Explanation of the Liturgy

[Lamb]

The Pax Domini

Following the Words of Institution, the pastor turns to the congregation and announces these words: “The peace of the Lord be with you always!” in the form of a short benediction. The Pax Domini (Latin for “peace of the Lord”) originally referred to the sign of peace shared among the members. This comes from what St. Paul refers to as the “kiss of peace” (Romans 16:16; 1 Corinthians 16:20; 2 Corinthians 13:12; 1 Thessalonians 5:26). Luther says: “It (the Pax Domini) is the voice of the Gospel announcing the forgiveness of sins, the only and most worthy preparation for the Lord’s Table…hence I wish it announced with face toward the people as the bishops were accustomed to do.”

 

[Lamb]

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.
* John 1:29; Is. 53:7.

This beautiful communion hymn was introduced into the liturgy by Pope Sergius I, about 700 A.D. as a devotion sung during the breaking of the bread. The words themselves are Latin and mean “Lamb of God.” They are a direct reference to John the Baptist’s words in John 1:29: “Behold, the Lamb of God which takes away the sin of the world.” John’s words reflect Isaiah’s prophecy, recorded in Isaiah 53. For centuries, the lamb had been a sacrificial symbol for the children of Israel. Only now, the Lamb was the sinless Son of God, who alone could take away the sin of the world. As lamb’s blood saved the children of Israel at Passover, so also now Christ’s blood, as the Lamb of God, redeems the entire world. What Christ accomplished on Calvary remains for all eternity – for all mankind. It seems quite fitting then that we should recall John the Baptist’s words at this point in our service, for Christ is the one who takes away the sins of the world, as He will grant us forgiveness through the eating and drinking of His Body and Blood as we now receive His holy Supper in the Distribution.

 

[Lamb]

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. It 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 one or more hymns.

 

[Lamb]

The Post-Communion Canticle

"Thank the Lord," "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.
* "Lord, now you let Your servant go in peace", Luke 2:29f.

or

The Nunc Dimittis

Nunc Dimittis is Latin for the first words of Simeon’s hymn in the Gospel of Luke (2:29-32): “Lord, now let…depart…” when he took the infant Jesus in his arms and began to sing this hymn of thanksgiving. It relates to the doctrine of the Real Presence in the Lord’s Supper. In this holy Supper, Christ comes to us in, with, and under the forms of bread and wine, and we, like Simeon, rejoice at His presence in this holy mystery. As so with the eyes of faith, we see our salvation as Christ comes to us in the bread and wine; and now we can depart (or even die) in peace because our sins have been forgiven and we have seen our salvation in Jesus.

 

[Lamb]

The Prayer of Thanks

After Christ has given us His true Body and Blood in the Lord’s Supper, the only response we can properly give to God for such a precious gift is our thanks. That is why from very early times the liturgy was called the “Eucharist,” meaning “the giving of thanks,” that Christians coming to worship God received of Him more than comfort, strength, or answer to prayer. God’s gift was not a memento of Himself, something just to cheer them through evil days. God’s gift then, as it is now, is Himself. Our whole life should be filled with thankfulness and praise for what God has done for us in Christ. Thus we are reminded in several of the Psalms (106:1; 136:1) “to give thanks unto the Lord, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever.”


The Benediction

The Benediction is not a prayer, but a blessing from God. Because it comes from God, it is not conditional, but a guarantee granted to each one of us. The words themselves come from God's command for Aaron to place God’s blessing upon the people in Numbers 6:22-27. Christ, also, as a final act before He ascended into heaven, blessed His disciples (Luke 24:50) on the Mount of Olives. Now, again, in the Holy Sacrament, His presence has been a reality for us, and He now gives us His blessing, through the word of His servant, as the service ends.

 

[Lamb]

I hope everyone enjoyed this thread! Here is a final appendix concerning the service:

“Our Lord speaks and we listen. His Word bestows what it says. Faith that is born from what is heard acknowledges the gifts received with eager thankfulness and praise. Music is drawn into this thankfulness and praise, enlarging and elevating the adoration of our gracious giver God. Saying back to him what he has said to us, we repeat what is most true and sure. Most true and sure is his name, which he put on us with the water of our Baptism. We are his. This we acknowledge at the beginning of the Divine Service. Where his name is, there is he. Before him we acknowledge that we are sinners, and we plead for forgiveness. His forgiveness is given us, and we, freed and forgiven, acclaim him as our great and gracious God as we apply to ourselves the words he has used to make himself known to us.


The rhythm of our worship is from him to us, and then from us back to him. He gives his gifts, and together we receive and extol them. We build one another up as we speak to one another in psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs. Our Lord gives us his body to eat and his blood to drink. Finally his blessing moves us out into our calling, where his gifts have their fruition. How best to do this we may learn from his Word and from the way his Word has prompted his worship through the centuries. We are heirs of an astonishingly rich tradition. Each generation receives from those who went before and, in making that tradition of the Divine Service its own, adds what best may serve in its own day – the living heritage and something new.”

 

[Lamb]

I purchased the Sticky for this thread from the CH Shop

 

[Lamb]

I bumped this but it is not a debate thread. I just wanted to have it showing for those who might not know what the liturgical service looks like.

 

[psalms 91]

wow a lot of posts in a row

 

[MoreCoffee]

The Lutheran service is similar to the liturgies of the Mass. The mass is divided into several parts.

