Smells and Bells

Many have used the expression "smells and bells" to generically describe high liturgical forms of worship. However, there is a lot implied in this little phrase.

First is the implication that more than one sense in involved in worship. Indeed we worship with our voices, we see worship with our eyes, we taste the sacrament, we hear the sermon and the music, and with incense we can engage another sense. No harm in engaging our whole being; besides, are we not called to serve God with our whole being, and does that not mean worshiping God with all our senses?

Secondly, the use of incense has been historically used to denote the sacred. Preceding the cross in processions is common as well as incense's use to sanctify the altar, the people and the worship leaders. It is often used in blessings of homes, objects, and people.

Why then do we not see more incense in worship? Perhaps some people are afraid to use incense because it might bother some people; breathing or smelling the smoke might be too much for some. This is a serious concern, but only one. I think quite frankly that most people have this impression of incense but not have firsthand experience. A simple example it to hang a censor on a stand in the chancel – do not even light it or burn anything in it. There often is a noticeable increase in coughing – the ultimate placebo effect. Heaven forbid someone say something about it, you can always say "I didn't even burn anything!"

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…