Grace Notes 2025-10-22

I consider good community worship to be participatory. And historic liturgies help to ensure this. The etymology of the word ‘liturgy’ tips the hat in this direction. It derives from the Greek word leitourgia which in turn is a compound word formed from laous (people) and ergon (work). So, we are talking about a public work or service. That indicates community involvement.

Consider the many ways for everyone to be involved in the Divine Service that we utilize from the Lutheran Service Book. Let me list a few. We do a corporate rite of confessing our sins and then hearing the word of forgiveness (absolution). We do a lot of singing together. The choir anthem is the one exception where all are not invited to sing. We sing the Kyrie (prayers with “Lord have mercy” as a response). We sing a number of Biblical Canticles such as the Gloria in Excelsis, the Sanctus, the Agnus Dei, and the Nunc Dimittis. We chant a Psalm responsively. We sing great hymns. We take turns reading Lessons and being the Assisting Minister. We stand, sit, and kneel. We come forward to the altar to receive the Communion Elements. And we exchange the Peace.

You might say our Sunday worship is a full contact sport. We intend to interact with each other and have wide participation. Of course, none of this is forced on anyone. A person can sit and simply observe. But we invite and hope for active participation.

I’ve been to a number of worship services where participation is minimal. It is more like a spectator sport. A small group of people, sometimes called worship leaders, do most of the activity. There is usually singing, but much of the singing is done by a song leader or worship group that are miked and amplified. There might be standing and sitting, but not moving to and from the altar (if there is one). And responsive readings and prayers are not utilized.

I believe good worship to be participatory.

Since You Asked

Why do we celebrate Holy Communion nearly every Sunday? 

The celebration of the meal we call Holy Communion has consistently been the chief act of Christian worship since the age of the Apostles. The Lutheran Reformation did not break with this tradition of 1,500 years. In fact the Augsburg Confession (our principal statement of faith) declares Holy Communion to be the chief act of worship for Lutherans on Sundays and festivals (Art. 26).  (from “Manual on the Liturgy” companion to the LBW, from Augsburg Pub.)

You might think of Holy Communion as spiritual bread and drink for our journey (pilgrimage), for our Lord’s Body and Blood is true nutrition indeed!