Explanation of the Liturgy

[psalms 91]

We should always expect God to be in our worship and to speak

 

[Lamb]

The Gradual

Gradual, a Latin expression meaning "step," 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.

 

[Lamb]

The Second Reading

With the birth of the Christian Church, letters were written by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit and circulated from congregation to congregation. These letters, in varying lengths, were known as “epistles.” In this manner, each congregation would have a chance to hear the epistles. St. Paul wrote to the Colossians: “And when this epistle is read among you, cause that it be read also in the church of the Laodiceans; and that you likewise read the epistle from Laodicea.” (Colossians 4:16)

 

[Alithis]

The Absolution or
Declaration of Grace


Christ said to his disciples, "If you forgive anyone his sins, they are forgiven"*. The pastor speaks for God and announces God's cleansing forgiveness to those who made confession.
* John 20:23.

Upon every penitent (repentant) confession, there must be a proper Absolution (word of forgiveness). The Scriptural basis for the Absolution is found in several places. First it is spoken of in John 20:23 by our Lord Himself. Second, it is found in 1 John 1:9. Thus, where there is a penitent confession and the called and ordained servant of God announces the Absolution, it is as if God Himself is giving this forgiveness to His people.

i have a question - re "If you forgive anyone his sins, they are forgiven"*. ... sins against whom? if a man sins again me and i forgive him then his sin against me is forgiven. i cannot not forgive him for his sin against God .
if his sin against god was done by sinning against me .. then my forgiving means he is indeed forgiven, but if his sin is directly against god .. again.. I cannot forgive him . i cannot forgive a person for their offence against another .. the one they offended is the only one who can do so .
so i struggle with the way that is sometimes interpreted .

 

[psalms 91]

i have a question - re "If you forgive anyone his sins, they are forgiven"*. ... sins against whom? if a man sins again me and i forgive him then his sin against me is forgiven. i cannot not forgive him for his sin against God .
if his sin against god was done by sinning against me .. then my forgiving means he is indeed forgiven, but if his sin is directly against god .. again.. I cannot forgive him . i cannot forgive a person for their offence against another .. the one they offended is the only one who can do so .
so i struggle with the way that is sometimes interpreted .

Good question, I agree that we cvan only forgive what is against us

 

[Lamb]

i have a question - re "If you forgive anyone his sins, they are forgiven"*. ... sins against whom? if a man sins again me and i forgive him then his sin against me is forgiven. i cannot not forgive him for his sin against God .
if his sin against god was done by sinning against me .. then my forgiving means he is indeed forgiven, but if his sin is directly against god .. again.. I cannot forgive him . i cannot forgive a person for their offence against another .. the one they offended is the only one who can do so .
so i struggle with the way that is sometimes interpreted .

Any sin we commit, even if against another man is always a sin against God. Jesus gives the keys in that verse to forgive sins.

 

[Lamb]

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.
* John 6:68; Joel 2:13 (through lent).

 

[Lamb]

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. He may be flanked by acolytes carrying candles who proclaim Jesus and his word as the "light of the world."

 

[Alithis]

Any sin we commit, even if against another man is always a sin against God. Jesus gives the keys in that verse to forgive sins.

well that is the way "some' have interpreted it . but if a man stands up and blasphemes God and does not act against another person .. he has not sinned against me but against God only.. i may be willing to forgive him but am not rightfully able to do so because it was not me he sinned against .he must repent and ask the lord for forgiveness .
else he may fall into deception that he can confess to a mere man and go his way thinking he is made right with God and no change is wrought in his heart nor repentance established .he risks being given a false hope .

 

[Lamb]

well that is the way "some' have interpreted it . but if a man stands up and blasphemes God and does not act against another person .. he has not sinned against me but against God only.. i may be willing to forgive him but am not rightfully able to do so because it was not me he sinned against .he must repent and ask the lord for forgiveness .
else he may fall into deception that he can confess to a mere man and go his way thinking he is made right with God and no change is wrought in his heart nor repentance established .he risks being given a false hope .

I will start a thread on the Office of the Keys in Christian Theology so this one can be devoted to my posting parts of the liturgy.

 

[Lamb]

The Hymn of the Day

The Hymn of the Day (sung before the sermon), is usually always tied to the main theme of the day. The restoration of congregational singing was one of the great contributions of the Reformation to the Church. St. Paul encouraged the Colossian Christians when he wrote: “Let the Word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.” (Colossians 3:16) This is why all of the hymns we sing in worship should be Christ-centered and richly based upon His Word, otherwise they are not worthy of use in Christian worship.

 

[Lamb]

The Sermon

The Pastor proclaims God's Word and applies that word to modern life and problems. He stresses both what God demands of us (the Law) and what God does for us through Jesus Christ (the Gospel).

God speaks to us through His called servant. The Pastor’s sermon is not just a number of offhand remarks, but a prayerfully prepared proclamation of God’s message of repentance, salvation, and growth in faith. Upon entering the pulpit the Pastor greets us with the Salutation which the Apostle Paul used so often in his letters. At the conclusion of the sermon the Pastor speaks the Votum. With these words from Philippians 4:7 he invokes the blessings of God’s peace upon all who have here received God’s Word.

Through the preaching of the Word, the Holy Spirit does His work. The preaching of the Gospel is the Church’s lifeblood. Preaching proclaims a message. The message is from God. Preaching tells of God’s gift of life, which He gives to men through His Son Jesus Christ, who died on the cross and rose again that men might live eternally. Through preaching, God tells of His life to the world, and more: through preaching, God gives Himself to the world. Preaching is not man’s words but God’s Word. This is evident from the way in which all the Old Testament prophets addressed their audience; i.e., “Thus says the Lord.” And in Luke’s Gospel, Jesus said, “I must preach the kingdom of God to other cities also, for this reason I am sent.” But preaching is not just a message. It is a message about Christ. Paul says in 2 Corinthians 4:5: “For we do not preach ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord, and ourselves your bondservants for Jesus’ sake.” Through the Gospel, faith is created in the hearer. “Faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.” (Romans 10:17)

 

[Lamb]

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.
* I Cor. 15:1ff; I Pet. 3:18ff; I Tim. 3:16.

