A Festival of Rededication

This coming Sunday is the first Sunday in Advent. It is also the first day of the new liturgical year. While many use this time to look forward to the coming Christmas season, I would recommend a slightly different approach to this first Sunday in Advent: a new year's celebration.

What do we do when a new year comes? Most of us start thinking about "New Year's resolutions." These resolutions are oftentimes something we have tried to do before but we are now using the New Year as an occasion to rededicate ourselves to our mission. This is exactly what I think the Church should the first Sunday in Advent.

Imagine this Sunday's worship full of pageantry as the altar, the pulpit, the font, and the whole worship space are re-consecrated and rededicated to the service of the Almighty. Our attention is both retrospective – on our baptismal call and our history – and to the forward movement of our parish in the work of God. The worship service would simply be a setting to do all this in; correspondence with Sunday school and bible studies would help to bring the focus in even more.

This Sunday as you worship in your respective parishes, think for a brief moment on how to rededicate yourself to the work of God.

Deacon v. Assistant Minister

In recent years, the new liturgical distinction of the "Assistant Minister" has emerged in our service books. However, in reality the liturgical role has been around nearly forever.

The assistant minister can be a member of the clergy or of the laity. There is little to no distinction between individuals according to age, sex, race, et cetera. It is however the title assistant minister that is new. The role and function of the deacon has been around since the first century. St. Steven – whose tale of martyrdom is found in Acts of the Apostles – is considered the proto-deacon, the first deacon. In those days of the Church, deacons had two main functions: (1) to serve as a worker for the poor, the orphan, the widow, and all the disenfranchised; and (2) to help assist in worship as a kind of worship leader halfway between an acolyte and the priest.

Unfortunately, Lutherans have continually divorced these two roles of the deacon. Today we have diaconal ministers, who play the social role of the deacon; and we have assistant ministers, who play out the liturgical function of the deacon.

I would love to see the state of the deacon restored in the Lutheran Church here in America, a role that once again combines the two roles into one person, one position.

Presenting the Chorale Mass

One of the greatest musical settings of the Mass is Martin Luther's so called "Chorale Mass." This setting of sorts was put forth by Luther in 1526 and in this work he suggests the substitution of German chorales for Latin chants of the ordinary. Unfortunately despite boasting ten settings of the liturgy, the new Evangelical Lutheran Worship hymnal does not have this as a setting. The "Chorale Service of Holy Communion" can be found on page 120 of the Lutheran Book of Worship hymnal.

While the chorale setting of the Mass is wonderful, it is a bit difficult to sing if you are sight-reading every single hymn. It makes things a world better if your choir knows the hymns well enough to help lead, but it is even more valuable for the congregation to know the hymns in advanced. That is to say that all the hymns that would be sung in the service are already known to parishioners. Here are a few ideas on how to teach these hymn to your congregation so the next time you want to do the Chorale Mass you are not afraid of the music.

First of all, each hymn corresponds to a part of the ordinary of the liturgy. A great way to teach one of these hymns is to simply substitute it for its corresponding song in the liturgy. Id est we might make the following substitutions:

Chorale Service	Regular Service
Kyrie! God, Father	Kyrie
All Glory be to God on High	Glory to God in the Highest OR This is the Feast
To God the Holy Spirit Let Us Pray	Alleluia
We All Believe in One True God	Nicene or Apostles' Creed (spoken)
Isaiah in a Vision Did of Old	Holy, holy, holy
O Christ, Thou Lamb of God	Lamb of God

This works well for most of the chorales. The exception is "We All Believe in One True God" which takes the place of a portion of the liturgy that is normally spoken and not sung. By substituting one of these for its equivalent on the normal service settings – say for a season – you will have a congregation which is better educated in the chorale Mass when it comes around.

Another way to teach these hymns to sung them as part of other portions of worship or for certain occasions or seasons. "Kyrie! God, Father" could be used to augment the Brief Order of Confession; "All Glory be to God on High" might be used during Christmas; "To God the Holy Spirit Let Us Pray" can be used during Pentecost; and "We All Believe in One True God" for Holy Trinity Sunday.

Regardless of the methods you use to help teach your congregation these hymns, you have little to no excuse not to use this wonderful setting of the liturgy which has fallen by the wayside.

Vestment on the Rise

A particularly beautiful vestment, the dalmatic has not seen a lot of use as of late. In protestant traditions, it has seen less use as the office of the diaconate has fallen by the wayside. In the Roman church, it has fallen out of use in general following Vatican II. The Orthodox still regularly use a form of the dalmatic.