• First are the introductory rites
• Second is the liturgy of the word
• Third the liturgy of the Eucharist - this is the heart of Catholic worship without which a service is not a mass
• Fourth is the closing rites

I will not expand on these parts because I sense there is little appetite for Catholic liturgy among many members of CH.

 

[Lamb]

George is EO and his service is liturgical too with some of the same elements our services have. I think it would be nice to have the RC and EO liturgies explained in new threads and maybe we could permanently sticky them?

 

[MoreCoffee]

George is EO and his service is liturgical too with some of the same elements our services have. I think it would be nice to have the RC and EO liturgies explained in new threads and maybe we could permanently sticky them?

Only if you want to annoy the non-denoms and others

 

[Lamb]

I want truthful posts to be around That way if there are claims that Catholics don't teach God's Word, it's stickied for all to see that yes they do.

 

[MoreCoffee]

I want truthful posts to be around That way if there are claims that Catholics don't teach God's Word, it's stickied for all to see that yes they do.

We're an old old Church and use words drawn from our 2,000 year history. Some are not familiar with the words and get confused by them. For example we call "burnt offerings" holocausts and we speak of mortification of the flesh when others would read in the KJV dying to the flesh or crucifixion of the flesh. All sorts of strange imaginary stories are told about what Catholics allegedly do. We're all supposed to be secret hunch backed albino monks out to accomplish some semi-occult Dan Brownian goal ... according to those who prefer fiction to truth.

But you make a good point and maybe a sticky of a Catholic liturgy would be helpful. There are some web pages which give scripture references for the words spoken in the liturgy. I must admit to some feelings of disappointment when I allude to holy scripture and readers here (who are always telling others how important the bible is to them in the walk with the Lord) fail to recognise them as being sourced from holy scripture. So perhaps a fully documented liturgy may be helpful. I may spend some time composing a post for such a purpose. It will take some time to do because of the formatting that will be necessary to make it easy reading.

 

[George]

George is EO and his service is liturgical too with some of the same elements our services have. I think it would be nice to have the RC and EO liturgies explained in new threads and maybe we could permanently sticky them?

Lol EO being liturgical? Never. :;;D: Seriously though, we are pretty liturgical.

 

[Lamb]

Each one of you has his assignment. Gogogo

 

[ImaginaryDay2]

Headed back. Been away from the church for close to a year now. I've still been drawn to the Lutheran church that VG and I visited a little over a year ago now, and I'll be going back for the foreseeable future. I've attended the more 'contemporary' service the last few weeks, but I want to change that, and start attending the liturgical service instead. Planning to have a chat with he Pastor once the holiday season has passed.
Btw, is this thread still "stickied"?

 

[Lamb]

Headed back. Been away from the church for close to a year now. I've still been drawn to the Lutheran church that VG and I visited a little over a year ago now, and I'll be going back for the foreseeable future. I've attended the more 'contemporary' service the last few weeks, but I want to change that, and start attending the liturgical service instead. Planning to have a chat with he Pastor once the holiday season has passed.
Btw, is this thread still "stickied"?

This is a copy of the stickied liturgy thread but this one is open for discussion.

After Christmas the services aren't as packed so if you don't like a crowd then it's a great time to visit! Now is good if you enjoy Advent songs and seeing a church that has the greenery put up for the holiday. Definitely contact the pastor or church office and see if they have adult inquiry classes you could join. There is no obligation to join the congregation once the classes are completed but it gives great insight as to what Lutheran believes by going through the bible in the classes as the textbook.

 

[ImaginaryDay2]

Bumping this up. I had been attending a more 'modern' service at the Lutheran church near me for a while, but went for the traditional (read: Liturgical) service last week. I was anticipating going and experiencing a true liturgical service, ash they describe it as "a traditional Lutheran liturgical service with hymns and sung liturgy from the Lutheran Service Book". So that's what I expected. Not what happened. Much of the "sung" liturgy was spoken. I was left wondering if they knew what those 'notes' above the words were there for. There was one reading, not three. The "collect" was tithes/offerings, no prayer of confession/absolution, you get the idea. The only other 'Lutheran' church in the area is ELCIC (in communion with ELCA/Anglican). There's another a half hour away that describes itself as "liturgical blended" with modern elements. It appears if I'd like a true Liturgical church either I drive 45 minutes away, or visit the Catholic parish (to the joy of certain family members and 'Sir Coffee', I'm sure )

 

[Lamb]

Bumping this up. I had been attending a more 'modern' service at the Lutheran church near me for a while, but went for the traditional (read: Liturgical) service last week. I was anticipating going and experiencing a true liturgical service, ash they describe it as "a traditional Lutheran liturgical service with hymns and sung liturgy from the Lutheran Service Book". So that's what I expected. Not what happened. Much of the "sung" liturgy was spoken. I was left wondering if they knew what those 'notes' above the words were there for. There was one reading, not three. The "collect" was tithes/offerings, no prayer of confession/absolution, you get the idea. The only other 'Lutheran' church in the area is ELCIC (in communion with ELCA/Anglican). There's another a half hour away that describes itself as "liturgical blended" with modern elements. It appears if I'd like a true Liturgical church either I drive 45 minutes away, or visit the Catholic parish (to the joy of certain family members and 'Sir Coffee', I'm sure )

Sometimes if a pastor has a really poor singing voice the liturgy will be spoken and not sung. Or if the congregation is small and they don't have a strong voice to lead they will speak the liturgy. It can be disappointing. Also if they have a guest organist it can be difficult for that new person to try to follow and jump in at the right moment.

You should speak with the pastor and let him know you were hoping to follow the service book more closely.