An Introduction to the Divine Service and Its Ceremonies
A Lutheran Divine Service in Goerlitz
Johann Sebastian Bach, Lutheran composer
The Lutheran Church is a liturgical church. This means not only that we follow an ordered, regular order of service, but
this also means that such liturgy is shaped by what we believe, teach, and confess from Scripture and as summarized in our
Lutheran Confessions, the Book of Concord of 1580. This also means that the Word and Sacraments are the core and living
center of the Divine Service. It is around these "marks of the church" that we gather each Lord's Day.
The Lutheran Church is a liturgical church to a large degree also because we do not claim to be a new church. Martin
Luther did not intend to start a "new church." He sought reform not revolution. Revolution was left to the radical
protestants whereas Luther was careful and conservative in reform in accordance with Scripture. Only where a teaching or
practice contradicted Scripture was change made. The early Lutheran confessors understood themselves to be both "evangelical"
(sola gratia) and "catholic" (teaching the whole and unchanging truth of God).
Understood this way, the historically-received liturgy is much more than a certain artistic aesthetic or style. It is
certainly much more than a museum piece. It is not a static object but a living, breathing, organic truth, way of worship,
and mystery that is handed down. It isn't then that some are "liturgical people" and others are "non-liturgical
people." It is a matter of being baptized into the faith and taught the mysteries of the faith in an ongoing way for
the rest of one's life. This takes the whole question out of the realm of "taste" or entertainment or the mood
that is generated by various styles of worship nowadays. It is a Christ-centered reality that flows from Him to us where
heaven comes down to earth to deliver the gifts of Good Friday and Easter in the Word and the ongoing feast of the Holy Eucharist.
The teaching of God's Word and the gifts of the sacraments pull, shape, and give breath to the liturgy. It is not that
the means of grace are added mechanicaly to the liturgy - just plugged-in. Rather we understand that in the Divine Service
Christ comes to us with forgiveness, life, and salvation and that there the Holy Spirit is at work in that powerful Word of
salvation to create and sustain faith. The means of grace (Word and Sacraments) are the "horse" that pulls the
"cart" of the liturgy.
Within this liturgy we preach Christ and Him crucified as the atonement for the sin of the world. We preach His bodily
resurrection from the dead as the way of our justification. It is Christ and His work that is the center of His liturgy among
us. What we offer is an alternative to the entertainment-driven "alternative worship" so prevalent today. This
is the classical perspective and intention of genuine Lutherans in times past.
The Peace of the Lord be with you always (John 20:19-20).
More thoughts from C.F.W. Walther:
"We know and firmly hold that the character, the soul of Lutheranism, is not found in outward observances but in
the pure doctrine. If a congregation had the most beautiful ceremonies in the very best order, but did not have the pure doctrine,
it would be anything but Lutheran. We have from the beginning spoken earnestly of good ceremonies, not as though the important
thing were outward forms, but rather to make use of our liberty in these things. For true Lutherans know that although one
does not have to have these things (because there is no divine command to have them), one may nevertheless have them because
good ceremonies are lovely and beautiful and are not forbidden in the Word of God. Therefore the Lutheran church has not abolished
"outward ornaments, candles, altar cloths, statues and similar ornaments," [AP XXIV] but has left them free. The
sects proceeded differently because they did not know how to distinguish between what is commanded, forbidden, and left free
in the Word of God. We remind only of the mad actions of Carlstadt and of his adherents and followers in Germany and in Switzerland.
We on our part have retained the ceremonies and church ornaments in order to prove by our actions that we have a correct understanding
of Christian liberty, and know how to conduct ourselves in things which are neither commanded nor forbidden by God.
We refuse to be guided by those who are offended by our church customs. We adhere to them all the more firmly when someone
wants to cause us to have a guilty conscience on account of them. The Roman antichristendom enslaves poor consciences by imposing
human ordinances on them with the command: "You must keep such and such a thing!"; the sects enslave consciences
by forbidding and branding as sin what God has left free. Unfortunately, also many of our Lutheran Christians are still without
a true understanding of their liberty. This is demonstrated by their aversion to ceremonies.
