The Liturgy

I love the Liturgy! Now some of you might be saying, "Why, its so boring?" Others may be saying, "Yeah thats just what youve known your whole life." Still others may be saying, "you just really dont like contemporary ways of worship so the liturgy is the only thing left."

So why do I love the Liturgy so much? What makes it so special? Its Biblical! The entire thing a biblical way of worshiping. Now, lets break down the liturgy. Because it is what I have been using most recently I'm going to use Divine Service I (DSI)

The liturgy is broken up into three parts: The Preperation, The Service of the Word and The Service of the Sacrament.


The Preperation

The Preperation begins with the Prelude. The Prelude is a musical peice that helps draw us into an atitude of prayer and praise.

Ringing of the bells - The ringing of the bells calls God's people "to enter the lord's gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise" (Psalm 100:4).

A hymn of invocation is sung - This hymn is one of praise, prayer, or reflection on the season of the church year. We are a "singing church" so here we follow the advice Paul gives us in Colossians 3:16 "..As you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs.."

The Invocation - During the Invocation we call upon God to be with us. It shows our worship of the Triune God and helps us to remember our Baptism in His name. (Matthew 18:20, 28:19)

The Confession of Sins - We examine ourselves and publicly confess our sins. Confession at the beginning of the service creates a climate of acceptance. In spite of our sins, we are accepted by God.
I John 1:8-10 "If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins adn purify us from all unrighteousness."

Absolution - Jesus said to his disciples, "If you forgive anyone his sins, they are forgiven" (John 20:23). The pastor speaks for God and announces God's cleansing forgiveness to those who made confession. Again here the Trinity is mentioned as forgiving us.


The Service of the Word

The Introit- Introit in Latin means "he enters into." The Introit is a part of a psalm or a hymn that announces the theme of the day and begins the Service of the Word. The Introit traditionally consists of an Antiphon(refrain), a psalm, the Gloria Patri, and the Antiphon is repeated.
Romans 16:27 "To the only wise God be glory forever through Jesus Christ! Amen."

The Kyrie - Kyrie in Greek means "O Lord." It is a cry to the Lord for help and strength. In ancient times, the crowds would shout "Lord, have mercy" as the King entered their town. The church has taken over his prayer to greet its King Jesus Christ in the church service. As the people so long ago expected help from their King, so we Christians expect help from our Savior.
Matthew 20:31 "..Lord, Son of David, have mercy on us!"

The Hymn of Praise - The hymn of Praise give the congregation the opportunity to praise God and express joy because Jesus is our victorious Savior. During Advent and Lent, the hymn of praise is omitted. ('This is the feast' would fall under the Hymn of Praise also)
Luke 2:14 "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests."

The Salutaion - In the Salutation, the pastor and the congregation great each other in the Lord's name.
Ruth 2:4 "The Lord be with you, The Lord bless you they called back"
Luke 1:28 "Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you."

The Collect - The main thoughts of the day are collected, or summarized in this short prayer.

The First Lesson - The first reading is from the Old Testament, except during the Easter season when it is from the Book of Acts. This reading usually relates to the Gospel of the day.

The Gradual - Gradual means "step" in latin. It is a scripture passage for each season of the church year. It is a response to the First Lesson and a bridge to the Second Lesson. Sometimes a psalm is sung or spoken.

The Second Lesson -The second reading is from one of the epistles (letters) in the New Testament.

The Verse - A verse from the holy scriptures is usually sung in preparation for the reading of the Gospel. There are general verses as well as specific verses for the seasons of the church year. (In DS I it is just Alleluia, Alleluia. But the one in DS II comes from John 6:68 "Lord to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.")

The Holy Gospel -The Gospel Lesson is a selection from the accounts of the life of our Lord recorded by the four evangelists, St. Matthew, St. Mark, St. Luke, and St. John. Because Christ is with us in the Gospel reading, we stand to honor his presence. We also sing versicles (short verses) before and after the reading of the Gospel. On certain festival days the minister may read the Gospel while standing among the people (in the center). He may be accompanied by torches who proclaim Jesus and his word as the "light of the world" and a processional cross.

The Creed - After hearing the word of God read and proclaimed, the worshiper responds with his confession of faith in the words of the Nicene Creed. It is customary for the Nicene Creed to be spoken when Holy Communion is celebrated and on major festivals. The Apostles' Creed is used at other times.
1 Corinthians 15:1 "Now, brothers, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, which you received and on which you have taken your stand."