Both the dalmatic and tunicle are not forbidden in good Lutheran liturgical tradition. In fact, Ms. S. Anita Stauffer states that "the principal assisting minister (liturgical deacon) may wear a dalmatic over the alb for festive celebrations." This notion of the "liturgical deacon" is known in modern parlance as the assisting minister – this post being served by both laity and clergy.

Should we use the dalmatic and its little brother the tunicle? Sure not in congregations which do not even use a chasuble. But if there is a Eucharistic service were the presiding minister wears a chasuble (or any of the Office were the presiding minister wears a cope), I see no issue with an assistant wearing the dalmatic.

Cassock and Surplice

Thirty years ago, the predominate vestment of Protestantism was the cassock and surplice: the cassock being a black robe, buttoning down the front, and the surplice being a full white vestment which comes down to the knees. These two vestments were used together for nearly all Lutheran worship services. Today however almost no one wears them and I would like to ask the question "why?"

Indeed, some of our more apt readers will be able to point out that certain individuals, namely Luther D. Reed himself, advocated for the discontinuation of the use of the cassock and surplice. Why would we want to bring back into use vestments which were considered antiquated thirty or forty years ago? Those who pose this question miss the point of why Dr. Reed advocated their discontinuation – this reason being that the cassock and surplice was being used in place of the alb for all services including mass.

Dr. Reed won his argument in the long run, and I am happy for it. Today we see worship leaders – laity and clergy – using the alb every Sunday for worship, regardless of whether it is Mass or the Office. But if we look at the proper use of the cassock and surplice, we may find some light on the subject of both why Dr. Reed which to put it away, and why I would like to see more of its use. And I don't think Dr. Reed and I are at odds.

The cassock and surplice properly can be used at any occasion – namely the Office – outside of Mass. So for Morning Prayer, Evening Prayer, and any of the other hours observed. The alb is properly used in Mass. This is rules set out by Roman Cannon and so observed by our Roman Catholic brothers in the priesthood, and is laid out as good liturgical practice by Ms. S. Anita Stauffer in her book Altar Guild and Sacristy Handbook, published by Augsburg Fortress.

The cassock and surplice has room to survive today along side with the alb, yet its continuing decline of use is indicative of the continuing decline of the worship form of the Office. Both the Office and Mass has good value in today's worship world; both the cassock and surplice and the alb have room together in today's worship world.

Why I have been goon, so long

So I have been goon for quite some time. Sorry

I have been a little preoccupied – my mother had knee surgery and I have been helping her recover. Shortly after the surgery I was diagnosed with mononucleosis and so I have been on bed rest for the past three weeks. I start Summer Greek here at the Lutheran Theological Southern Seminary tomorrow, so please keep me in your prayers. I am going to try to start writing again in my spare time, but who knows with Greek…

The Corporal

I recently came across a document which wrongful claims that the fair linen is the most important of all church linens. I respectful disagree with this assertion and yield to the words of Dr. Richard Hoefler, the author of Designed for Worship.

"The corporal is considered by many scholars to be the oldest linen of the ancient church now in use. It symbolizes the grave cloth of Our Lord's entombment, and hence the sacrifice of Calvary." (Hoefler 39)

Some parishes lay the corporal out at all times on the altar which is poor practice. Quiet frankly, nothing should sit out on the altar when not in use for the sacrament. When the sacrament is being celebrated only those things necessary for the sacrament should be on the altar. All the vessels containing elements that is to be concreted – properly speaking – should be placed on the corporal. The corporal when not in use should be folded into nines and placed in a burse for protection. It should be washed like all church linens are and it should never be starched.

Ascension

This Thursday is known as the Ascension of our Lord. Now many churches will not celebrate the day, but perhaps move the occasion to the following Sunday, or simply omit it completely. Both are second rate options compared to observing it its entirety on this Thursday. Many would say that trying to get a congregation back to the church mid-week is too much to hope for. Yet the LBW has placed enough significance on this day to have its own propers, including a proper Preface. If we lack interest in this particular feast, do we not devalue it? Do we diminish the importance of the fact that Christ "was taken up into heaven and in power intercedes for us"? Indeed yes, if we choose not to observe this celebration of our Lord's Ascension we choose not to place value in what it means. While it is likely to late to ask for your congregation to observe it this year, there are many lesser feasts that can still be observed this year, and there is always next year to try to make a liturgical difference.

