throughout
the surrounding area.
38 Jesus left the synagogue and went to the home
of Simon. Now Simon’s mother-in-law was suffering from a high fever, and they
asked Jesus to help her. 39 So he bent over her and rebuked the fever, and it
left her. She got up at once and began to wait on them.
40 At sunset, the people brought to Jesus all who
had various kinds of sickness, and laying his hands on each one, he healed
them. 41 Moreover, demons came out of many people, shouting, “You are the Son
of God!” But he rebuked them and would not allow them to speak, because they
knew he was the Messiah.
42 At daybreak, Jesus went out to a solitary
place. The people were looking for him and when they came to where he was, they
tried to keep him from leaving them. 43 But he said, “I must proclaim the good
news of the kingdom of God to the other towns also, because that is why I was
sent.” 44 And he kept on preaching in the synagogues of Judea.
This is the Gospel of the Lord.
Praise to
you, O Christ.
You may be seated.
----------=======----------
SERMON
----------=======----------
1 Corinthians 1:23
Grace and peace to you
from God our Father, from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
The sermon is often
thought to be the highlight of the service, or the center around which the rest
of the service is crafted. While the proclamation of the Word is important, it
is no more important than the readings or Holy Communion. It just might seem
more important because of its length. The point of a sermon is to address the
themes in one or more of the readings for the day. The goal is to address the
sin and proclaim the Good News.
The preacher has freedom
to utilize many different styles of preaching provided the goal is conveyed and
achieved. Normal practice is for an ordained minister to preach but this is
just normal practice. If the ordained minister is not available, a lay leader
may offer a sermon.
The prophets, apostles
and even Jesus himself brought God's word to the people and so in following
this biblical witness, we also offer an added explanation and proclamation of
the biblical texts that were prescribed for the day.
Given today’s readings, I
might lean toward the message given in 1 Corinthians 13, known as the love
chapter. I would take this reading apart piece by piece and look for areas where
we fall short in living up to loving as this passage instructs us to love. I
would talk about how God has shown this perfect love to us as well as show our
need for doing better at this love thing.
I could take one of two
directions here as a human being. I could go one direction and start teaching
you how to be a better Christian, how to be a better person, by giving you ways
to improve yourself. This would not be the preaching direction, though this
would be an easy route to take. Instead, I would go another direction in which
I would say not what we can do to be better and improve ourselves but rather
what God has done through Jesus Christ to improve us and give us hope when we
fall short perhaps even before we leave this room. God does have the perfect
definition of love and he is love for us. We can certainly use him as an
example but no matter our confidence in following God’s commands, we are still
at the mercy of God’s judgment because as sinful creatures we will fall short.
The message of the sermon
should acknowledge that but point us to Jesus as the only way out of our sinful
mess, to lean on him, to trust him to save us. The idea is to leave here with
our burdens remaining at Christ’s feet so that we can be renewed and guilt-free
to serve him by serving the world. It’s good news you can take with you and
it’s good news that you will need to hear again and again which is why we keep
coming back to worship. We will always have more burdens to bear but Christ
comes to us in worship and desires to remove those burdens from us because of
his love for us. Release your burdens on him and let him clothe you with his
love and mercy. To God be the glory, now and always. Amen.
Please remain seated as
we sing our next hymn, number 776 in the blue hymnal.
=====
HYMN
=====
----------=====----------
HYMN
----------=====----------
Colossians 3:16
After the sermon, there
is opportunity to sing the hymn of the day. You'll notice on page 63 that the
hymn can also come before the sermon. This hymn if used correctly will reflect
the theme of the day, the readings, the prayers, the season, the sermon or the
festival. There are hymn suggestions for each week too in the hymnal. That list
can be found on page 929.
----------======----------
CREED
----------======----------
1 Timothy 3:16
Matthew 10:32-33
On page 64 you will see
that the creed comes next. What you may find interesting is that the creed is
one of the "may" rubrics. It is not required. Also interesting, if
you have ever wondered why some Sundays we say one creed and a different one on
other Sundays, the rubric at the top of the page instructs on which creed may
be used on a given Sunday. The creeds themselves came about beginning in the
4th century. The most popular is the Nicene-Constantinopolitan Creed. We just
call it the Nicene Creed for short. There are two creeds listed here but we
also use a third one, the Athanasian creed, on page 54, which is most often
used on Trinity Sunday. Any of the three creeds are acceptable when used. They
are not Lutheran. They are ecumenical, used by many denominations.
Using the creed here is
good practice in that it unites the congregation in one voice to speak the
faith that had just been preached. Confessing the creed signifies our
allegiance to Christian doctrine and it unites us with the Church past,
present, and future.
Looking at the Apostles'
creed, there is an alternative line that can be substituted in which we say
Jesus descended to the dead instead of descending in to hell. Both are
permissible. The written version is from the original Latin and is founded on
words stated in 2 Peter.
