Service of the Word: Part III

Salutation (Greeting) 

Historically, this term comes from a Latin word meaning "good health"/"to be made whole." (Salve, Caesar!) In Spanish, one says, "Salud," in response to a sneeze. This is also related to the English word 'salvation.' In Christ, we are made well/are made whole.

Explanation: Since Jesus is about to come to us in His Word, the pastor "hopes" that the Lord enters into the spirit of each member of the congregation. Here is my first complaint with the LSB. Carrying over from the LW, the congregation's response has been changed to "and also with you," instead of "and with your spirit." The imagery described above has been lost. Furthermore, St. Paul says in his letter to the church sojourning in Rome, "The Spirit helps us in our weakness, because we do not know how we should pray, but the Spirit Himself pleads for us with yearnings that can't find any words." (8:26; AAT) As we are about to pray the Collect, we are reminded that because we have no clue what or how to pray, the Spirit intercedes for us as we pray God's Word back to Him.

Scripture: Romans 8:27; 2 Timothy 4:22

Alternatives: I have come up with this reponsive reading, based on Romans 8, trying to capture its essence.
   L: We wait for You, O Lord, in eager expectation.
   C: Because we, who have the Spirit as our preview of heaven, groan inwardly as we look forward to having
       our bodies freed and our adoption as Your sons.1
   L: The Spirit Himself pleads for us with the sighs for which we have no words,
   C: because we do not know how we should pray, but He Who searches our hearts knows what the Spirit
        has in mind, for He is pleading for the saints in God’s own way.
   L: Therefore, may the Lord be with your spirit.
   C: And also with yours.

Hymns: I am not aware of any hymns that capture the fullness of this text. "Lord, Teach Us How to Pray" (vv.1,6) comes close, though.

Collect (We collect the theme(s) of the day in prayer.)

Explanation: We pray that the message of the week may work within us, that we live-out that message, and that we may grow in our faith and understanding of the particular theme of the Scripture lessons.

Scripture: It varies from week to week.

Alternatives: The Lutheran Church of Australia's website offers essentially a smaller version of Creative Worship, including alternative collects. All is free!

Hymns: I'm not aware of any collection of hymns based on the collects, but that would be cool. (hint.)

1 In Roman times, only adopted males were the full heirs. With this understanding, we all (male and female) are adopted as sons.

Bible Vocabulary: Words that Should Be Replaced; Part II: Amen

I don't expect this one to go away, but nonetheless I wish I would, to some extent.

What does the word mean? It comes from Hebrew and means "truly, assuredly, or yes: it shall be so." However it has come to serve simply as a liturgical response void of any meaning. I even know what it means yet still find myself saying it without thinking about what I'm really saying.

Solutions: well, there are a few. "Soþlice!"- except it also is a foreign word. "True dat!"- except it's a bit colloquial, I think. "You're darn tootin'!"- except I would never be able to say this without thinking of Laurel and Hardy. So the only serious offer I can think of is the following: "This is most certainly true." It's already familiar to those who grew up on Luther's Small Catechism and carries the meaning of 'Amen' pretty well, even if it does take longer to spit out.

"This is most certainly true!" may never replace 'Amen!' but it can at least be another tool in explaining the meaning of 'Amen.'

P.S. Here is an hymn translated by Matthew Carver, based on the idea behind 'Amen.'

The Lord's Prayer in Old English

(While I may not love math, etc. I am an huge nerd.)

Before I start, let me remind you to the difference between Old English and old(er) English. Linguists have narrowed our language's historical time-periods to Old English, Middle English, and Modern English. Thus Shakespeare wasn't Old English, but Early Modern English (older English, if you must). The Fæður Ure presented here is written in Old English.

Fæður ure,
Father of ours,
Notes: 'æ' is pronounced like the 'a' in humanity. 'ð' is pronounced like the 'th' in 'the.'