The Hymn of the Day - This hymn follows the theme of the readings and set the stage for the sermon.

The Sermon - The Pastor proclaims God's Word. He stresses both what God demands of us (the Law) and what God does for us through Jesus Christ (the Gospel).

The Offering - The gifts of God's people are a response to God's blessings "as God has prospered them" (1 Corinthians 16:2). Our offerings are for the support of the church. They enable the church to provide the written and spoken word of God, Christian education, and pastoral care, food, clothing, shelter, and a helping hand to those in need.

The Offertory - As the offerings are brought to the Lord's table, the worshipers sing the offertory to express gratitude for all God's blessings, dedicate themselves to God, and request His continued blessings.
Pslam 51:10-12 "Create in me a pure heart O God and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation adn grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me."

The Prayers - This prayer in the service follows the directive of the Apostle Paul to young Timothy, a pastor: "I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone - for Kings and all those in authority, that we may live in peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness." I Tim 2:1-2


The Service of Holy Communion

The Preface - Preface means "introduction." The pastor and people get ready to celebrate the Holy Meal by greeting each other and with an exhortation as how to celebrate the meal.
Lamentations 3:41 "Let us lift up our heartsand our hands to God in heaven"

The Common Preface - These words state why we should give thanks using words and ideas appropriate for the season of the church year.

The Sanctus - Sanctus is Latin meaning "Holy." The Sanctus contains words from Isaiah's vision of God (Isaiah 6:3) and the crowd's response on Palm Sunday when Jesus entered the city of Jerusalem (Matthew 21:9). We join them in spirit by singing their words as we anticipate Christ’s coming in the sacrament.

The Lord's Prayer - We pray to God as our Father using the prayer he taught us. (Matthew 6:9ff)

The Words of Institution - The pastor speak/chants the words which Jesus spoke when He instituted the Supper with His disciples in the Upper Room. With these words the bread and wine are consecrated, that is, set apart for God's use in the special meal. (1 Corinthians 11:23-26; Matthew 26:26-28; Mark 14:22-24; Luke 22:19-20.)

The Peace - The greetings of peace which Jesus spoke on the first Easter is shared before we approach the altar to receive Him. In the Lord's Supper, the body and blood of Christ are truly present in, with, and under the bread and wine. ( John 14:27; John 20:19-21.)

The Agnus Dei - Agnus Dei is a Latin phrase meaning "Lamb of God." John the Baptist spoke these words as he pointed to Jesus coming toward him (John 1:29). As Christ comes to us in the Holy Supper, we recognize him as the Lamb of God sacrificed for us to free us from the bondage of sin and death.

The Administration of the Supper - As we kneel at the Lord's Table, the pastor invites us, "Take, eat; this is the true body of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, given into death for your sins. Take, drink, this is the true blood of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, shed for the forgiveness of your sins." After we receive the Sacrament we hear the comforting words spoken by the pastor, "The body and blood of our Lord strengthen and preserve you in the true faith to life everlasting." We respond, "Amen," for this is our sincere desire. Its is a good practice to offer a silent prayer of thanks when we return to our pews. While the meal is being distributed, the congregation and/or the choir sing hymns.

The Post-Communion Canticle - "Lord, now let Your servant go in peace," or an appropriate hymn is sung. The purpose is to offer our thanks and express our faith in what God has done for us and promised to do for us in the future.
Luke 2:29- 32 "Sovereign Lord, as you have promised, you now dismiss your servant in peace. For my eyes have seen your salvation, which you have prepared in the sight of all people, a light for the revelation to the Gentiles and for glory to your people Isreal."

Post-Communion Collect - Once again we express our appreciation to our gracious God for giving us this Holy Meal through Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior.
Psalms 107:1 "Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good his love endures forever"

The Benidiction - The benediction spoken by the pastor is the Aaronic benediction, the blessing God first gave to Aaron and the other priests to speak to thew people of Israel. Jesus Christ, our High Priest, has come to us in a special way through this Holy Meal. The blessing is God's promise that Christ will go with us as we leave the church and return to the world to serve Him. We sing "Amen" to affirm the blessing; "So be it -- it is true!" (Numbers 6:23-27)



So there you have it the Liturgy, the biblical way to worship. I would add a hymn but I doubt that many of you have even made it this far.

