The Divine Service () is a title given to the Eucharistic liturgy as used in the various Lutheran churches. It has its roots in the Pre-Tridentine Mass as revised by Martin Luther in his Formula missae ("Form of the Mass") of 1523 and his Deutsche Messe ("German Mass") of 1526. It was further developed through the Kirchenordnungen ("church orders") of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries that followed in the Lutheran tradition.
In the Nordic countries, where Lutheranism predominates, the usual term for the Eucharistic liturgy is Mass, even among Confessional Lutheran churches. In denominations heavily influenced by the twentieth century ecumenical and liturgical movements, such as the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, the terms "Holy Communion" or "the Eucharist" are more frequently used.
Other Lutheran rites are also in use, such as those used in the Byzantine Rite Lutheran churches, such as the Ukrainian Lutheran Church and Evangelical Church of the Augsburg Confession in Slovenia. In these Churches, the term "Divine Liturgy" is used.
Definition and origins In the parts of North American Lutheranism that use it, the term "Divine Service" supplants more usual English-speaking Lutheran names for the Mass: "The Service" or "The Holy Communion." The term is a calque of the German word Gottesdienst (literally "God-service" or "service of God"), the standard German word for worship.
As in the English phrase "service of God," the genitive in "Gottesdienst" is arguably ambiguous. It can be read as an objective genitive (service rendered to God) or a subjective genitive (God's "service" to people). While the objective genitive is etymologically more plausible, Lutheran writers frequently highlight the ambiguity and emphasize the subjective genitive.E.g., John T. Pless, 1987, "Six Theses on Liturgy and Evangelism," , Conference on Liturgy and Outreach, Concordia College: "[I]n worship God is at work to serve His people with His Word and Sacraments. Evangelical worship is Gottesdienst (subjective genitive), Divine service." This is felt to reflect the belief, based on Lutheran doctrine regarding justification, that the main actor in the Divine Service is God himself and not man, and that in the most important aspect of evangelical worship God is the subject and we are the objects: that the Word and Sacrament are gifts that God gives to his people in their worship.
Although the term Mass was used by early Lutherans (the Augsburg Confession states that "we do not abolish the Mass but religiously keep and defend it"Article 24 of the Augsburg Confession, Book of Concord.) and Luther's two chief orders of worship are entitled "Formula Missae" and "Deutsche Messe"—such use has decreased in English usage except among Evangelical Catholics and High Church Lutherans though Mass is the normative term used in the Nordic countries. For example, in the Lutheran Church of Finland and Sweden the term Mass (”messu” in Finnish, "mässa" in Swedish) is used. Also, Lutherans have historically used the terms "Gottesdienst" or "The Service" to distinguish their Service from the worship of other Protestants, which has been viewed as focusing more on the faithful bringing praise and thanksgiving to God.LMCS
Nordic countries
The Order of the Mass produced under the liturgical reforms of the Lutheran divine Olavus Petri (6 January 1493–19 April 1552), expanded the anaphora from the Formula Missae, which liturgical scholar Frank Senn states fostered "a church life that was both catholic and evangelical, embracing the whole population of the country and maintaining continuity with pre-Reformation traditions, but centered in the Bible's gospel."
United States The Lutheran liturgy currently used in the United States traces its development back to the work of Beale M. Schmucker, George Wenner and Edward Horn. Their work took place in the context of a wider North American confessional revival. Between 1876 and 1883, various Lutheran synods expressed an interest in creating a common worship service. This led to the creation of a Joint Committee in 1884 which included representatives of the General Synod and General Council, the two dominant pan-Lutheran groups. This committee appointed Schmucker, Wenner and Horn who began their work in April 1884. A year later, they brought a draft to the General Synod's convention which modified and approved the following order: Introit, Kyrie, Gloria in Excelsis, Collect, Epistle, Gradual with Alleluia (or Tract during Lent), Gospel, Nicene Creed, Sermon, General Prayer, Preface, Sanctus and Benedictus qui Venit, Exhortation to Communicants, Lord's Prayer and Words of Institution, Agnus Dei, Distribution, Collect of Thanksgiving, Nunc Dimittis, Benedicamus Domino, Benediction. In 1887, the three men presented their final draft to the Joint Committee. This final draft used the King James Version language and Anglican (Book of Common Prayer) translations of the Kyrie, Gloria, Creeds, Prefaces, Lord's Prayer, and Collects. It also included the Nunc Dimittis as an option. The final draft, with minor edits, was approved by the various synods in 1888 and has become known as The Common Service and formed the basis for every major Lutheran hymnal and worship book into the late twentieth century.The History of the Common Service (RTF), WELS.The Common Service: 1888–1988, WELS.
Brazil In Brazil both the Evangelical Church of the Lutheran Confession in Brazil (IECLB) and the confessional Evangelical Lutheran Church of Brazil (IELB) use the term culto for the Divine Service, in line with the broader terminology used by other Protestant churches in the country, while preserving the historic Lutheran liturgy.