One issue that continues
to come up is the belief in the catholic vs. Christian church. Either is
acceptable. Some people still say Christian even though it says catholic. If
you do say catholic, we are not pledging allegiance to the Roman Catholic church.
This catholic is meant to be the whole Church, the universal church around the
world, as well as encompass those who have come before us and those who will
come after us. The true catholic (small c) Church is present wherever Word and
Sacrament are properly administered.
It is good practice
during the creed to look toward Jesus or to a cross. This is not a prayer to be
said with our head bowed, though some may do so out of reverence to the one
they are speaking of. Still, the creed is meant to be said head up and boldly.
It is acceptable to give yourself the sign of the cross when we speak of the
resurrection of the body because it reminds us that our bodies are a gift from
God and that our physical bodies will be raised in the new Kingdom just as our
souls will be.
----------========----------
PRAYERS
----------========----------
1 Timothy 2:1-6
John 14:6
The prayers that come
next are prayers that are offered by the congregation. These would be prayers
that the congregation come in with and would like offered. They would be led by
an assisting minister and completed by the presider. The idea is that the
prayers coming from the congregation are collected and then offered to God by
the presiding minister at the very end. We have a responsibility to pray for
the world. If no prayers are brought by the congregation, a prescribed prayer
may be offered. That prayer is found on page 52 of the hymnal. It is a series
of petitions that cover as many areas of prayer as possible.
----------======----------
PEACE
----------======----------
John 14:27
John 20:19-21
After the prayers we
offer the peace of the Lord. Peace does a lot in scripture. Jesus frequently
used peace to calm his followers. The ministers and congregation may greet one
another in God’s name with a sign of peace though historically this is not
required by the ministers as it would call upon them to leave the chancel,
hence the minister beginning by showing a sign of peace for everyone at once.
This can also be a time for reconciliation to take place through this sign of
peace as well, as preparation to receive Holy Communion. While also
historically peace would be shared by the kiss of peace, a handshake is more
appropriate for our modern day. This time is not meant for you to share the peace
with every single person in worship. The traditional practice is to stand in
place and share peace with those in your immediate surroundings as moving
around can upset and distract from the good order of worship. Avoiding
unnecessary conversation is also preferred so as to not distract from worship.
----------=========----------
OFFERING
----------=========----------
1 Corinthians 16:2
Our hymnal provides
freedom in how the offering is received. The idea of this time of offering is
that we take what is valuable, typically money for our western churches, and
give it to God. In other countries, goods are given in the offering in addition
to money or sometimes it is just goods. The offering has a complicated Lutheran
history. Luther was concerned about the offering being too pomp and
circumstance, being too much of a distraction especially for people who either
didn't have anything to give or for those who did have something to give but
chose not to. The offering received may then be elevated before the altar or
the sign of the cross made over them and then either be placed on a credence
table, which is a small table in the chancel, or they may be taken out of the
sanctuary.
After the offering is
received an offertory is sung allowing the congregation to express gratitude
for all God's blessings. The bread and wine and also be brought forward at the
same time as they are gifts given to us by God just as the ones in the plates.
The ideas sung about harvest and vineyard and meant to signify the bread and
wine but also represent the Lord's Supper, that this is a foretaste of the
divine banquet in the coming kingdom.
----------=======----------
PRAYER
----------=======----------
Because Luther had
reservations about making a big scene out of the offering in worship, the
offering prayer was not used by him. We use it to help place our gifts before
God that they may be blessed and given to God's glory. This is also a role that
can be done by an assisting minister while the presider is preparing for Holy
Communion. In this prayer we acknowledge that nothing we give to God is our
own. Nothing is in our name. The only thing we can give him that he does not
hold claim to is our will. This prayer helps us to do that in preparation to
receive the sacrament.
It’s time to make the
transition now from the service of the Word to the service of the Altar. Let us
stand and confess our faith using the words of the Apostles’ Creed, found on
page 65.
======
CREED
======
I
believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth.
I believe
in Jesus Christ his only Son our Lord. He was conceived by the power of the
Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary. He was crucified under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died and was buried. He descended into hell. On the third day he
rose again. He ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the
Father. He will come again to judge the living and the dead.
I believe
in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic church, the communion of saints, the
forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting.
Amen.
========
PRAYERS
========
Let us pray.
Almighty God, increase in us the holy gifts of
faith, hope, and love. May we never fail to exercise these gifts through which
your glory is revealed to all nations. Teach us to love all people as you have
commanded us.
Lord of the Church, you have called us to be your
own and to share the good news of Jesus with the world. Grant us grace and
boldness to proclaim his holy name wherever we go. Let ears and hearts be open
to the truth of life in your one and only Son. Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer.
