Jubilate Wednesday - Devotion in Exile

Lection for Jubilate Wednesday 
Leviticus 16:1-24     Luke 10:1-22

I mentioned on Tuesday that I was going to do a series on the Divine Service for the the next few days. While we have 5 different settings in our Lutheran Service Book, we will be using the form, Divine Service Setting 1 for this series of devotions. This is also the same liturgy (except for a little bit of updated language) as found in The Lutheran Hymnal in the Service of Holy Communion which begins on page 15.

Why do we worship the way we do? Is there a reason that we do the same thing, is there a purpose for it all? There is most definitely a purpose for the form of worship that has been handed down to us, not only from our Lutheran roots in Germany, but the form of our service finds its origin in the 1st Century after Christ ascended. We can see this form in the early North African liturgies of that age.

(taken from Lutheran Worship, the INTRODUCTION, page 6, used with permission) Our Lord speaks and we listen.  His Word bestows what it says.  Faith that is born from what is heard acknowledges the gifts received with eager thankfulness and praise.  Music is drawn into this thankfulness and praise, enlarging and elevating the adoration of our gracious giver God.

Saying back to Him what He has said to us, we repeat what is most true and sure.  Most true and sure is His name, which He put upon us with the water of our baptism.  We are His.  This we acknowledge at the beginning of the Divine Service.  Where His name is, there He is.  Before Him we acknowledge that we are sinners, and we plead for forgiveness.  His forgiveness is given us, and we, freed and forgiven, acclaim Him as our great and gracious God as we apply to ourselves the words He has used to make Himself known to us.

The rhythm of our worship is from Him to us, and then from us back to Him.  He gives His gifts, and together we receive and extol them.  We build one another up as we speak to one another in psalm, hymn, and spiritual songs.  (Ephesians 5:15-21) Our Lord gives us His body to eat and His blood to drink.  Finally, His blessing moves us out into our calling, where His gifts have their fruition.  How best to do this we learn from His Word and from the way His Word has prompted His worship through the centuries.  We are heirs of an astonishingly rich tradition.  Each generation receive from those who went before and, in making that tradition of the Divine Service its own, add what best may serve in its own day – the living heritage and something new.  

 It would be great, if you opened your hymnal (depending on which one you have) to follow along with this. Of course, as the goal is to learn that our Divine Service is all Scripture, it would be good to look up each of the verses that are designated in you own Bible.

I pray that you enjoy this brief excursion into our shared liturgical heritage.

          Invocation 

          (Matthew 18:20, 28:19, John 16:23, Colossians 3:17)

          Confession & Absolution

          (Beloved in the Lord... - Hebrews 10:12ff..)

          (Our help is... - Psalm 124:8)

          (I said, I will confess... - Psalm 32:5)

          (Prayer of confession - summary of Rom. 7:14-8:4)

          (Absolution - as commanded by Christ, Matt. 18:18, 

                 John 20:19-23)

          Introit, Kyrie, & Gloria in Excelsis 

          (the Introit is taken from the Psalms and other 

          passages listed in The Lutheran Hymnal pp. 54-94)

          Kyrie (Matt. 9:27/15:22/17:15/20:30,31/

                Mk. 10:47, 48 etc.)

           & Gloria in Excelsis (Luke 2:14)

          Salutation & Collect

          (Salutation - Judges 6:12, Ruth 2:4, Luke 1:28, 

                 Gal. 6:18, 2 Thess. 3:16, 2 Tim. 4:22)

          The Scripture Lessons

          Nicene Creed (Matthew 10:32-33, Romans 10:8-10)

          Hymn of the Day

Following the creed, as our faith has been called forth and confessed, it breaks forth in song called the hymn of the day.  This hymn reflects the particular theme of the Propers of the Day which contain the Scripture lessons which have already been heard.

          Sermon

After the hymn of the day, the pastor continues in the tradition of the prophets, apostles, and evangelists and stands in our midst to deliver God's Law and His Gospel.   The sermon is always concluded with the pronouncement that God will indeed keep your hearts in this faith which you have heard as the pastor pronounces upon the people the votum (prayer-wish) taken from Philippians 4:7.

          Offertory (Psalm 51:10-12)  and Offering

          Preface, Proper Preface, Sanctus & Lord's Prayer

          (Preface - see Scripture references at the Salutation)

          (Lift up your hearts - Lamentation 3:41, Psalm 86:4,)

          (Let us give thanks... Psalm 50:14, 69:30, 95:2, 

                  100:4, 107:2, 116:17, 147:7)

          (Sanctus -  Isaiah 6:2-3, John 12:41)

          (Lord's Prayer -  Matthew 6:9-13 

                  Conclusion - Gal. 1:5, Heb. 13:21, Rev. 1:6)

          Consecration (Verba), Pax Domini, Agnus Dei, 

                  Distribution

          (Verba - I Cor. 11:23, Matt. 26:26, Luke 22:19)

          (Pax Domini - John 14:27, 20:19-21)

          (Agnus Dei - John 1:29, Isaiah 53:7, Eph. 2:13-17, 

                  1 Peter 1:19-20, Rev. in over 30 places)

          Nunc Dimittis, Thanksgiving, Benidicamus, 

                  Benediction

          (Nunc Dimittis - Luke 2:29-32)

          (Thanksgiving - Psalm 107:1, 118:1)

          (Benidicamus - concludes the 1st four books of the 

                 Psalter - Ps. 47, 72, 89,106,150)

          (Benediction - Numbers 6:22-27)

Tomorrow, I will begin to break down this Divine Service into the first of its three constituent parts.

Peace of the Lord be with you.