Evangelical and Catholic: the Sunday Liturgy of the Lutheran Church (PDF File)

What About Kneeling?		The Sign of the Cross		"catholic" Worship		The Real Presence of Christ in the Sacrament
		Bowing		What is, and Why use, the Historic Liturgy

For two decades, a debate has been going on regarding so-called "contemporary" or "alternative" worship, versus the historic liturgy in use in the Christian Church for almost 2000 years. While there is not time here to discuss the depth and breadth of this debate, it is possible to state the case, briefly, with regard to what the historic liturgy is, and why it is our exclusive form of worship here at Saint Luke's.

What is the historic liturgy? Simply put, it is the form of worship passed down to us through the centuries in many languages, many nations, and yes, even various appropriate musical settings. It has its roots in the worship of the Jewish synagogue which focused on the reading of the Holy Scriptures, and the Lord's Supper instituted by Christ Himself. From the time of the apostles and early church fathers, these two "means of grace"-Word and Sacrament formed the axis of Christian worship, and additional parts were added as "preparation", "transition", or "sending". The entire historic Christian liturgy proclaims Scripture, and the citations from which each part of the liturgy is drawn are listed in our worship folder. In short, this historic liturgy is what is called in the western Church, "the Mass".

In the Apology (or Defense) of the Augsburg Confession, written by theologian and colleague of Luther, Philip Melancthon, we read:

At the outset it is again necessary, by way of preference, to point out that we do not abolish the Mass but religiously retain and defend it. Among us Mass is celebrated every Lord's Day, and on other festivals, when the sacrament is made available to those who wish to partake of it, after they have been examined and absolved. We also keep traditional liturgical forms, such as the order of readings, prayers, vestments, and other similar things. (Apology of the Augsburg Confession, Book of Concord, Article XXIV.1

Why would a Lutheran congregation continue to use the historic liturgy? First, because it comes down to us from our fathers and mothers in the Faith. Through the centuries, it was the regular, trustworthy form of worship for Christians who gathered as a community of faith. It provides a structure for Word and Sacrament that is faithful, relevant, flexible, and above all, doctrinally correct, providing the historic Christian Faith, through the historic liturgy of the Church. Together with that, Lutheran congregations use the historic Mass, because our Lutheran Confessions affirm that as our practice. The historic liturgy protects us from the fads of our age, from the idiosyncrasies of particular individuals (and pastors and musicians), and providing a worship service that is truly "catholic"-universal-having being used in all places, in all times!