God of peace, may your gentle reign of justice
and peace prevail around the world. Bring peace in those places that are torn
apart by war and violence. Make the walls of hatred that divide homes,
communities, and nations crumble under your powerful love and righteousness.
Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer.
Lord God, free us from all the powers in the
world that are against you; those that seek to hold us captive and lure us away
from your holy presence. Help us to call on the name of Jesus in times we feel
most vulnerable, and assure us of your constant care and protection. Lord in
your mercy, hear our prayer.
Grant that all who suffer in body, mind, or
spirit may be renewed by your healing presence. May those in need and those who
care for them remain confident that you are a faithful God who remembers your
children in every situation. Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer.
Into your hands, O Lord, we commend all for whom
we pray, trusting in your mercy, through Jesus Christ our Savior and Lord. Amen.
======
PEACE
======
The peace of the Lord be with you
always.
And
also with you.
Let us take a moment and share God’s peace
with one another.
======
OFFERING
======
As you return to your pews, we will continue our
worship with the giving of our tithes and on top of that, our offerings.
Please remain seated during the offertory and
prayer.
Let us pray.
Merciful Father,
We offer
with joy and thanksgiving what you have first given us: Our selves, our time,
and our possessions, signs of your gracious love. Receive them for the sake of
him who offered himself for us, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
----------===================----------
GREAT THANKSGIVING
----------===================----------
Lamentations 3:41
Psalm 86:4
2 Timothy 4:22
Colossians 3:1
Isaiah 6:3
Mark 11:9
Psalm 118:25-26
1 Corinthians 11:23-26
Luke 22:19-20
Matthew 6:9-13
As we prepare now for
Holy Communion, I want to explain what the altar is and what it isn’t. The
altar represents the meeting point of God and the people through the sacrifice
of Christ. The only thing that should be on the altar are the elements for Holy
Communion. Exceptions to this have come to include candles and the service book
the presider uses. To prepare the altar for Holy Communion, various coverings
are removed from the elements. These various types of covers are here to simply
help from contamination from dust, debris or anything else that could get into
them. The veil is removed from the elements so as to expose them and prepare
them for consecration. The cover is removed from the cups and the pall is
removed from the chalice. Yes, it is called a pall, the same term as the cloth
that covers a casket at a funeral service. The communion items are placed on
what is called a porporal. It’s essentially a small placemat to provide a
special place for the items to be used. The bread is placed on a small plate
called a paten and the wine can be in either a chalice or in individual cups.
The great thanksgiving is
the formal beginning of the second part of worship on page 68. This is where
the Lord will be consecrating the bread and wine for us to eat and drink. It
begins first with a greeting exchanged between presider and worshiper.
The preface follows this
call and response and it begins the liturgy of the Lord’s Supper. Each season
has its own preface text which can be read or sung. The preface brings us to
the themes of the season we are in and prepares us for receiving what God
offers to us.
We then join the unending
hymn being sung in heaven by the whole Church. In Latin, it is called the
Sanctus, or holy in English. Because the body and blood of our Lord will be
present we use the words of the angels in Isaiah’s vision of God and we also
use the crowd’s response on Palm Sunday when Jesus entered Jerusalem. It would
be appropriate to bow or make the sign of the cross during this song in
acknowledgment of the coming of our Lord.
Beginning on page 69
there are a number of what are called Eucharistic prayers. There are others
that are not listed in the pew hymnal but are available for use in the one on
the altar that do not have any responses from the congregation. Luther had
problems with these prayers because he wanted to avoid the Roman Catholic
tradition of re-sacrificing Jesus on the altar, which is what that tradition
believed. Luther thought this was wrong because Jesus already sacrificed
himself and thus we can’t sacrifice him a second time. Christ wants us to give
thanks because the benefits of his once for all sacrifice are still feeding us
today.
The words of institution
follow here. The presider speaks the words Jesus spoke to his disciples in the
upper room. It is with these words that the bread and wine, while still bread
and wine, become his body and blood, set apart for God’s use. After these
words, the bread may be broken.
After the Lord’s Prayer
is prayed the congregation is invited to receive this consecrated meal. The
sacrifice was done, back in the Bible, now let’s take our turn and eat of it.
It’s a call to the table.
----------==========----------
COMMUNION
----------==========----------
John 1:29
Isaiah 53:7
Practices for
distribution vary and there is great freedom here. People can come to the altar
rail, they can commune continuously, one at a time, in tables. They can stand
or kneel. Assisting ministers can help with the distribution as well. The
ministers will offer the words "the body of Christ given for you" and
"the blood of Christ shed for you." They may also offer variations of
these words as long as they are succinct and to the point.