þu þe eart on heofonum,
Thou That art in Heavens,
Notes: 'þ' is pronounced like the 'th' in 'thing.' Also, notice how 'eart' and 'heofonum' have both shortened.

si þin nama gehalgod
Let Thy/Thine Name be hallowed.
Notes: 'Ge' is pronounced like the 'ye' in 'yes' and is related the German prefix of the same spelling. 'Si' means let, as in 'let's do this.' (Jussive)

Tobecume þin rice
Let (be)come Thy(Thine) kingdom
Notes: 'Rice' is pronounced like 'rich" with an 'e' at the end, is related to the German word 'Reich,' and in fact has come to mean rich. (A ruler/king is rich, correct?)

Gewurþe ðin will on eorðan
Let become Thine will on earth

swa swa on heofonum
So so/Just as in Heavens

Urne gedæghwamlican hlaf syle us to dæg
Our daily-wanted bread/loaf give us today
Notes: 'Syle' could mean either give or sell, from which our modern 'sell' is derived. The 'y' in 'syle' is pronounced like the German 'ü.' The 'h' in the word 'hlaf' is pronounced like the German 'ch' in 'ach.' 'Hlaf' meant bread prior to the Vikings' influence on English. Those who know Dutch will want to note 'dæg.'

And forgyf us ure gyltas,
And forgive us our guilts

swa swa we forgyfað urum gyltendum
Just as we have forgiven our guilt-doers/guilters

And ne gelæd þu us on costnunge
And don't lead Thou us into temptation
Note: The word 'costnunge' is not related to the word 'cost.'

Ac alys us of yfele. Soþlice.
But deliver us of/from evil. In sooth.
Notes: 'Alys' developed into 'allay.' 'Soþlice' (the 'c' is pronounced like the 'ch' in 'church') developed into the word 'sooth,' meaning truly, surely, assuredly. It is an accurate translation of the Hebrew 'amen.'

Let's compare these three translations: (Old English (Updated), Tyndale (Updated), and Mine) I assume everyone is familiar with the KJV.

Our Father, You Who are in (the) heavens, Let Your Name be hallowed, let Your kingdom come, Let Your will become on earth just as it is in (the) heavens. Our daily-wanted loaf give us today; and forgive us our guilts, just as we have forgiven our guilters; and do not lead us into temptation, but allay us of evil. Amen.

O our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your Name, let Your kingdom come, Your will be fulfilled, as well on earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts (he has 'trespasses'), even as we forgive our debtors (he has trespassers). And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.

Our Father in heaven; let Your Name be held in reverence; let Your Kingdom come, Your will be fulfilled the same way on earth as in heaven. Give us today our daily bread and pardon our debts, just as we have pardoned our debtors; and do not carry us to trial, but rescue us from evil. This is most certainly true. (I'll discuss 'amen' in a future post.)

Assuming my translation is correct (excluding parenthetical remarks), you'll note how much more accurate both the OE and Tyndale translations are, compared to the traditional text.

For the People of Haiti

Here are some prayers I have found, after searching on the internet. I have altered some of these.


From Worship Concord, this is an alteration of a prayer found in the LSB:

Almighty God, merciful Father, Your thoughts are not our thoughts, Your ways are not our ways. In Your wisdom You have permitted this disastrous earthquake to befall the people of Haiti. We implore You, let not the hearts of Your people despair nor our faith fail us, but sustain and comfort us. Direct all efforts to attend the injured, console the bereaved, and protect the helpless. Bring hope and healing that we may find relief and restoration; through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.

From the Lutheran Church of Australia, here are two prayers I have altered.


Gracious heavenly Father, there is shock and sorrow across the world at the loss of the life and the devastating effect of the recent earthquake. We struggle in the face of such calamity and cry out to You for Your comfort for those whose lives are now changed and who suffer so much. Mercifully embrace those who are frightened. Look with love and compassion on those who mourn. Restrain those who seek to instigate more destruction. In Your grace, turn tragedy into triumph through Jesus Christ Your Son, our Lord. Amen.


