Adapted from Concordia Publishing House
Welcome to church!
Whether you’ve been to church every week for the last half-century or just wondering what all this church stuff is about, we hope that this will provide some insight into the basic elements of the church service.
What is worship?
People often thing worship in the church service is about what we do for or toward God. The reality is quite different.
In the Divine Service, God provides His service for us. God comes to us in the reading. His Sacraments of Baptism and Holy Communion. In worship, God gives His grace, and we respond with thanks and praise.
What is the Divine Service?
The Lutheran understanding of worship is expressed in the Divine Service. We follow this order not because we believe it is the only right way but because we believe this ancient pattern of worship most clearly and beautifully serves the purpose of worship, to deliver the gracious gifts of God.
The Divine Service uses two distinct elements to create a framework for our worship. Those parts of the liturgy that do not change each week are called the Ordinary because they are ordinarily present each week. The Ordinary reflects the changeless and timeless texts of the liturgy, some used continuously for more than 1,500 years.
The second element consists of the changeable texts, known as the Propers. The Propers follow the seasons of the Church Year and the associated Scripture readings. The Propers carry the message or theme for the day, often taken from the Gospel reading.
Section 1 PREPARATION
The Preparation has not always been part of the Divine Service. Confession and Absolution have always been seen as preparation for those who desire to participate in Holy Communion. The Preparation may be omitted entirely when we celebrate Holy Baptism immediately after the Hymn of Invocation.
Invocation
[ From the Latin for “call upon” ]
The Invocation begins the Divine Service with the name of God. Invoking His name orders our worship, making it clear that this is His service to us, not our service or someone else’s. The words of the Invocation remind us of our Baptism in the name of the triune God.
“In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit”
Matthew 28:19
Confession
[ … the act by which one admits or confesses sin and the guilt of sin. ]
In the Confession, we are saying “Amen” or “Yes, yes, this is true” to God’s righteous judgment against our sin. In the Divine Service, the Lord is present with us and ready to give us His mercy and grace.
If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, the the truth is not in us. But if we confess our sins, God who is faithful and just will forgive our since and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
1 John 1:8-9
Absolution
[ … the announcement of forgiveness to the penitent sinner. ]
Our Lord declares through the mouth of His servant, the pastor, that by His grace and mercy our sins are forgiven. The Absolution speaks the Gospel into our ears in a personal way. Through these Gospel words we receive the salvation earned by Christ upon the cross of Calvary; every sin is covered by His blessed death.
Jesus breathed on them ans said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you withhold forgiveness from any; it is withheld
John 20:22-23
Section 2 SERVICE OF THE WORD
The purpose of the Service of the Word is to present Christ to the assembled congregation as the people prepare to meet Him in His Word and Sacraments.
The Service of the Word begins with an Entrance Hymn. This song marks the actual beginning of the Divine Service as the pastor approaches the altar. The altar is the center and symbol of the Lord’s presence among His people. There is where the body and blood of Jesus are distributed. While an Entrance Hymn or Psalm may be sung, the most common beginning is to sing the Introit.
Introit
[ … Latin for “enter” ]
The Introit, one of the Propers (the verses chosen are different each Sunday), is sung by the congregation or choir. The Introit is a collection of passages from the Psalms that sets the tone for our worship and introduces the rest of the Divine Service, in which Christ comes to us in His Word and His Sacrament.
Kyrie
[ … a shortened form of the Greek words Kyrie eleison, which mean “Lord, have mercy.” ]
The Kyrie is the first prayer of the whole congregation as we worship with all the company of heaven. It is a cry for mercy that our Lord and King hear us and help us in our needs and troubles.
The crowd rebuked them, telling them to be silent, but they cried out all the more, “Lord, have mercy on us, Son of David!”
Matthew 20:31
Hymn of Praise
[ Gloria in Excelsis: Latin for ‘glory to God in the highest’ ]
In the traditional Hymn of Praise, the Gloria in Excelsis, the pastor begins with the angelic hymn in Luke 2:14: “Glory to God in the highest, and peace to His people on earth”. In the Gloria, the Church celebrates Christmas all year long, and we, along with the shepherds, are invited to go and see Jesus in the Scripture readings.
Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom He is pleased!
Luke 2:14
The Diving Service offers a second Hymn of Praise, “This is the Feast”. This Easter hymn, based on Revelations 5:9-13; 19:4-9, is used more frequently during the Easter season and on the festivals celebrated throughout the Church Year.