The oldest of the creeds we use in worship is the Apostles’ Creed. It was not written by the apostles, but it was used as an early confession of faith connected with Baptism, and is based upon the teachings of the apostles. Written traces of this early creed date back as early as 150 A.D. and seem to find their origins in Rome.

The creed which we typically confess when we receive the Lord’s Supper is the Nicene Creed. It emphasizes the deity of Christ. It was first formulated at Nicaea in 325 A.D. (revised in 381) in response to the Arian heresy which had crept into the Church. For the false teacher, Arius, the Father and the Son were not essentially one. In order to combat this heresy, the formulators of the Nicene Creed used such phrases as: “the Only-Begotten Son of God,” “begotten, not made,” “being of one substance with the Father,” “by whom all things were made,” to show that Jesus was not created, but was true God with the Father from all eternity.

 

[Lamb]

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"*. For this reason, the hymnal says "prayers are included for the whole church, the nations, those in need, the parish, and special concerns. The congregation may be invited to offer petitions and thanksgivings. The minister gives thanks for the faithful departed, especially for those who have died" (LW pages 168-69).
* I Tim. 2:1-2.

 

[Lamb]

The Service of the Sacrament

The church has confessed its sins and been forgiven, and its faith has been nurtured through hearing the Word. The church now reaches a climax of the worship experience in the celebration of the sacrament of Holy Communion. The following parts of the liturgy help the worshipers partake of the holy meal thoughtfully, thankfully, and joyfully.

 

[Lamb]

Having heard the Word, it moves us to realize our sinfulness and shortcomings as well as God’s grace and mercy to sinners in Christ (this is what we refer to as hearing Law & Gospel). The Offertory immediately follows the Sermon. We know it as “Create in me…” and the Scriptural basis is from Psalm 51:10-12. The Offertory prepares the congregation for the offering of gifts and the Prayer of the Church. Looking back upon the message and meaning of the Gospel, and also forward to the celebration and reception of the Sacrament, we offer to God ourselves (2 Corinthians 8:5), our substance (2 Corinthians 8:2-4), and our praise (Hebrews 13:15-16) in an act of corporate dedication and thanksgiving.


The Offertory

Using David’s words of repentance from Psalm 51, we confess our humble and grateful acceptance of the Word and offer ourselves in thanksgiving to the Lord.


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.

 

[Lamb]

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.
* Cf. "Salutation"; Lam. 3:41; Ps. 86.4.

The appropriate
(or Proper) Preface


These words state why we should give thanks using words and ideas appropriate for the season of the church year.
* Pss. 69:30; 95:2; 100:4; 107:22; 116:17; 147:7.

Once again the Pastor and congregation pray for and assure each other of the Lord’s presence. Then comes the invitation to “lift up your hearts” and to “give thanks to the Lord, our God.” This reminds us that our entire Communion Service is a service of thanksgiving.

The Proper Prefaces direct our attention to different occasions in the life of our Lord and His Church. For example, the Proper Preface for Christmas directs us to Christ’s coming in the flesh. Lent directs us to the Passion History of our Lord. Each one concludes with the words: “Therefore with Angels and Archangels, and with all the company of heaven, we laud and magnify Thy glorious Name; evermore praising Thee and saying…” This unites the Church Militant (the Church on earth) and the Church Triumphant (the Church in heaven) with the angelic host in an ascription of praise which magnifies the Holy Name and introduces the Sanctus. In the Divine Service, we are truly worshipping with the entire Christian Church of all times and places, along with the Holy Trinity and all the host of heaven. (See Hebrews 12:22-29 for a description of what is really going on in Christian worship.)

 

[Lamb]

The Sanctus

Sanctus is a Latin word 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.
* Is. 6:3; Matt. 21:9 (Mk 11:9); Ps. 118:25-26.

In this exalted hymn we join our voices to the angels who sing “Holy, Holy, Holy” round about the Lord’s throne and we welcome Him with the Palm Sunday multitude who sang “Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the Highest!”

It may be strange to us that our worship on Sunday morning extends beyond the walls of our church building, even beyond the limits of this present world.

 

[Lamb]

The Lord's Prayer

We pray to God as our Father using the prayer of the family of God* because the Lord's Supper is our family meal.
* Matt. 6:9ff; Luke 11:2ff.

The Lord’s Prayer is the distinctive property of Christians. We are here reminded that we are together in the family of God, that at this Communion table we are not many individuals, but one body, brothers and sisters in the faith, whose spiritual welfare is closely linked together.

The petition to, “give us this day our daily bread,” is fulfilled in the highest way when we receive Christ Himself in His Holy Supper, Christ who is the Bread of Life.

 

[Lamb]

The Words of Institution


The pastor speaks 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 Words of Institution are often referred to by their Latin name, the “Verba,” which means “the words.” These words consecrated (set apart) earthly elements (bread and wine) for the Lord’s own holy use. In the Words of Institution, Christ took bread and wine (and nothing other than bread and wine) and said they were His Body and Blood (Matthew 26:26-28; Mark 14:22-24; Luke 22:19-20; 1 Corinthians 11:24-25). The consecration consists not merely in the words, but also that we take, bless, distribute, and eat and drink according to Christ’s institution and commandments.