Liturgy Preparatory Service
Processional hymn is sung. The people stand. During this hymn, the pastor and those assisting him/her (such as the acolytes) process into the sanctuary from the narthex.Processional Cross from LCMS.org. The Invocation begins the Divine Service. For the Invocation and the Preparatory Service, the pastor is to stand at the foot of the altar steps, advancing to the altar at the Introit.The Conduct of the Service by the Rev. Dr. Arthur Carl Piepkorn He speaks the Trinitarian formula, as the Sign of the Cross is made by all. The Confession follows "In the Confession (Lat. "Confiteor"), we kneel humbly before our God, acknowledging our sin and seeking purification of our Spirit. In the Declaration of Grace that follows, we receive from God Himself the assurance of God's mercy and grace that enables us to focus on our loving God."How Lutherans Worship , Lutherans Online. Both the congregation and the pastor kneel as the following is said:
Pastor: If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
Congregation: But if we confess our sins, God who is faithful and just will forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
(moment of silence for personal examination)
Pastor: Let us then confess our sins to God our Father.
All: Most merciful God, we confess that we are by nature sinful and unclean. We have sinned against you in thought, word, and deed, by what we have done and by what we have left undone. We have not loved You with our whole heart; we have not loved our neighbors as ourselves. We justly deserve Your present and eternal punishment. For the sake of Your Son, Jesus Christ, have mercy on us. Forgive us, renew us, and lead us, so that we may delight in Your will and walk in Your ways to the glory of your Holy Name. Amen.
Pastor: Almighty God in His mercy has given His Son to die for you and for His sake forgives you all your sins. As a called and ordained servant of Christ, and by His authority, I therefore forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. .(Lutheran Service Book, Divine Service I)
All: Amen.
Service of the Word
The Introit is sung. "The Introit (Lat. "entrance") marks the actual beginning of the Service of the Day. It strikes the keynote theme of the entire Service, recognizing the glory of God and announcing God's grace using pertinent verses, usually from the Psalms. The Introit consists of an Antiphon, followed by a Psalm verse, followed by the Gloria Patri. The Antiphon is then repeated for emphasis." It is during the Introit that the choir, ministers (bishop, pastors (presbyters), deacons), and celebrant process to the chancel. Bowing to the altar, they move to their seats. The celebrant approaches the altar and bow to kiss it. All remain standing. The Kyrie is chanted by a deacon. "In the Kýrie Eléison (Gr. "O Lord, have mercy"), we pray to God for grace and help in time of need. It expresses our humility and appreciation of our own weakness and need in a sinful world." The follows. "The Gloria in Excelsis (Lat. "Glory to God in the highest") is the angelic hymn announcing the birth of our Savior Jesus Christ to the shepherds. In it, we join in the hymn of the angels in celebration of the Father's gift of His Son." During Advent and Lent the Gloria in Excelsis is omitted. In its place in Advent, "O come, O come, Emmanuel" is commonly sung. In Lent, "Vexilla Regis" commonly takes its place. Next is the Dominus Vobiscum and the day's Collect. "The Dominus Vobiscum is a reciprocal chanted prayer of the Pastor for his people and of the congregation for its Pastor before we together offer our petitions to God. It reflects the special relationship of love between the Pastor and congregation... The Collect sums up, or "collects", all the prayers of the church into one short prayer and suggests the theme of the day or season." After the collect, all may be seated. The first reading (commonly an Old Testament passage) is read. During Easter and its season a passage from the book of Acts of the Apostles is read. After the reading the person chants "The Word of the Lord", to which the congregation replies "Thanks be to God". Today the common practice is that the readings (excluding the Gospel) are read by lay people. Next, the Gradual is sung by the cantor and/or choir. "The Gradual, so-named because it was originally sung from a step (Lat. "gradus") of the altar, provides a musical echo to the passage just read and a transition to the next lesson." The gradual is psalm that is sung in meditation on the first reading. The Epistle reading is announced and read. "The Epistle (Gr. "letter") is usually taken from the letters of the Apostles. Frequently, this lesson does not relate directly to the Gospel. Usually, it bears practical and serious thoughts for daily living." The Alleluia and verse is now sung by cantor and people. "The Alleluia (Heb. "Praise the Lord") is a song of joy at the hearing of the Word of God. The accompanying verse usually reflects the mood of the day." During Lent, the Alleluia is omitted and is replaced with a tract. All rise at the singing of the Alleluia and remain standing while the Gospel is read. The Gospel reading is chanted or spoken. Traditionally the role of a deacon. "At the announcement of the Gospel, we sing the Gloria Tibi, Domine (Lat. "Glory to you, O Lord"), joyfully affirming our recognition of the real presence of Christ. After hearing our Savior's Good News, we respond with words of praise in the Laus Tibi, Christe (Lat. "Praise to you, O Christ")." The Hymn of the day is sung next. This hymn outlines the theme of the day and is the chief hymn of the Divine Service, so it is chosen very carefully. Following, the people may be seated. Sermon (also called "homily" or "postil").