Encore Post: During two seasons of the Church Year, the Gloria in Excelsis (Glory to God in the Highest) is absent from the Liturgy.
During the rest of the church year, when Pastor and congregation finish singing the tri-fold Kyriethere is a very short line that is sung solely by Pastor. “Glory be to God on High!” And immediately the whole congregation join in singing “And on earth, peace good will toward men.” It’s as if the Pastor and congregation are reenacting the events of Christ’s birth according to Luke 2:8-14.
The Pastor and congregation join in that wonderful song with the Angels and all the company of Heaven (similarly to the Sanctus). But why does Pastor have the first line by himself? Perhaps, and this my speculation, it has to do with the fact that the Pastor is the “Angel” to the congregation. “Angel” means messenger. And in the book of Revelation, Jesus tells John to write the seven letters to the seven angels of the churches. The angels are the pastors of those churches. The pastor is the messenger sent by God to this congregation to announce the good news of Christ Jesus, that in Him we have forgiveness of sins and peace with God. Pastors proclaim the same peace sung by the angelic host to those in the congregation! With such news of forgiveness for the sake of the Son, Jesus Christ, it is only right and proper for the congregation to join in the hymn of the heavenly host.
But the words of the Gloria go further than just the words of the angels on the night of Christ’s birth. We know the full story of Christ’s birth, life, death, resurrection and ascension for our salvation via the Gospels. The canticle hymn of praise hits all of these facets for which we ought to praise God for what He has done to save us from our sins and give to us His peace. With this hymn we have a fitting close to a little portion of the service, singing praise for the forgiveness of sins just recently announced upon us for the sake of Christ Jesus. We are ready now for the Collect of the Day and the readings of the Day.
Rev. Jacob Hercamp St. Peter’s Lutheran Church La Grange, MO
Encore Post: As we continue looking at the liturgy of the Divine Service, after the Confession and Absolution, Introit, we find ourselves staring at the Kyrie, the most basic and frequent prayer made to our Lord.
The Church has always been a place where prayers are said. In our services we offer up prayers and petitions seemingly at every point. All of those are prayers in their own ways as we are speaking to God the words, He has given us to speak.
The word Kyrie is the Greek word for Lord, which is the first word we sing in prayer. But Kyrie is shorthand for the longer phrase: Kyrie Eleison or in English “Lord have mercy.” This prayer is perhaps the most basic prayer in the entire world. It certainly is the most frequent prayer to Jesus that we can find in the Gospels. See Luke 17:11-19, Mark 10:48, Matthew 15:21-28.
You might ask why do we sing the Kyrie when we do in the service? We have just received absolution. Mercy was just poured out to us in the forgiveness of sins. And you would be correct, so think of this prayer/song not only as a prayer for mercy, but an acknowledgement that mercy comes solely from the Trinitarian God: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. That is why we sing it three times. Dr. Luther wrote his own hymn for the Kyrie which is much more specific, addressing each Person of the Trinity by name.
One Pastor calls the Kyrie the first great pillar of the Divine Service because it teaches us what true Christian worship really is. If we look to the Book of Concord in the Apology of the Augsburg Confession we learn that true worship of God is the reception of His gifts, namely the forgiveness of sins and everlasting life won for us by Jesus. Mercy has been shown to us, and with this prayer leading us further into the Service of the Word mercy is exactly what we receive by hearing God’s Word in truth and purity.
Rev. Jacob Hercamp St. Peter’s Lutheran Church La Grange, MO
Encore Post: I began this series because people in my congregation, namely confirmation students asked me questions about the service. Knowing they probably weren’t the only ones asking why we do what we do, I figured I would churn out my responses here as well. A recent question about the service that I received was about this funny word: Introit.
Yes, what is an introit? I am ever so thankful for the work of The Commission on Worship of the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod in producing the most recent Lutheran Service Book. It is spectacular. The book is a great resource and really should be purchased for home devotions. It contains so many great things, not just hymns! It contains a wonderful glossary of terms too.
In that little glossary we find the definition for the word introit. The word comes from the Latin, meaning to enter. An introit is a collection of psalm verses sung or spoken at the beginning of the service. It is what is known as part of the Propers for the day, which like the scripture readings and hymns of the service change each Sunday in accordance with the Church Year.
The Introit plays a pretty important part in setting the tone for the rest of the Divine Service. It is the first words we hear that begin to develop the theme of the day.
