Church Services

Our Lord is the Lord who serves. Jesus Christ came into the flesh “not to be served, but to serve and to give His life as a ransom for many” (Matt. 20:28). Our Lord serves us today through His Holy Word and Sacraments. Through these means, He comes among us to deliver His forgiveness and salvation. The Lord’s service calls for our service – in response to His grace through our praise and thanksgiving and service to one another. For this reason, we are called, gathered, enlightened and sanctified by the Holy Spirit in worship services.

Although daily prayer offices are not prominent in the life of most congregations today, it was never intended by the Reformers that this aspect of church life be discontinued. The Church needs to pray publicly and privately; not just on Sunday but throughout the entire week. These services, except for the Services of Confession, are meant to be used by lay people at home as well as in church.  This is just one way in which the people of God are encourage and equipped for living out their Christian and devotional life every day.

The Daily Prayer (LSB pg. 294) is subtitled For Individuals and Families. The Daily Prayer includes various services and devotions intended as a simple form of daily prayer for individuals and families.

The chief worship service of the week is the Divine Service, the Service of Word and Sacrament. It is called the Divine Service because God, the Divine, is serving His people through His Word and Sacraments. Hence, our worship is not about us, but about the God who serves us.

In the Lutheran Service Book (LSB) there are five Settings of the Divine Service (DS):  DS I (LSB pg. 151), II (LSB pg. 167), (LW DS II, 1^st and 2^nd Setting, respectively), DS III (LSB pg. 184) is from The Lutheran Hymnal (TLH p. 15), DS IV (LSB pg. 203) is from the Hymnal Supplement ’98 (DS 6), and DS V (LSB pg. 213) is a modified version of Luther’s German Mass. These Divine Services are the main liturgical Services of the Church intended to be used on Sundays celebrating Holy Communion, and other festival days.

Other occasional Services include Responsive Prayers 1 and 2. Responsive Prayer 1 (LSB pg. 282) is subtitled Suffrages, meaning prayer seeking God’s support and assistance. It is used in the morning alone or in place of the prayers in Matins and Morning Prayer. Responsive Prayer 2 (LSB pg. 285) is used at other times beside morning, or as Itinerarium, the prayer office before travel. It may also be used alone or in place of the prayers in Vespers or the litany in Evening Prayer.

The Service of Prayer and Preaching (LSB pg. 260) is a catechetical (instructional) service focused on the six chief parts, the fundamentals, of the Christian faith as expounded by Luther’s Small Catechism. It is used in either the morning or evening when Communion is not celebrated.

The Litany (LSB pg. 288) is a treasured form of congregational prayer in the Church of the Augsburg Confession. It is a series of responsive prayers as an exposition of the Lord’s Prayer, composed of depreciations, obsecrations, supplications, and intercessions. Luther regarded the Litany as “next to the holy Lord’s Prayer the very best that has come to earth!”  It can also be used during Advent or Lent in place of the Introit or in the place of prayers during Matins or Vespers.

The Service of Corporate Confession and Absolution (LSB pg. 290) is for use in confessional services apart from Holy Communion.  It can be used in place of the confession within the Divine Service, but is intended for restricted group of Christians, not an unidentifiable group as is often the case in public worship. The Service of Individual Confession and Absolution (LSB pg. 292) is much the same, but for an individual or very small group along with the pastor.

note: post adapted from my brother's writings