It is truly distressing that many of our fellow Christians find the difference between Lutheranism and Roman Catholicism
in outward things. It is a pity and dreadful cowardice when a person sacrifices the good ancient church customs to please
the deluded American denominations just so they won't accuse us of being Roman Catholic! Indeed! Am I to be afraid of a Methodist,
who perverts the saving Word, or be ashamed in the matter of my good cause, and not rather rejoice that they can tell by our
ceremonies that I do not belong to them?
It is too bad that such entirely different ceremonies prevail in our Synod, and that no liturgy at all has yet been
introduced in many congregations. The prejudice especially against the responsive chanting of pastor and congregations is
of course still very great with many people -- this does not, however, alter the fact that it is very foolish. The pious church
father Augustine said, "Qui cantat, bis orat--he who sings prays twice."
This finds its application also in the matter of the liturgy. Why should congregations or individuals in the congregation
want to retain their prejudices? How foolish that would be! For first of all it is clear from the words of St. Paul (1 Cor.
14:16) that the congregations of his time had a similar custom. It has been the custom in the Lutheran Church for 250 years.
It creates a solemn impression on the Christian mind when one is reminded by the solemnity of the divine service that one
is in the house of God, in childlike love to their heavenly Father, also give expression to their joy in such a lovely manner.
We are not insisting that there be uniformity in perception or feeling or taste among all believing Christians-neither
dare anyone demand that all be minded as he. Nevertheless, it remains true that the Lutheran liturgy distinguishes Lutheran
worship from the worship of other churches to such an extent that the houses of worship of the latter look like lecture halls
in which the hearers are merely addressed or instructed, while our churches are in truth houses of prayer in which Christians
serve the great God publicly before the world.
Uniformity of ceremonies (perhaps according to the Saxon Church order published by the Synod, which is the simplest among
the many Lutheran church orders) would be highly desirable because of its usefulness. A poor slave of the pope finds one and
same form of service, no matter where he goes, by which he at once recognizes his church.
With us it is different. Whoever comes from Germany without a true understanding of the doctrine often has to look for
his church for a long time, and many have already been lost to our church because of this search. How different it would be
if the entire Lutheran church had a uniform form of worship! This would, of course, first of all yield only an external advantage,
however, one which is by no means unimportant. Has not many a Lutheran already kept his distance from the sects because he
saw at the Lord's Supper they broke the bread instead of distributing wafters?
The objection: "What would be the use of uniformity of ceremonies?" was answered with the counter question,
"What is the use of a flag on the battlefield? Even though a soldier cannot defeat the enemy with it, he nevertheless
sees by the flag where he belongs. We ought not to refuse to walk in the footsteps of our fathers. They were so far removed
from being ashamed of the good ceremonies that they publicly confess in the passage quoted: "It is not true that we do
away with all such external ornaments"
(C.F.W. Walther, Explanation of Thesis XVIII, D, Adiaphora, of the book The True Visible Church, delivered at St. Paul's
Lutheran Church in Indianapolis, Indiana, Beginning August 9, 1871, at the 16th Central District Convention, translated by
Fred Kramer, printed in Essays for the Church [CPH: 1992], I:193-194).