Why is it called the Introit? Well, historically speaking the pastors or bishops of the early church would go from house church to house church. Upon entering the church, they would begin singing the psalm and take up their place at the altar. This is still a practice in many churches, see CTSFW for instance. While I do not begin the service from the back of the church, I do not go up to the altar until we begin to chant the Introit.
This singing of the Introit also begins what is called the Service of the Word, for the Word of God is central to the event taking place. The Introit then is a key aspect of the Divine Service further preparing us and conditioning us to tune our ears in to the themes of the upcoming readings, hymns, and sermon as well.
I encourage you to take a long look at the introit for upcoming Divine Services. May they help prepare you for hearing the Gospel proclaimed.
Rev. Jacob Hercamp Christ Lutheran Church Noblesville, Indiana
Advent begins December 1 and with Advent, which is a time of repentance, prayer, and hope, we prepare for the return of our Lord Jesus Christ to judge both the living and the dead.
One way to prepare ourselves for this visitation and fulfillment of our salvation is to read with great joy are the Introits of Advent. For instance, the first Sunday begins with these words: “Behold, your king is coming to you; righteous and having salvation.” A little later: “The Lord, he has made his light to shine upon us” (Malachi 4:1–6). This should also remind us of the prophecy of Isaiah, “Those who have dwelt in darkness, on them the light has shined” (Isaiah 9:1–2).
The Introit for the second Sunday of Advent begins this way: “In the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord.” This is directly from the prophecy of Isaiah 40:3–5, concerning the preaching of John the Baptist. He comes to prepare the world for Christ’s ministry. John points us to Agnus Dei, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world (John 1:29–34).
The third Sunday of Advent we have the exhortation of St. Paul on our minds and our lips with “Rejoice in the Lord Always, again I will say Rejoice” (Philippians 4:4–7). Jesus gives us words of comfort in the final days, for when we see the signs of the end of days such as the ones we live in now, we should lift up our heads and rejoice, for the day our salvation is near (Luke 21:25–28). And we will speak of the wonderful and merciful acts of our Lord to all people.
The final Sunday of Advent we pray in the Introit the prayer of Isaiah 64:1 “Oh that you would rend the heavens and come down, that the mountains might quake at your presence!” The call for Christ to return to this world for final judgement is our prayer. It is another way to say, “Come Lord Jesus, come” (Revelation 22:17–21). For those who hope in the Lord will not be put to shame when day of judgement comes. But rather for the faithful the final day will be a day of great rejoicing. We will be with all the saints who have gone before us in the faith in presence of our Lord Jesus Christ.
I pray that as you prepare for Christmas, you take a moment to read the introits of the Advent Season.
Rev. Jacob Hercamp St. Peter’s Lutheran Church La Grange, MO
Encore Post: I began this series on the liturgy by talking about Confession and Absolution as preparation. Today, I am hoping to talk about one action that pastors do over the people: making the sign of the holy cross.
I received a question from one of my confirmation students asking about the sign of the cross, and why “we don’t do it.” I responded, that all Christians are encouraged make the sign of the cross for it is their mark, it was given to you all the way back at your baptism (see page 197 of the link). It is by this sign of the cross that you were and are marked as of one of the redeemed by Christ.
The Lutheran Service Book encourages all the baptized to make the sign of the cross at the Invocation and elsewhere throughout the service. There in red, we read, “The sign of the cross may be made by all in remembrance of their Baptism.” The sign of the cross is not just for the pastor to make, but for the whole congregation to do for themselves.
The sign of the cross is the oldest symbol of Christianity. The cross and specifically the crucifix, that is the cross containing the body of Christ, represent clearly that Jesus Christ and him crucified is the object of our faith and worship. There is no other sign more Christian than the cross, and it is a sign for all the baptized to use in worship and devotional life.
If you have the desire, make the sign of the cross this Sunday when the hymnal suggests, and may it be an aid to you in your worship and devotional life.
Rev. Jacob Hercamp Christ Lutheran Church Noblesville, Indiana
Encore Post: We go from one activity to another, often without even beating an eye. This certainly can happen within the Divine Service. How much attention do we pay to what’s going on? Do we know why we do what we do in worship service?
Before confessing our sins as a whole congregation, we speak back and forth responsively, “I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the Lord” and the congregation responds, “and You forgave the iniquity of my sin.” After those words, there are some important red words printed in the hymnal. They say, “Silence for reflection on God’s Word and for self-examination.”