Merciful Father, we commend to Your protection all those who work to bring relief to the earthquake victims. Give those who come to the rescue of others courage in danger and skill in difficult situations. Give them strength of body and clear minds that they may work most effectively in the service of those in need. Give us all compassion and a will to help restore devastated communities; through Jesus Christ Your Son, our Lord. Amen.


From the ELCA, slightly altered:


Merciful God,
Hear our cry for mercy in the wake of the earthquake.
Reveal Your presence in the midst of suffering.
Help us all to trust in Your promises of Hope and Life
so that desperation and grief will not overtake us.
Come quickly to the aid of Haitians, that they may know Your peace and joy.
Strengthen them in this time of trial
with the assurance of Hope in the death and resurrection
of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. Amen.



Gracious God,
Your word stills the storms that rage in our world.
Bring Hope to places that know devastation in the calm after the earthquake.
Bring comfort to those who grieve the loss of loved ones and property.
Let Your Love be known through those who work to bring order in the chaos.
Help us all to shoulder the burden of suffering
and make us bearers of the Hope that can be found in You
through Jesus Christ, our Lord and Saviour. Amen.

Loving God,
Be with those who endure the effects of the earthquake in Haiti.
Protect those in the path of danger.
Open the pathway of evacuations.
Help loved ones find each another in the chaos.
Provide assistance to those who need help.
Ease the fears of all and make Your presence known in the stillness of Your Peace;
through Jesus Christ, our Lord and Saviour. Amen.

From North Tasmania Lutheran Parish, slightly altered:

Gracious heavenly Father, 
Shock and sorrow is dominating our lives. Bring Your hope among us and among the people of Haiti. Help us as we ponder the loss of lives and property as a result of the earthquake. Bring comfort to those whose lives have altered so much in the last week and who suffer greatly. Mercifully embrace those who are frightened. Look with love and compassion on those who mourn. And give strength to all who offer care, support and rescue efforts during this time. Help us and all others be Your healing hands and comforting arms during this time. So that all in need may experience Your compassion, grace and mercy. In Jesus Christ we pray. Amen 

(Based on Romans 8)

We know that You are is a compassionate God, a God for us, and that nothing can successfully be against us? You gave up Your own Son for all of us. Therefore neither troubles nor problems, sufferings nor hunger, nakedness nor danger, nor even violent death can separate us from Your Love. In all these things we are completely victorious through You. We are confident that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, Nothing now nor in the future, nor anything in the whole wide world is able to separate us from Your Love that is in Christ Jesus, our Lord. In His Name we pray. Amen.

From the African Methodist/Episcopal Church, slightly altered:

Lord, we acknowledge that You are here, that You never leave us, even when all around us seemed to be falling apart. We are overcome by grief as we see the images of tragedy, hear cries for help, and feel the pain of others’ suffering. Give ear, O Lord to the cries from our hearts and bring light to darkness, joy to sorrow, healing to pain. Give us strength and courage to do what pleases You, that we can put Your love in action, by word and deed and make Your presence known, that others may come to know Your redeeming Love and put their trust in You. We ask this in the Name of Him who suffered for us, Jesus Christ our Lord, AMEN.

Finally, this hymn was written by Paul Mittermaier and has been altered a time or two. Here's mine for Haiti:

Eternal Father, strong to save,
The earthquake's fury has been grave,
We've seen the pictures, felt the grief,
Of Haitians needing Your relief.
O hear us as we cry to Thee
For those engulfed in tragedy.

O Saviour, Whose almighty hand
Protects all those in ev'ry land.
Send help and aid of ev'ry kind
Grant we a way to serve may find.
O hear us as we cry to Thee:
May Hope rise out of tragedy.

O Holy Spirit, work Your art
in ev'ry place and ev'ry heart.
Stir great compassion, healing, love
Pour down Your blessings from above.
O hear us as we cry to Thee:
May Hope rise out of tragedy.