Just as there are a number
of ways to distribute, there are other ways to receive. You can receive in your
hands, holding right over left. You can receive the bread directly on your
tongue as well. Being that this is a very holy moment, you might make the sign
of the cross before and/or after receiving. You might respond to the minister
by saying "amen" or "praise God" or "thank you
Father" or you may choose to respond silently or not at all.
When you return to your
pew it is good to take time for silent prayer to thank God for the gift you
have just received. There truly is no way to say thank you enough for these
gifts of bread and wine.
Hymns or music may be
used during distribution. A common one that is used is known in Latin as the
Agnus Dei, or Lamb of God. This song reminds us of the words of John the
Baptist when he said, "behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of
the world." These words are appropriate as Jesus is in our midst through
the bread and wine. Hymns are also acceptable here.
Now
that all things are prepared, let’s move together into the Service of the
Altar. Please turn to page 68 for the Great Thanksgiving and please also stand.
===================
GREAT
THANKSGIVING
===================
The Lord be with you.
And
also with you.
Lift up your hearts.
We
lift them to the Lord.
Let us give thanks to the Lord our
God.
It
is right to give him thanks and praise.
It is indeed right and salutary that we should at
all times and in all places give thanks and praise to you, O Lord, holy Father,
through Christ our Lord. Sharing our life, he lived among us to reveal your
glory and love, that our darkness should give way to his own brilliant light.
And so, with the Church on earth and the hosts of heaven, we praise your name
and join their unending hymn:
Holy, holy,
holy Lord. God of power and might: Heaven and earth are full of your glory.
Hosanna, hosanna, hosanna in the highest. Blessed is he who comes in the name
of the Lord. Hosanna in the highest.
In the night in which he was betrayed, our Lord
Jesus took bread and gave thanks. He broke it, and gave it to his disciples
saying: Take and eat, this is my body given for you. Do this for the
remembrance of me.
Again after supper he took the cup, gave thanks,
and gave for all to drink saying: This cup in the new covenant in my blood,
shed for you and for all people for the forgiveness of sin. Do this for the
remembrance of me.
Let us pray together our Lord’s
Prayer.
Our Father,
who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on
earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our
trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into
temptation but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and
the glory, forever and ever. Amen.
You may be seated. Communion will take place in
tables today. You will receive the bread and the wine, but please remain up
front for a blessing before distributing your cup in the basket and returning
to your pew. All things are ready and all are welcome.
==========
COMMUNION
==========
----------=========----------
CANTICLE
----------=========----------
When the distribution is
complete, having received forgiveness, life and salvation, it becomes a
celebratory moment again and we thank God together in song for the gifts and we
pray that he would grant us faith to use them in love toward our neighbor.
The second option reminds
us of Simeon who got to see the child Jesus in the Temple. Just as Simeon could
say his eyes had seen the glory of the Lord's salvation we can sing these and
similar words because we have seen the Lord's salvation in the meal we just
completed.
----------=======----------
PRAYER
----------=======----------
The post communion prayer
is also a collect, a collection of all our prayers and may be offered by an
assisting minister to give thanks in prayer, as we have just done in song. We
pray that as a result of receiving this supper God would strengthen us for holy
living. We also pray that we would be preserved until Christ comes again.
----------============----------
BENEDICTION
----------============----------
Finally, we end with a
blessing or benediction. One of the common ones we use is called the Aaronic
benediction from Numbers. The worship service began in God's name and so now it
ends in God's name as we offer it and make the sign of the cross once again.
God is giving us his name, so that the ministry we do in the week is done
likewise in his name. He gives us assurance that we are God's own, that the
blessings of his name, namely forgiveness, peace and salvation are truly ours
to take with us. We don't have to leave them here.
Then, to cover the ministers’
exit from the chancel in recession, a closing hymn is sung and the service is
completed with a calling to go forth and serve with the assurance of the
promise that has been given to us during this worship.
The
supper has ended, so let us stand and continue on page 72 that we may give
thanks for the gift of Christ’s sacrifice for our salvation.
=========
CANTICLE
=========
The body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ
strengthen you and keep you in his grace.
Amen.
Thank the
Lord and sing his praise; tell everyone what he has done. Let all who seek the
Lord rejoice and proudly bear his name. He recalls his promises and leads his
people forth in joy with shouts of thanksgiving. Alleluia, alleluia.
=======
PRAYER
=======
Let us pray.
Pour out upon us the spirit of your love, O Lord,
and unite the wills of those whom you have fed with one heavenly food; through
Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.
============
BENEDICTION
============
As you go your way may the Lord bless you and
keep you. The Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious to you. The Lord
look upon you with favor and give you peace. In the name of the Father, and of
the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
Amen. Amen.
Our closing hymn is number 364 in the
Green hymnal.
=====
HYMN
=====
Go in peace to love and serve the
Lord.
Thanks
be to God.