There is a time of silence. It is a time to consider myself and yourself in light of God’s Law found in the Ten Commandments. Have I been the best father and husband I could have been for my children these past days? Probably not. I failed in my responsibility to my wife and children, breaking the 4th commandment not being a faithful to my calling as head of my household. Did I grudgingly congratulate someone who won the raffle or the lottery, when in reality wishing it was me? Yup, so I broke the 7th, 9th and 10th commandments. And oh, by the way, I broke the first commandment because I didn’t trust God to give me all that I need.
Lord, have mercy. I am a sinner. I deserve exactly what I am about to confess about myself. I deserve death. We plead for God to have mercy on us.
But God who is faithful and just forgives our sins. Thanks be to God that for Christ’s sake, God forgives our sins. We cannot add anything to make God forgive us. Christ has done it all. Thanks be to Christ!
When we confess our sins and receive His forgiveness in the words of Absolution, we are prepared to sing our Redeemer’s praises. We are prepared to receive from His bountiful goodness the forgiveness of sins purchased and won for us by our Lord Jesus by his death at the cross.
So, take a moment slow down and brush up on the Lord’s Ten Commandments in preparation for Confession and Absolution as we begin the Divine Service where God comes to serve us His gifts of forgiveness, life, salvation given to us on account of Christ, our Lord.
Rev. Jacob Hercamp Christ Lutheran Church Noblesville, Indiana
Encore Post: When I was at seminary, I fell in love with the book of Isaiah. My love for the book has only intensified. This is especially so when it comes to the readings that we just heard from Isaiah for Christmas. Isaiah 9:2-7 is perhaps the most well known prophecy of the coming Messiah. We easily remember the names that Isaiah calls the child who is to be born: “Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” But we should not forget the the last sentence of verse 7. It says, “The zeal of the Lord of Hosts will do this.”
That got me thinking more about the Lord’s zeal. What is it? What does it mean that the Lord has zeal? And in which direction is this zeal going?
Yes, what is this zeal? As I studied the word behind the translation “zeal”, the word used is the same word that the Lord uses to describe himself as a jealous God to Israel at Mt. Sinai. There He speaks to Israel displaying to them that they are his possession and no one else’s, and Israel should not chase after false gods because they are the Lord’s chosen. The Lord knows his own, so he desires them for himself and for himself alone.
But in Isaiah, as I traced the word further, I saw that zeal was also connected to the Lord’s promise he made to David. That promise is found in 2 Samuel 7, when the Lord tells David that he will place a son on the throne and he his reign will be forever and it will be a reign of peace.
That is big news! And the first instance of this word in Isaiah as well as Isaiah 37:32-35, “zeal” connects us back to that promise made to David. The child that is born, the son that is given will reign on the throne of David. And it will be so because the zeal of the Lord of Hosts will do this. The Lord remembers his promises and makes them come full circle in the birth of Jesus. He is the King of the Jews, the Son of David, who saves his people and brings peace to all, as the angels declare.
The Lord’s zeal is for his people, whom He works to reconcile unto Himself. And this zeal is seen again in the work that this Son of Isaiah 9 does. He joyfully goes to the cross to bring to us peace! The Lord’s zeal is Jesus’ zeal who cares for us, remembers us, and dies for us that we might be made children of God.
What a zealous God we have, caring for his people, remembering his promises, and by his own zeal makes his promises come true! The zeal of the Lord of hosts has done it and done well for us and our salvation!
Merry Christmas!
Rev. Jacob Hercamp Christ Lutheran Church Noblesville, Indiana
Note: This sermon was preached before the Confessions Study held on the 3rd Thursday of every month at St. Peter Lutheran Church, Indianapolis, IN. The sermon text comes from the daily lectionary found within Rev. Peter Bender’s Lutheran Catechesis.
Grace, mercy, and peace be unto you from God our Father and our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.
“And you shall guard to do all which YHWH your God commands you. You shall not turn to the right or to the left. In all the words which YHWH your God commands you, you shall walk in order that you live and in order that it be good with you, and in order that you may prolong you days on the earth which you will take possession of.” (Dt. 5:31-32My translation)
Those words probably sounded pretty good to the people of Israel when Moses spoke these words to them again. You and I know that this is part of the Mosaic Covenant. All the words which the Lord speaks here to Israel through Moses are contingent upon the works of the people. “You shall observe.” “You must observe every word of the Lord’s commands.” “If you want to live, to truly live, then you must hold to the commands given.” Some people might like their odds with such commands. But you and I both know how Israel fared under such a burden. Peter speaks about the burdens in Acts. The Law is a yoke that no one is able to bear by their own strength. Yet, we have been given these words to live by. So what do we do with them?
