What is a liturgical church?

God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth.  John 4:24

During the Protestant Reformation, Dr. Martin Luther and some reformers, while embracing the beliefs and tenants of Protestantism, nonetheless saw in the ancient forms and structures of the Catholic worshiping life much that they believed worth preserving. They understood that the traditional, liturgically structured way of worshiping would for many always resonate in a powerful, deeply inspiring way.

The term “liturgy” comes from the Greek word meaning, “work of the people.” A Sunday service in a Lutheran church is one in which worshipers get busy: everyone’s always standing up, sitting down, or kneeling; singing; reading and hearing the Word; praying together out loud; greeting each other with the peace of Christ; and coming up to the front rail to receive Holy Eucharist.

As a Lutheran liturgical church, Christ the King also follows a specified Church Year that marks the passage of Biblical time throughout a year-long cycle of holy days and spiritual seasons. A 3-year revolving lectionary of Scripture readings consisting of an Old Testament reading, a reading from the Psalms, a New Testament reading, and a Gospel reading expound on the themes of these passing seasons.

An explanation of the Lutheran liturgy.

Many, and perhaps you, have asked the questions: Is there any significance in what Lutherans do on Sunday morning in worship? Why do we Lutherans do what we do? Why do we have a liturgy? In the narrative below, we hope to answer these questions and give perhaps a clearer understanding of our central service of Word and Sacrament.

The full Lutheran liturgy is one service that can be divided into two sections – the Service of the Word and the Service of Holy Communion. The Service of the Word historically has its roots in the practices of Jewish Synagogue worship. The heart of synagogue worship are readings taken from Scripture, one from the Law and one from the Prophets, follow by commentary on them by one of the rabbis. The Service of Holy Communion or The Great Thanksgiving is clearly of Christian origin as it was commanded by our Lord to observe it as a remembrance of His sacrifice.

Our worship is a meeting between God and man. In Christian worship, we meet with God at the cross of Jesus Christ. The altar and the cross are not the objects which we worship, but they are the focus of our worship. They call our attention to Christ who died as a sacrifice for our sins, and in His resurrection, we have victory through Him over death.

THE LUTHERAN LITURGICAL SERVICE

Part One: THE SERVICE OF THE WORD

Prelude

A musical PRELUDE begins the worship. This is not just music to establish a mood but is itself an offering, a creation of artistic talent for God’s glory. The music helps draw us into an attitude of prayer and praise.

Confession & Forgiveness

Opening Hymn / Praise Song

Greeting

In response to a scriptural invitation, we examine ourselves, confess our sin and ask for pardon. The CONFESSION AND FORGIVENESS, a uniquely Lutheran part of the service, are taken from the prayers of Catholic priests used in the Middle Ages during their personal preparations prior to the service of Holy Communion (Lord’s Supper). Luther incorporated these into the public service after the Reformation. The pastor reminds us of divine mercy and declares us forgiven in the name of God who made us his children in Holy Baptism.

The OPENING HYMN is often a song praising our Lord as we come into His presence to receive his blessings.

Kyrie

Hymn of Praise

Now, in the KYRIE, we greet our Lord as people of old greeted a king when he entered their town. In a series of petitions, the pastor or cantor asks for peace and salvation for ourselves and the world. The people join in the response “Lord have mercy” – in Greek Kyrie eleison.

The HYMN OF PRAISE which follows, expresses our joy for the gifts which our Lord brings. The singing of this song designates a shift in the mood of the service, as it moves from recognition of our sin and the need for forgiveness, to the glorification of God because of His deliverance.

Prayer of the Day

The PRAYER OF THE DAY, or “Collect” as it used to be called, marks the conclusion of welcoming our Lord. It is a brief prayer, which gathers “collects” the thoughts and prayers of the entire Church as they apply to the spiritual theme of the day. Like several other prayers in the service, it is introduced by a greeting by the pastor and a response from the congregation in which the people ask the Lord’s presence upon each other.

First Lesson Reading

Psalm Reading

Second Lesson Reading

Gospel Acclamation & Gospel Lesson Reading

At this point in the service there is a change in focus and in attitude. Prior to this, we have collectively been speaking to God. Now we fall silent and listen to God speaking to us through His Holy Word. The Word of God in Holy Scripture has always been a major element of Christian worship. Several Christian bodies, Lutherans among them, use a 3-year lectionary. Three to four Scripture lessons with a unified theme are usually read at each service.