Those notes in red

If you have ever thumbed through the hymnal, perhaps you have noticed little notes printed in red. Sometimes they are numbered, sometimes they are italicized, and sometimes they recommend we do something a bit different within the liturgy then what we normally do. No matter what, they tell us what to do and how to do it. These are rubrics.

These little red notes have been important since the liturgy has been written down. Sometimes you can almost find more rubrics then actual things that are sad in the service – or that just may be the way it feels. No matter what, these little notes can be helpful in telling us what to do and how to do it.

These notes on the liturgy have been extended overtime to not only include the liner-notes for the liturgy, but also to include more extended and general notes found in the forward sections of the service book. The LBW has 26 pages of such notes. The ELW has as much (though substantially lacking – a post for later on). Famously is the GIRM or General Introduction to the Roman Missal. This document – which is itself one great big set of notes (rubrics) – encompasses nine chapters of notes on the liturgy of the Mass. No doubt, the Romans have a distinct way they want the Mass to be done.

A Trinitarian Hymn

Here is the text to a Trinitarian hymn I wrote a few years back. It can be sung to the tune "Puer Nobis"

O Trinity great Three in One, your presence like the rising sun, reveals to us your saving grace, which give us strength our fears to face.

Creating God, the word you spoke, and thus the light with praise awoke; from this alone came all that's good: the rolling streams, the mighty wood.

O Son divine, the Lord of lords, this very day you loosed the cords of sin and death that had us bound. Your vict'ty is your glorious crown.

O Holy Spirit, come this day, and find in us a place to stay. With blazing fire your people fill, to make us bold to do your will.

With thanks we praise the Three in One: the Father, Spirit blessed Son. From dawn to dusk God holds us fast; our God-with-us, the First and Last!

Settings versus Occasions

The new Lutheran hymnal – Evangelical Lutheran Worship – contains three times the number of settings for Holy Communion that the Lutheran Book of Worship does. These settings are usually distinguished not by the order of worship or its particulars but instead by music styles. There is a gospel setting, a Latino setting in Spanish, a chant setting, and others. In many ways the usage is designed only for topical worship particular to a specific congregation; that is to say the Latino setting is designed for a Latino parish, the gospel setting for an African American parish and so on and so forth. Some may disagree saying that this is not the purpose of the settings. However I must point out that most congregations which consist of white Americans use only about three of the settings from the new book, and none of them being what most would consider the multi-cultural options. Now I think infusing the liturgy with music from different cultural sources is good in many ways, but an entire liturgy which the congregation must learn can be a bit much. And certainly using all of the settings is not a viable option. For example, if each was cycled so that setting one was sung one Sunday and then the following Sunday setting two was sung, it would take about two months to cycle though all the settings. This hardly allows enough time to learn a setting.

I would humbly suggest an alternative. What if instead of providing music settings which very so much why don't we proved settings which are designed for difference uses? Why not have a setting of Mass used for daily worship, a Mass used for Sunday worship, and a setting of Mass designed for festival use? Each of these could be augmented with different music so that the same setting could be used just with different music. I don't think it would be too difficult to do; the ELW already has a "Service Music" section in the hymnal and service book which allows other music to be used with any other setting. Why not take this attitude instead of having a new and separate setting of the liturgy for each subset of worship styles. Indeed if we tried to include all particularities of worship styles in the Lutheran church we would find ourselves using a hymnal with hundreds of settings instead of just three.

Good Music for the Pope (and for us?)

It has come to my attention that on Sunday 31 May of this year – Pentecost Sunday – that the Pope's Mass in Rome will be an orchestral setting of a Mass by Franz Joseph Haydn. Now so may say that we should not care what the Roman Catholics do, but I do care very much.

How often do we as Lutherans present a Sunday worship service with genuinely special music? I am not talking about lessons and carols commonly done during Advent or Christmas nor hymn festivals – both which are valuable and good. Nor am I devaluing the quality of the music performed in weekly anthems or voluntaries. However, what I am really talking about is a choral Mass or a cantata, something substantial musically which can link us to our theo-musical background as Christians. So many of the works of Bach, Buxtehude and the like are seen by some as too hard for the parish choir to perform. A mass by Palestrina or Haydn suffer the same fate. Why is this? Why can't we have good music in the Church? The reality is that we can, even if it is hard. See – if the Pope asks for good music, he gets good music. So too can we in the parish, we only have to ask for it.