Perhaps it’s best we go back to the original context of the covenant. The Lord God heard the groans and the cries of His people Israel. They had been under the burden of the Egyptians, and the Lord God, had promised even further back that He would remember Abraham’s descendants in Egypt and that He would give to them the Land promised to Abraham. The Lord remembered, and He knew what He would do to bring them salvation. The Children of Israel were not perfect before His act of salvation. But instead, the Lord God acted in love and in accordance with His promise made so many years before to Abraham. He brought Israel up out of Egypt by His mighty Right Hand. He bared His arm in triumph over Pharaoh and Egypt. And it is after this act of deliverance that the Lord speaks to Israel at Sinai. Now the Law was already on their hearts, but now at Sinai, the Lord God clarifies how He would continue to bring about the promise He had made to Abraham and to Adam and Eve. Israel, the children of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, would be a kingdom of priests. They were to be beacons of light; they were to be different from the world because they knew their saving God. They knew His name, and they were to call upon Him. They were to teach and preach to the rest of the nations about their God, the creator of Heaven and Earth, and the one who had redeemed them from the clutches of Egypt, that house of slavery and death.
Like Luther’s explanation of the First Article, God acted first in love. He created, sustained, and defended the children of Israel, so having experienced all that, then it would be Israel’s duty to thank, praise, serve, and obey the Lord their God. Not because Israel was afraid of Him, but because Israel did not wish to “let God down” similar to how a son does not desire to do a crummy mowing job and thus lose the respect of his father. No, the son desires to do good because he knows his father loves him, and he does not want to let him down. Is this not what Israel is called to do as well? To desire to do good because they were God’s chosen possession and instrument to prepare the rest of the nations for the blessing that was to come from the Messiah who was to be born from their line?
But what happened? Rebellion.
Not even 60 days after all the events that transpired to bring Israel from Egypt to Sinai, upon receiving the original stone tablets with all the words of the Law upon it, Israel chased after idolatry. The golden calf was set up and worshipped as if the Lord was a calf. This flew in the face of the command to be different from the nations. Hear O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is One. And you Shall love the your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with your might.” So much for teaching this to their sons.
But are we, in this generation, any different? How many of our own people fail to teach the word of God to their own children? Have we fallen into the same type of holes? Are we teaching our children well or are we letting the world catechize them? Our children are being catechized one way or the other, may God have mercy on us all.
We cannot take this opportunity for granted and we cannot assume that our own children will just grow up and remain Christian because of living with a pastor as a father. There is too much evidence to the contrary. Our Lord tells us to teach, and so we ought to do that.
And if you teach by your own strength, you might do well for a while. But if you teach yet are not being taught and fed yourself, you will be no better than Israel of Old. Your bones will dry up, and you will be spiritless. You and I cannot do teach or even believe in what God has done for us in love by our own reason or strength. God did not send His son for us because of anything you or I have done to earn such a gracious visit, but He did it out of His own compassion and love. He acted first. Be fed His love. Know for yourself who this Lord and God is, know that He has called you His own possession. You are a chosen one. You are made Holy by Him, and you have been granted to hear the words of eternal life as well as believe them. That word first preached to your own ears has gone from the ear to the heart and now from the heart to the mouth so that you might do that which our Lord commands now. You and I are no longer under the curse of the Law, but we are justified on account of the One who has been sent, Jesus Christ, the promised Messiah. It is through Him and Him alone that w are blessed and made new. No longer is the Law of God only there serving to accuse us, but it is there showing us what children of God do because we are God’s children. This is how we live. We live by God’s Word. We live by faith trusting that Christ has come to save. And He grants us strength so that we might live in righteousness and purity before God even now as we receive from Him the forgiveness of sins by the preaching of His and the administration of His Sacraments.
You and I get to know the Lord as the Lord who has created, sustains, redeems, and sanctifies us. And we get to teach this to our children. May we be blessed in the task to raise up our physical children as well as our spiritual children in this holy faith. Let us not lose hope in the midst of this endeavor but cling to the promises of Christ our Lord, who is ever with us in the task. It He who gives the Word. It is He who gives the Growth. It is He who brings His Harvest home. You and I are blessed to be part of the work. God be praised now and ever for what He has done, having sent the only begotten One into the world to make a people for Himself. May we never forget or lose sight of this good and gracious gift which we get to proclaim. The message of Christ Jesus who came to seek and redeem us lost and condemned souls.