A painting of a Lutheran Divine Service
The 1995 Convention of the LCMS passed the following resolution:
To Encourage Every Sunday Communion
RESOLUTION 2-08A
Overture 2-51 (CW, pp.149-150)
Whereas, the opportunity to receive the Lord's Supper each Lord's Day was a reality cherished by Luther and set forth
clearly with high esteem by our Lutheran Confessions (Article XXIV of the Augsburg Confession and of the Apology); and
Whereas, our synod's 1983 CTCR document on the Lord's Supper (p.28) and our Synod's 1986 [1991] translation of Luther's
Catechism both remind us that the Scriptures place the Lord's Supper at the center of worship (Acts 2:42; 20:7; 1 Cor. 11:20,23),
and not as an appendage or an occasional extra; therefore be it
RESOLVED, That The Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod in convention encourage its pastors and congregations to study the scriptural,
confessional, and historical witness to every Sunday communion with a view toward recovering the opportunity for receiving
the Lord's Supper each Lord's Day.
Action: Adopted.
Quotations from our Lutheran Confessions:
1] Falsely are our churches accused of abolishing the Mass; for the Mass is retained among 2] us, and celebrated with
the highest reverence. Nearly all the usual ceremonies are also preserved, save that the parts sung in Latin are interspersed
here and there with German hymns, which have been added 3] to teach the people. For ceremonies are needed to this end alone
that the unlearned 4] be taught [what they need to know of Christ]. And not only has Paul commanded to use in the church a
language understood by the people 1 Cor. 14, 2. 9, but it has also been so ordained by man's law. 5] The people are accustomed
to partake of the Sacrament together, if any be fit for it, and this also increases the reverence and devotion of public 6]
worship. For none are admitted 7] except they be first examined. The people are also advised concerning the dignity and use
of the Sacrament, how great consolation it brings anxious consciences, that they may learn to believe God, and to expect and
ask of Him all that is good. 8] [In this connection they are also instructed regarding other and false teachings on the Sacrament.]
This worship pleases God; such use of the Sacrament nourishes true devotion 9] toward God. It does not, therefore, appear
that the Mass is more devoutly celebrated among our adversaries than among us.
+ The Augsburg Confession, Article XXIV,1-9 +
At the outset we must again make the preliminary statement that we 1] do not abolish the Mass, but religiously maintain
and defend it. For among us masses are celebrated every Lord's Day and on the other festivals, in which the Sacrament is offered
to those who wish to use it, after they have been examined and absolved. And the usual public ceremonies are observed, the
series of lessons, of prayers, vestments, and other like things.
+ Apology of the Augsburg Confession, Article XXIV,1 +
WHY WE USE THE TERM "DIVINE SERVICE" FOR THE LITURGY:
From our Lutheran Confessions:
Of the Term Mass.
78] The adversaries also refer us to philology. From the names of the Mass they derive arguments which do not require
a long discussion. For even though the Mass be called a sacrifice, it does not follow that it must confer grace ex opere operato,
or, when applied on behalf of others, merit for them the remission of sins, etc. 79] Leitourgiva, they say, signifies a sacrifice,
and the Greeks call the Mass, liturgy. Why do they here omit the old appellation synaxis, which shows that the Mass was formerly
the communion of many? But let us speak of the word liturgy. This word does not properly signify a, sacrifice, but rather
the public ministry, and agrees aptly with our belief, namely, that one minister who consecrates tenders the body and blood
of the Lord to the rest of the people, just as one minister who preaches tenders the Gospel to the people, as Paul says, 1
Cor. 4, 1: Let a man so account of us as of the ministers of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God, i.e., of the Gospel
and the Sacraments. And 2 Cor. 5, 20: We are ambassadors for Christ, as 81] though God did beseech you by us; we pray you
in Christ's stead, Be ye reconciled to God. Thus the term leitourgiva agrees aptly with the ministry.
+ Apology of the Augsburg Confession, Article XXIV, 78-81 +
See also Luke 22:27; Mark 10:45; Romans 10:17; I Cor. 10:16.
Terms used by Lutherans in other languages:
German - der Gottesdienst or der Hauptgottesdienst
Swedish - Gudstjaenst
Finnish - Jumalanpalvelus
Greek term for liturgy: theia leitourgia
+++
Gloria Christi Lutheran Church (LCMS)
1322 31st Avenue
Greeley, Colorado 80634
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