Ask yourself what is the quality of music you want in your parish. I do believe that we all want the best for God and so we want the best music. If we give good musicians in the parish the power to give God good music and we do demand it of them, we are on the path to better music. It won't happen overnight, but can we not strive to someday have a Bach cantata performed once a month or a choral setting of the Mass sung a all the festivals of the year? I think it can. I comes back to us giving the power to good musicians and demanding good music.

Dressed for Success: Norms for Clerical Dress

Overtime, more and more Lutheran pastors have deemed it fit to minister to parishioners in a secular form of dress – that is to say wearing jeans and a t-shirt or the like. I have to ask if this is really appropriate. Many pastors who wear just casual secular dress would certainly not be thought of as a clergy member by those whom they pass on the street. This can be a good thing or a bad thing.

On one hand, the anonymity of the clergy allows for him or her to live a life in which the burdens of the priesthood are not felt all the time. On the other, people can visually see a dedication to Christ in a clergy who wears a collar when going about everyday business, which may foster and encourage their own Christian devotion. Regardless of the pros and cons of each, there does seem to be some norms when it come to what clergy wear.

It is my opinion that all clergy should at all times wear clerical dress. For me that means a cassock and a collar. For others that may mean a shirt and collar. Regardless, black is the color of the priesthood and these styles of having several different colored clerical shirts seem to over emphasize the fashion tastes of the individual. As stated above, the cassock and collar seem to be the best form of clerical dress for me and is likely what I will wear when I start my parish visitations. It may be a little much for some people, but I feel that wearing it will alter the way I act. If I thing about the fact that wearing this clerical dress clearly and definitively denotes me as a Christian leader, I will be more conscious of my actions, the fact that my actions – good and bad – will point to Christ. It is by this notion that I feel I can better minister to others if I do wear a cassock and collar.

In general, this is part of a larger issue when it comes to vestments in the Lutheran church today – a topic I am sure I will spend a lot of time on later.

Needs of Deaf and Hard of Hearing Parishioners

Just a short post today since I am in the thick of exams…

Here at Lenoir Rhyne University, we have an extensive deaf community on campus. This means our worship services have interpreters who sign the service. Sometimes this is a paid professional, other times, just the campus pastor. Perhaps we shall save a discussion of signing the Mass for later on, but for now, let us think about what we can easily do.

Since deaf and hard of hearing parishioner lack the use of one of their senses, we should perhaps find ways to highlight the other four for them. Here are some ideas

Smell

Use incense

Taste

Offer communion every Sunday

Touch

Hug, shake hands, or kiss at the peace

Use a sprinkling rite at the beginning of Mass

See

Wear brightly colored vestments

Use brightly colored paraments

Use lots of symbols on vestments and paraments

Adorn the worship space with stained glass, icons, statues, paintings, et cetera

Celebrate Eucharist at a nave facing altar

These are just a few ideas on how to extend the worship experience for all, but especially for deaf Christians.

The Who’s Who of Lutheran Music

In Evangelical Lutheran Worship there are a few commemorations extended to musicians who have been instrumental parts of hymnody and music in the church. Let us look at what they have done and contributed.

Charles Wesley (March 2) – Hymns: the Advent hymn No. 254 Come, Thou Long-Expected Jesus; the ever popular Christmas hymn No. 270 Hark! The Herald Angels Sing; he also wrote the fourth verse to Easter Hymn No. 365 Jesus Christ is Risen Today and No. 373 by the same title written entirely by him; a Christ the King Hymn, No. 430 Rejoice, for Christ is King; No. 435 Lo! He Come with Clouds Descending, a hymn about the second coming of Christ; a morning hymn No. 553 Christ, Whose Glory Fills the Skies; No. 631 Love Divine, All Loves Excelling often set to the tune HYFRYDOL, a perennial favorite; No. 825 You Servants of God; and certainly the most well know hymn by him, No, 886 O, for a Thousand Tongues to Sing.

Nicholaus Ludwig von Zinzendorf (May 9) – Hymn No. 624 Jesus, Still Lead On, a hymn from the height of Lutheran Pietism.

Jiří Třanovský (May 29) – Hymn No. 602 Your Heart, O God is Grieved. While not well know, this is a most excellent hymn for confession and forgiveness.

