Bible Study: Divine Service The Word

Opening Hymn: LSB 578:1-2 Thy Strong Word Psalm 84 Creed (Back Cover) Lord’s Prayer (Back Cover)

The Service of the Word The Word

1. The Salutation

2. An ancient greeting/prayer between Pastor and People

3. Reflects the words of Angelic greetings (Judg. 6:12, Luke 1:28)

4. Note how the Pastor gives the salutation and receives the response

5. Why is it here in the service? Where else is it? What is coming up?

6. The greeting precedes sacramental acts

7. Addressed to man, not God (A reciprocal prayer)

8. The Collect

9. Why the weird name?

10. It collects our prayers together

11. It collects the thoughts of the readings together

12. Where do our collects come from?

13. Many of them are quite ancient, in use since the early middle ages

14. Translated and updated through time, many by Thomas Cranmer in the

mid 16th century

1. Why do they all sound so similar?

2. They have a distinct form

3. Invocation

4. Basis for petition

5. The Petition

6. The benefit desired

7. The doxology (praise to God)

8. Can you see the parts in our Collect for Sexagesima?

“O God, the strength of all who put their trust in you, mercifully grant that by your power we may be defended against all adversity; through Jesus Christ, your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.”

iii. What part is missing? 1. Some times parts 2 or 4 are left out.

d. How does the congregation respond? Why? 3. The Readings

a. From where do we get our readings? i. Where did this lectionary come from?

4.

1. The historic one year lectionary dates to Charlemagne (A.D. 800)

2. Slight changes have been over time, but it remains essentially the

same

1. It follows the tradition of the church, set about in Synagogues of

the OT, when they would read from both the Law and the Prophets

ii. What about the Three Year lectionary?

1. It was brought about Vatican II (1962-5) and gained use in the Lutheran church thereafter

The Gradual and Alleluia

1. “The gradual is a liturgical arrangement of portions of psalms originally sung

entire and from a step of the altar. The first part constitutes the gradual proper and reflects the thought of the Epistle. The second part is known as the Alleluia and serves as a prelude to the Gospel.” (Reed, 295)

1. For some time, when no OT lesson was read, the Gradual and Alleluia were combined. Now, with the restoration of an OT lesson, the Gradual takes its natural place before the Epistle, and the Alleluia before the Gospel.

2. Is the Alleluia ever omitted? Why?

i. Our Lenten piety instructs us to put away those most joyous parts of our

liturgy, in line with the penitential nature of Lent. d. What does Alleluia mean?

1. “Praise you Lord”

2. It is an expression of joy at hearing the Word of God

The Gospel a. How is the prominence of the Gospel highlighted?

i. Standing ii. The sentences before and after

5.

Closing Prayer: Collect For the Word (Grace to receive the Word), p. 308

A Note about the Pre-Lent Season:

“In 568 Pope John III appointed these Sundays [Septuagesima, Sexagesima, and Quinquagesima] as days of supplication in view of the perils threatened by the invading Lombards. Fear of impending disaster and trust in God are alternately expressed in the Introits and Graduals and in the earnest petitions of the Collects for these Sundays. The prayers and other propers were retained in the liturgy after the long-continued threats of invasion had ended, and have now received a spiritual interpretation.” (The Lutheran Liturgy, Luther Reed, 1947, pg. 487)

*Notes taken from An Explanation of the Common Service, and The Lutheran Liturgy