The FIRST LESSON is usually a selection from the Old Testament, pointing toward its fulfillment in the Gospel. This is followed by the responsive reading of a PSALM by both the reader and the congregation. The SECOND LESSON is usually a reading from the New Testament epistles or letters to the early churches applying the message of the Gospel.

The climax of the readings is the GOSPEL LESSON. Each of the first three Gospels – Matthew, Mark, Luke – are usually associated with one of the years of the 3-year cycle of lessons. While the fourth Gospel, John, is found interspersed among the readings during all three years. Lutheran worship has preserved the rising and standing of the congregation as a mark of reverence, obedience, and affirmation of praise to the Gospel’s announcement and the hearing of our Lord’s own words spoken. The Gospel is further set apart with a GOSPEL ACCLAMATION to Christ which precedes the reading.

Sermon

Hymn of the Day

The church’s response to and the interpretation of the Word of God follows the scripture readings. The practice of preaching a SERMON originated in a homily or discourse following the Gospel. Its importance in the service was reestablished by the Reformation and it is based on a scripture often taken from one of the lessons for the day. It contains instruction and encouragement but it is not just a speech or lecture. It is the Holy Spirit speaking to us through His elected servant with applications of both the Law and the Gospel to our daily life and problems, in order to build and strengthen our faith.

The HYMN OF THE DAY which is sung immediately after the Sermon, usually follows the theme of the sermon and is a musical expression of the lessons.

Creed – Profession of Faith

Prayers of the Faithful

Sharing of the Peace

The congregation responds to God’s specific word for the day by summarizing the whole faith of the Church in the words of one of the universal CREEDS which outline the fundamental beliefs of all Christians. Here we use the singular pronoun “I”. Although our confession of faith unites us with the Church as a whole, each must believe for oneself.

The PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE are then offered up to God for the whole Church, the nation, the congregation, those in need, and special concerns. After which we greet each other with the blessing of the Lord’s peace in the SHARING OF THE PEACE.

The Offering

Offertory Prayer

We honor God not only with our lips but with our lives as we present to him the first fruits of our labors. An OFFERTORY ANTHEM is sung or played as a musical thank offering. Then as the offering is presented at the altar, the pastor and congregation join in the OFFERTORY PRAYER and singing the OFFERTORY as an expression of gratitude and preparation for The Great Thanksgiving of the Lord’s Supper.

Part Two: THE SERVICE OF HOLY COMMUNION

Prayer of Thanksgiving

Words of Institution

The Lord’s Prayer

Just as Jesus at the table with his disciples often offered thanks in accordance with Jewish practice, so we embody in our celebration of His Supper, a great PRAYER OF THANKSGIVING. It begins with an exchange between the pastor and the congregation incorporating a traditional Jewish greeting that is the opening of the Seder, the Jewish Passover feast. The service continues with the WORDS OF INSTITUTION, the Scriptural account which tells of Jesus’ institution of the Sacrament. As these words are recited, the bread and wine are consecrated, that is set aside for God’s use in the special meal. We pray for the coming of the Holy Spirit that we might be prepared rightly to receive the body and the blood of Christ which according to His promise are now truly present in Holy Communion.

We then pray to God as our Father using the prayer of the family of God – THE LORD’S PRAYER – because Holy Communion is our family meal.

Lamb of God

Distribution of Holy Communion

Blessing & Post-Communion Prayer

All is now ready for our Holy Communion with Christ and the members of His body, the Church. As the consecrated elements are distributed to the community, we sing the hymn LAMB OF GOD as a confession of who it is we are receiving and as a prayer of the blessings of forgiveness to life and salvation which Christ has promised to give us. During THE DISTRIBUTION OF HOLY COMMUNION, the words “The body of Christ given for you,” and “The blood of Christ shed for you,” are said by the celebrants as they give the sacrament to the people. A choir anthem or other musical selections are presented during the distribution for reflection and devotion.

After the distribution, the pastor offers a BLESSING to those who have been nourished and a brief POST-COMMUNION PRAYER of unity in Christ is offered.

Benediction Blessing

Sending Hymn

Dismissal

As the service closes, the pastor pronounces a BENEDICTION BLESSING on the congregation. A SENDING HYMN is sung after which words of DISMISSAL telling all to “Glorify God and Spread the Word.” We respond with, “Love One Another.”

This briefly is how Lutherans worship. The service points us consistently to the saving work and the resurrection presence of Jesus Christ. In it God speaks and gives to us and we respond with thanks and praise. Such a worship links us to the fellowship of the saints through the centuries. We use forms developed by believers in various periods of history, all of them growing out of the saving ministry of Jesus Christ and designed to be appropriate vehicles of His Word and Sacrament.