In the Holy Name of Jesus. Amen.
Rev. Jacob Hercamp Christ Lutheran Church Noblesville, Indiana
Some of you who have followed this blog have read my earlier series “A Walk Through the Liturgy.” I enjoyed writing that series very much as it helped me articulate what I deemed (and still deem) to be some of the more important aspects of why we do what we do in the worship services within the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod. But there are other things we can do to help us remember what we have heard in the service and get a better feel for the lectionary and church year in general.
As a confirmation student, I had to do sermon notes. Many of you probably had to do something similar. As a pastor, I have tweaked the formula. The entire service should demand our attention, because sometimes a sermon can be a dud. Thanks be to God that we hear His Word read, and that we are not reliant upon a sermon alone to receive the gifts of our Lord Jesus Christ. We have the entire service through which we receive Christ’s gifts!
So what do I do? I encourage my confirmation students and members to read my “Walk Through the Liturgy,” but then I require worship sheets to be filled out by confirmation students. It is meant to help them get more out off the service, and it should help Moms and Dads lead discussions about what happened in the worship service.
My questions begin with church year and colors. Then I ask about their favorite hymn from the service. Then I ask for a summary of the readings of the day. I don’t want it to be a paragraph. I am only asking for a single sentence for each of the main readings for the day. Then I ask if they find anything that connects the readings together. Again, its not supposed to be a long answer. I want the students to be reading their catechisms in full to help the next question. I also try to make some connection explicitly in my sermon. The same goes for the questions concerning the connections between the readings. Only after these questions do I ask the standard “Law/Gospel” questions for the sermon.
These worship notes are designed to help people of all ages to better retain what they have heard and learned from worship. As attention spans are getting shorter and shorter, consider making your own sheets. While I am not gifted in design, my wonderful wife helped make a sheet that is confined to one sheet of paper. Again, these aren’t supposed to be long treatises, but they can be tailored to your own desires. Over the course of time, you might make other connections you didn’t make the year before, or you might see the same hymn sung on the same Sunday year after year. But why not take up a more active listening role in the pews, so you get as much out of the service as your pastor and organist put into as they planned the hymns around the readings of the day along with the Sacraments of our Lord.
Rev. Jacob Hercamp Christ Lutheran Church Noblesville, Indiana
When you think of “Worship,” what do you see in your mind’s eye? What do you associate with the term? Do you see “pomp and circumstance”? Do you see a well ordered ritual activity? Do you see hymns and songs of praise? That is all fine and good. But none of that conveys what worship really is.
In the Old in particular we have a few instances were the Lord God wants Israel simply to be silent as He works to save them. Exodus 14:14 is a prime example. Israel need only to be silent while the Lord fights for them. Abraham and Sarah are also another example even earlier in the Pentateuch. In their situation, rather than relying solely on the Lord and waiting for Him to act. Sarai persuaded Abraham to take Hagar as a surrogate of sorts. Sarai sought to short-circuit the promise of God and bring it about in a quicker fashion. That is not relying on God. That is not proper worship of the Lord. To worship Him properly is to rely upon Him. What is proper worship is seen in the woman who seeks out Jesus when her daughter is oppressed by a demon. She relies on any word that Jesus speaks. She does not expect a full meal, but merely a bit of the crumbs of His mercy. She lives and breathes that come from the very Word of God made flesh. The woman worships Jesus as she relies upon Him to do what He has promised to do, which is to save her and her daughter from eternal death.
That is why Jesus is adamant when He cries out to those who are weak to come to him so they would have rest. He cries out that He is the bread of life. He is the one that one drinks from in order to have life. He wants you to rely upon Him for your very life!
Since He has accomplished your salvation, receive it from Him. Seek out His absolution. Seek the preaching of His Word. Pray ‘Give us this day our daily bread,” and mean it. To rely upon Him for mercy is to trust Him and His promises. To trust Him is to worship Him. Jesus always delivers what we need for both body and life. Hence, we too can and should see relying upon Jesus as worship of Him.
Rev. Jacob Hercamp Christ Lutheran Church Noblesville, Indiana