O Trinity of love and power,
Bless all Your servants in this hour.
To bring relief, to find a way
To rebuild and to heal today.
O hear us as we cry to Thee:
May Hope rise out of tragedy!

Tune: Melita 88 88 88
copyright 2005 Paul Mittermaier, alt. MDS, 2010.

Understanding the Liturgical Worship Service: Service of the Word Part I

Kyrie (Greek for 'Lord, Have Mercy')

Explanation: The phrase (found in Mark 10, among other places) is more than just a cry for mercy. In ancient times, when a ruler would enter a city, he would do so either to commend someone for a particularly heroic act or to halt an insurrection. The citizens would gather to greet the ruler and shout, "Kyrie, eleison," pleading that their city be spared. 

Likewise, our heavenly Ruler comes to His holy city of Zion in the Divine Service. Because we have rebelled against His perfect Law, we cower in terror and plead with Him not to destroy us for our insurrection (sin), but to deal with us graciously. We beg our benevelant King to have mercy on us, a sinner. (Luke 18:13)

Scripture: Mark 10:47, Matthew 15:22, Luke 18:13, Luke 18:38-43

Both sacramental and sacrificial (We greet our King Who is coming to us, having His promise of forgiveness).

Alternatives: The King of Glory Comes or perhaps a responsive reading that greets Jesus.

Hymns: The LSB devotes an entire section in the back of its hymnal to hymnified portions of the liturgy. Also, The Advent of Our King (331), vv. 1-3,6; O Lord, How Shall I Meet You (334), vv. 1,3,5; O Bride of Christ, Rejoice (335), vv. 1,5; The King Shall Come When Morning Dawns (348), vv. 1,5; Come, Thou Precious Ransom, Come (350), v.4.

Gloria in Excelsis (Latin for 'Glory in the Highest')

Explanation: Assured He will come with mercy, we burst forth in song, proclaiming Who He is and what He has done for us. We sing the very same song that the angels sang when Christ physically came to earth (Immanuel- God-with-Us) to pay for the sin of all people, just as He comes here physically with His presence (assured in the Invocation), as well as in, with, and under the forms of bread and the wine, to forgive our sins. The proclamation text is really a paraphrase of the Te Deum, the canticle (Biblical song) for Matins (Morning Service). "Lamb of God, You take away the sin of the world" is a reference to the quote of St. John the Baptist, when Jesus came to be baptised by John at the start of His ministry; likewise Christ is about to minister to us in His Word. The reference of Jesus as the Lamb of God is continued in a paraphrase of Revelation.

OR

This Is the Feast

Explanation: The image of Christ as the Lamb of God is repeated with added imagery from Revelation. The concept of praising God for Who He is and what has done is also continued. The imagery of Christmas has been replaced with the imagery of the End Time, when the angels will sing in response to Immanuel. "...has begun His reign:" We pray that Christ begins His reign in our hearts, through the hearing of His Word.

I really appreciate the two options, both because it highlights the Lutheran concept of the freedom of rites in the Divine Service, as well as this blog's motif 'variation on a liturgical theme.'  'This Is the Feast' could also be a great Communion hymn, as we are united with the "angels and archangels and all the company of Heaven."

Scripture: Luke 2:14; John 1:29; Revelation 5:12-13;19:5-9

Alternatives: Finding contemporary songs that acclaim God is easy. Finding songs that also reference Christ coming to us is not quite as easy; finding ones that reference Revelation is even tougher; but finding all of these in one is nearly impossible. My suggestion would be to sing two or three songs to cover what the Hymn of Praise does. Do God's people have to have these exact references? No, we have freedom in Christ; yet "What is permissible is not necessarily beneficial."

Hymns: All Glory Be to God Alone (LSB 948) can be sung to the Sussex Carol as a Christmas alternative. LSB 204 (To God on High Be Glory) can be sung to Valet Will ich dir Geben (LSB 442), referencing Christ's triumphal entry into Jerusalem.