To Anonymous Commenters

If you wish to comment, please do. I just ask that you put your name to it. If you dont have a blog, or use the other option, I dont remember what it is exactly, I think you can have your name and web site/email, If you comment 'anonymously' please at least put your name at the end of the comment. You will not be ridiculed (no matter who it is) so long as your comment remains in good taste and is respectful to me and my readers. Feel free to disagree! It brings discussion and helps me to expand my thoughts. Matthew 18 may also be something good to read.

Thank you and Goodnight.

Early Monday Hymn

Well im very bored. So I was looking through they hymnal and I thought I would post this hymn.

Our Father, Thou in Heaven Above

1. Our Father, Thou in heaven above,
Who biddest us to dwell in love,
As brethren of one family,
To cry in every need to Thee,
Teach us no thoughtless word to say,
But from our inmost heart to pray.

2. Thy name be hallowed. Help us, Lord,
In purity to keep Thy Word,
That to the glory of thy name
We walk before Thee free from blame.
Let no false doctrine us pervert;
All poor, deluded souls convert.

3. Thy kingdom come. Thine let it be
In time and in eternity.
Let Thy good Spirit e'er be nigh
Our hearts with graces to supply.
Break Satan's power, defeat his rage;
Preserve Thy Church from age to age.

4. Thy gracious will on earth be done
As 'tis in heaven before Thy throne;
Obedience in our weal and woe
And patience in all grief bestow.
Curb flesh and blood and every ill
That sets itself against Thy will.

5. Give us this day our daily bread
And let us all be clothed and fed.
From war and strife be our Defense,
From famine and from pestilence,
That we may live in godly peace,
Free from all care and avarice.

6. Forgive our sins, Lord, we implore,
Remove from us their burden sore,
As we their trespasses forgive
Who by offenses us do grieve.
Thus let us dwell in charity
And serve our brother willingly.

7. Into temptation lead us not.
When evil foes against us plot
And vex our souls on every hand,
Oh, give us strength that we may stand
Firm in the faith, a well-armed host,
Through comfort of the Holy Ghost!

8. From evil, Lord, deliver us;
The times and days are perilous.
Redeem us from eternal death,
And when we yield our dying breath,
Console us, grant us calm release,
And take our souls to Thee in peace.

9. Amen, that is, So shall it be.
Confirm our faith and hope in Thee
That we may doubt not, but believe
What here we ask we shall receive.
Thus in Thy name and at Thy word
We say: Amen. Oh, hear us, Lord! Amen.

Translations

Well, a translation of the bible has been brought to my attention. "The Message" is overall a pretty liberal translation of the bible. A couple verses in John were shared with me from this translation.

John 4:23-24 (The Message)
"23 But the time is coming--it has, in fact, come--when what you're called will not matter and where you go to worship will not matter.

"It's who you are and the way you live that count before God. Your worship must engage your spirit in the pursuit of truth. That's the kind of people the Father is out looking for: those who are simply and honestly themselves before him in their worship. 24 God is sheer being itself--Spirit. Those who worship him must do it out of their very being, their spirits, their true selves, in adoration."

Hm.... "when what you're called will not matter and where you go to worship will not matter. 'It's who you are and the way you live that count before God.'" Interesting isnt it.

How about the same verses from the ESV and NIV

John 4:23-24 (NIV)
"23 Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. 24 God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth."

John 4:23-24 (ESV)
"23 But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship him. 24 God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.”

I put both of those in there even though they are basically the same, because the ESV most people would say is one of the closest translations to the Greek, and the NIV is probably what many of you are most familiar with. Either way I think you can see that there are some things that have been added to "The Message" translation. I just found that interesting.

Revelation 22:18-19 (ESV)
"18 I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: if anyone adds to them, God will add to him the plagues described in this book, 19 and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God will take away his share in the tree of life and in the holy city, which are described in this book."

LW 344

1. Lord Jeus Christ, will you not stay?
It is now toward the end of day.
Oh, let your Word, that saving light,
Shine forth undimmed into the night.

2. Rekindle for this endtime stress
Faith's ancient strength and steadfastness
That we keep pure till life is spent
Your holy Word and Sacrament.

3. To hoope grown dim, To hearts turned cold
Speak tongues of fire and make us bold
To shine your Word of Saving grace
Into each dark and loveless place.

4. May glorious truths that we have heard,
The bright lance of your mighty Word,
Spurn Satan that your Church be strang.
Bold, unified in act and song.