Salutation
[ … is a special greeting between pastor and people. ]
The Salutation is a special greeting between the congregation and its pastor. It announces the Lord’s coming to us in the readings that follow and makes us aware that important things are about to happen.
The Lord be with your spirit. Grace be with you.
2 Timothy 4:22
Collect of the Day
[ … is a short prayer ]
The Collect of the Day “collects” in a concise and beautiful manner the Gospel message for the day. Most of these prayers have been in continuous use in the Church for more than 1,500 years. In the Collect of the Day, we join with the great body of believers, the communion of saints, and with the generations yet to come. The congregation makes the Collect its own with its, “Amen.”
Amen is the congregation’s declaration that what has been said is true and worth of agreement, “Yes, yes, this is most certainly true.”
SCripture REadings
The church service follows a simple pattern for the hearing of God’s Word with a reading from the Old Testament, one from an apostolic letter (Epistle), and one from a Gospel.
So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.
Romans 10:17
The Old Testament reading teaches us about God’s work inn the Old Testament. There, we hear the prophecies of the Messiah who would come that all people might once again be brought back to God.
The Gradual is a portion of a psalm or other Scripture passage that provides a response after the Old Testament reading.
The Epistle shows how God’s Word accomplishes what it says – creating faith, bestowing forgiveness, strengthening God’s people in their struggles against sin, and enlivening in them hope of eternal life.
Alleluia and Verse
[ Hebrew for “praise the Lord” ]
The Alleluia and Verse provide a transition between the readings. The Verse prepares us to meet the Christ of God in His Word, hearing of His life, ministry, death, and resurrection for the salvation of all.
Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.
John 6:68
Gospel
The Gospel reading always contains the very words or deeds of Jesus. The Gospel is the summit of the Service of the Word. We recognize this by surrounding our Savior’s words with songs of praise and standing to hear His gracious words.
Hymn of the Day
The Hymn of the Day is the principal hymn of the Divine Service and relates to the theme of the day from Gospel. Taking cues from Scripture’s own songbook, the Psalms, the Church’s hymns give us a variety of ways to thank, praise, and proclaim the God who has done all good tings for us.
Oh sing to the Lord a new song, for He has done marvelous things! His right hand and His holy arm have worked salvation for Him.
Psalm 98:1
Sermon
[ … the pastor’s proclamation, usually based on the Scripture readings for the day. ]
In the Sermon, the pastor speaks God’s words of judgment and grace. Our Lord sent His apostles into the world to preach that forgiveness of sins, life, and salvation are found through Him. In the preaching of the Sermon, that apostolic Word is proclaimed among us today.
For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.
1 Corinthians 1:18
Creed
[ … from the Latin word credo, “I believe.” ]
Having received the Word of the Lord, we respond with the Creed by confessing the Christian faith. By confessing one of the Church’s historic creeds – typically the Apostle’s Creed or Nicene Creed – we express out unity in the faith, the same faith the Church has confessed throughout the world and across the ages.
If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved.
Romans 10:9-10
Prayer of the Church
[ … is the longest of the prayers. ]
In the Prayer of the Church, we pray for the needs of the world, the Church, the congregation, and local and special concerns. All those in the congregation are invited to add their voices to each petition by responding with “Hear our prayer” or with the words from the Kyrie, “Lord, have mercy.”
First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way. This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.
1 Timothy 2:1-4
Offering
In the offering, we gather the gifts that God’s people present in gratitude to the Lord during the Divine Service. In the Offering, we return to God a portion of the treasure He has given us.
Offertory
The Offertory is sung as the offering is brought forward and presented before the altar. During the singing of the Offertory, the altar is prepared for the celebration of Holy Communion.
What shall I render to the Lord for all His benefits to me? I will lift up the cup of salvation and call on the name of the Lord… I will offer to You the sacrifice of thanksgiving and call on the name of the Lord. I will pay my vows to the Lord in the presence of all His people, in the courts of the house of the Lord, in your midst, O Jerusalem.
Psalm 116:12-13, 17-19
Section 3 Service of the SAcrament
The Service of the Sacrament is the celebration of the Sacrament of the Altar. The Sacrament was instituted by Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sins. The Sacrament is to be celebrated by all Christians until Christ comes again on the Last Day.
Because Jesus instituted the Sacrament of the Altar, it is also called the Lord’s Supper or Communion. In the Service of the Sacrament, those instructed in the faith come to the altar to receive the body and blood of Jesus under the forms of bread and wine. In the Lord’s Supper, Christ comes to be with His holy people and to give forgiveness, life, and salvation.