Johann Sebastian Bach, Heinrich Schütz, and George Frederick Handel (July 28) – Hymns harmonized by Bach: No. 310 Songs of Thankfulness and Praise, No. 351 O Sacred Head, Now Wounded, No. 405 O Spirit of Life, No. 480 O Bread of Life from Heaven, No. 501 Come with Us, O Blessed Jesus, No. 606 Our Father, We Have Wandered, No. 703 O God, Why Are You Silent, and No. 876 Let the Whole Creation Cry. Handel wrote the tune the hymn No. 376 Thine is the Glory. All three of these men wrote numerous sacred compositions including cantatas, motets, oratorios, and the like.

Philipp Nicolai, Johann Hermann, and Paul Gerhardt (October 26) – Nicolai wrote some of the most well known hymns in the Lutheran tradition including the King and Queen of chorales: No. 308 O Morning Star, How Fair and Bright! and No. 436 Wake, Awake, for Night is Flying. Also he wrote the tune for No. 786 O Holy Spirit, Enter in. Gerhardt wrote a fair few hymns: No. 241 O Lord, How Shall I Meet You, No. 273 All My Heart Again Rejoices, No. 340 A Lamb Goes Uncomplaining Forth, his most popular text, the Passion hymn No. 352 O Sacred Head, Now Wounded, No. 378 Awake, My Heart, with Gladness, No. 568 Now Rest Beneath Night's Shadow, No. 761 Evening and Morning, and No. 788 If God my Lord Be for Me.

Issac Watts (November 25) – Hymns: No. 267 Joy to the Word, No. 337 Alas! And Did My Savior Bleed, No. 434 Jesus Shall Reign, No. 625 Come, We That Love the Lord, No. 632 O God, Our Help in Ages Past, No. 772 Oh, That the Lord Would Guide My Ways, No. 782 My Shepherd, You Supply My Need, No. 803 When I Survey the Wondrous Cross, No. 847 Come, Let Us Join Our Cheerful Songs, and No. 848 Give to Our God Immortal Praise!

John of Damascus (December 4) – Hymns: No. 361 The Day of Resurrection! and No. 363 Come, You Faithful, Raise the Strain, both Easter hymns.

There is also a commemoration for Catherine Winkworth and John Mason Neale (July 1) who translated many hymns.

These are just a few of the many hymn writers that make up modern hymnody.

An argument for weekly Eucharist

There is little doubt that the issue of weekly communion services has emerged – yet again – as a topic for parish discussions. So perhaps we too should devote some time to this issue.

If we look at our Roman Catholic and Orthodox brothers and sisters as well as those who are members of the Anglican Communion, we see that weekly Eucharist is most definitely part of their worship pattern. In fact, most would likely respond that they could not even have Sunday worship without it. So why is it that we as Lutherans can have such a hard time with taking the leap forward and committing to having weekly Eucharist?

While I am always the first to state the importance for us to understand that we are not a cult of Luther, perhaps looking at the reformer's own writing might shed some light on the importance of "the Sacrament of the Altar." In the Small Catechism, Luther asks "What is the benefit of such eating and drinking" referring to communion. The answer provided is "the words 'given for you' and 'shed for you for the forgiveness of sin' show us that forgiveness of sin, life, and salvation are given to us in the sacrament through these words, because where there is forgiveness of sin, there is also life and salvation." We must ask naturally, what does this mean?

It seems that forgiveness of sins is the central point here – that is chiefly grace. It is by this notion, thoroughly Lutheran, which I would make a bold point. We must, in essence, ask ourselves, "how often are we in need of God's grace?" Sometimes? All the time? Only on the first and third Sundays of the month? Surly the answer for us is indeed at all times and in all places for we are sinners in desperate need of God's grace. However we do not have the capacity to receive Eucharist at all times. Additionally, the practice of daily Eucharist, while commendable, is not practical for most. However, that which is certainly practical is weekly Eucharist.

I would readily suggest Eucharist to sinners in need of God's grace. And so I would ask every sinner to ask for communion only as often as you set foot in the door of the parish. And since it is our time together on Sunday that which chiefly defines us socially, if not spiritually, Christians, let us look forward to the day when we too will say that Sunday worship is not worship if it lack communion.

Some random thoughts about worship in the Lutheran Church

So this blog is to be a forum for liturgical ideas concerning worship in the Lutheran Church. In particular, I would like to explore the following ideas: codification of worship services, the role of music in worship, the future of worship, the use of vestments, the use of linens, the use of paraments, and lots and lots of other things.