5. Restrain, O Lord, the human pride
That seeks to thrust your truth aside
Or with some man-made thoughts or things
Would dim the words your Spirit sings.

6. The cause is yours, the glory too,
Then hear us, Lord, and keep us true,
Your Word alone our heart's defense,
The Church's glorious confidence.

The Feast of the Epiphany

The riddles of the soothsayers
And the diviner Balaam are now fulfilled.
For a star has dawned from Jacob,
Leading the Magi, Persian kings bringing gifts,
To the Sun of Glory.

The error of Persia has ceased,
For stargazers, kings of the East,
Bring gifts to Christ the King of all at His birth:
God, frankincense, and myrhh.
Bless Him, O children, and praise Him, O priests,
Exalt Him, O people, throughout the ages.

Hymn for Compline at the prefeast of the Nativity from Thomas Hopko, The Winter Pascha (St. Vladimir's Seminary Press, 1997), p. 127

1. O God of God, O Light of Light,
Thou Prince of Peace, Thou King of kings!
To Thee where angels know no night
The song of praise forever rings.
To Him who sits upon the throne,
The Lamb once slain for sinful men,
Be honor, might, all by Him won,
Glory and praise! Amen, Amen.

2. Deep in the prophets' sacred page,
Grand in the poets' winged word,
Slowly in type, from age to age,
Nations beheld their coming Lord,
Till through the deep Judean night
Rang out the song Good will to men!
Hymned by the first-born sons of light,
Reechoed now, Good will! Amen.

3. That life of truth, those deeds of love,
That death of pain, mid hate and scorn,
These all are past, and now above
He reigns our King, once crowned with thorn.
Lift up your heads, ye heavenly gates;
So sang His hosts, unheard by men;
Lift up your heads, for you He waits.
We lift them up. Amen, Amen.

4. Nations afar, in ignorance deep,
Isles of the sea, where darkness lay,
These hear His voice, they wake from sleep,
And throng with joy the upward way.
They cry with us, Send forth Thy light,
O Lamb, once slain for sinful men;
Burst Satan's bonds, O God of might;
Set all men free! Amen, Amen.

5. Sing to the Lord a glorious song,
Sing to His name, His love forthtell;
Sing on, heaven's host, His praise prolong;
Sing, ye who now on earth do dwell:
Worthy the Lamb for sinners slain;
From angels praise and thanks from men;
Worthy the Lamb, enthroned to reign,
Glory and power! Amen, Amen.

TLH 132

New Year, Christmas, and the Kantorei

First of all, I hope your New Year is off to a great start. My has been relaxing so far but exams are just around the corner. Im not a big New years resolution maker so i dont have any to post for you.

Christmas, its been a relaxing one havent really done much. Christmas is still going on for the next 3 days. Until Epiphany (The Gentile Christmas) Probably will post something on the 6th or 7th on Epiphany. So a continuing Blessed Christmas to you all. Which kind of brings me to my next topic.

The Kantorei! I was priveliged enough to go listen to the Concordia Theological Seminary, of Fort Wayne, Kantorei at St. Stevens, tonight. If I said they were amazing that would be an understatement. It started off with my favorite hymn, "Of the Father's Love Begotten" First verse wasa solo which was amazing then slowly more and more was added. 2nd verse oo's from the rest of the choir. 3 first was in 4 part harmony. then the congregation came in on the fifth and sixth verse. This was the processional hymn. So the Kantorei processed in with Handbells. The Crucifix stopped in the middle of the church for about a verse so the Kantorei was surrounding the congregation. We went through the Evening prayer liturgy. Then there were 4 bible lessons seperated by hymns. Jesus Has Come and the Nunc Dimittis being some of the best. Overall I think that will be a definate high-point of my year.

Now its time to make sure I have things together for tomorrow because I have to wake up at an ungodly hour again. But how bout a christmas hymn to make this post a long one?

A Great and Mighty wonder
Our Christmas festal brings:
On earth a lowly infant,
Behold the King of kings!

The Word is made incarnate,
Descending from on high;
And cherubim sing anthems
To shepherds from the sky.

While thus they sing your Monarch,
Those bright angelic bands,
Rejoice, ye vales and mountains!
Ye oceans, clap your hands!

Since all He comes to ransom,
By all be He adored;
The Infant born in Bethlehem,
The Savior and the Lord!

And idol forms shall perish,
And error shall decay,
And Christ shall wield His scepter,
Our Lord and God for aye.