Preface
[ … and ancient dialogue or conversation between the pastor and the people. ]
The Service of the Sacrament begins with the Preface. The first part of the Preface does not change. It introduces the Proper Preface, which changes with each season or festival day of the Church Year. At the close of the Preface, the pastor says, “Therefore with angels and archangels and with all the company of heaven.” Our worship is not limited by time or space. Every time we worship, we join the angelic choirs and saints of every age in their ongoing heavenly worship of the Lamb who was slain.
The Lord be with your spirit
2 Timothy 4:22
Sanctus
[ … Latin for “holy” ]
The Sanctus is the angelic hymn described in the heavenly vision of Isaiah 6. In this vision, the seraphim are gathered around the throne of God, proclaiming His holiness and glory. By singing this hymn in the Divine Service, the congregation participates in heavenly chorus.
Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of His glory!
Isaiah 6:3
And the crowds that went before Him and that followed Him were shouting, “Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!”
Matthew 21:9
Prayer of Thanksgiving
In the Prayer of Thanksgiving, we praise God for the gift of Jesus as the incarnate Son whose death on the cross is the once-for-all sacrifice for the forgivness of sins. Second, we ask God to deliver what He has promised and that the Spirit would strengthen the faith and prepare the hearts of all those who will receive Holy Communion.
The Words of Our Lord
[ Verba Domini: Latin for “the words of our Lord.” ]
The pastor speaks The Words of Our Lord to consecrate, or set apart, the bread and the wine for God’s special use. In the Sacrament of the Altar, Christ gives His true body and true blood under the forms of concerated bread and wine. Once again, God’s grace comes to us in the Diving Service. Jesus Himself is present and forgices our sins.
Proclamation of Christ
As often as you eat this bread and drink the, you proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes.
1 Corinthians 11:26
Lord’s Prayer
The Lord’s Prayer is the cheif prayer of the Christian Church, just before the Sacrament. As children of God, we call upon “our Father” as we prepare to encounter Jesus in His Supper, acknowledging that in the Sacrament He will answer our petitions.
Pray then like this: “Our Father in heaven, hallowed by Your name. Your kingdom come, Your 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.”
Matthew 6:9-13
Pax Domini
[ … Latin for “the peace of the Lord” ]
The pastor holds the body and the blood of Jesus before the congregation and speaks the Pax Domini as Christ Himself did on that first Easter when He stood in the midst of His disciples.
Jesus came and stood among them and said to them, “Peace be with you”
John 20:19
Agnus Dei
[ … Latin for “Lamb of God” ]
Standing in the presence of Christ, we sing to Him in the great Communion hymn the Agnus Dei. Like John the Baptist, we acknowledge Jesus as the Lamb of God.
Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!
John 1:29
Distribution of the Lord’s Supper
At the altar, the pastor distrubutes first the bread/body of Jesus and says:
Take, eat; this is the true body of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, given into death for your sins.
And then he distributes the wine/blood of Jesus and says:
Take, drink; this is the true blood of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, shed for the forgivness of your sins.
Through Christ’s body and blood, we receive forgiveness off sins, life and salvation. After all have communed, the pastor dismisses us by making the sing of the corss and saying:
The body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ strengthen and preserve you in body and soul to l ife everlasting. Depart in peace. Amen.
Post-Communion Canticle
[ Nunc Dimittis: Latin for "now let your servant depart" ]
At the close of Holy Communion, the pastor closes and covers the sacred vessels with a veil, and the congregation stands to sing the Nunc Dimittis. The use of Simeon’s song as a Post-Communion Canticle is a unique element of Lutheran liturgy. Like Simeon, we encounter Christ in flesh and blood.
Lord, now You are letting Your servant depart in peace, according to Your word; for my eyes have seen Your salvation that You have prepared in the presence of all peoples, a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and for glory to Your people Israel.
Luke 2:29-32
Post-Communion Collect
The Post-Communion Collect “collects” our grateful thoughts into one prayer, asking that the gifts received in the Divine Service – specifically in the Lord’s Supper – strengthen our faith toward God and carry into our lives an callings as we deal with one another.
Benediction
[ … from the Latin for “The Lord bless you” ]
In the benediction, the Lord blesses His people with His holy name. In the Old Testament, God gave Aaron and his sons who followed him in the priesthood His name to use as a blessing for the Israelites.
The Lord spoke to Moses, saying, “Speak to Aaron and his sons, saying, Thus you shall bless the people of Israel: you shall say to them, The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you; the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace. So shall they put My name upon the people of Israel, and I will bless them.”
Numbers 6:22-27
