Culture and the Liturgy Part I: Time vs. Event

As I see it, huge numbers of Christians are not being fed the Word of God delivered in the Divine Service because they are going to "contemporary" worship services- and this is a major problem. This is one of my biggest reasons for writing this blog. I've begun proposing answers with my series on words that I think should be replaced, or at least better understood. Now, I'd like to begin taking a look at the relationship between culture and the liturgy.

I recently read the book "Ministering Cross-Culturally" by Marvin K. Mayers and Sherwood G. Lingenfelter. One of the topics they discuss is the issue of a culture that is time-oriented over against one that is event-oriented. The West (Europe and the US/Canada) is primarily time-oriented, that is, we focus on when things are, how long they take, etc. Other cultures tend to be event-oriented, that is, they focus on what happens, relationships, etc. However, individuals may or may not fall into the same category as the culture in which they live.

As I was reading this, I began to wonder about traditional, liturgical worship services. These services are very much "we do A for this long, B for this long, and then C for this long." "Contemporary" worship services tend to be "we sing for a while, we pray (impromptu prayers) for a while, sing some more, hear a message, sing more, leave happy." In other words, liturgical worship services are time-oriented, while "contemporary" worship services are event-oriented. Is there a way to present the liturgy to those who are "event-oriented?"

Taizé is one answer. Taizé is a style where short, 4-part (harmony) phrases are repeated over and over, giving ample opportunity for prayer and meditation, while encouraging guided improvisation.The musical advantages include the use of any number of instruments and the fact that it can work in either large or small congregations, regardless of the quality of the acoustics.

Taizé is not perfect, however. It demands musicians that are capable of improvising, does not have a great range of emotional character, and can be boring to those who are time-oriented. And I'm not aware of any full setting of the Divine Service.

We live in a fast-paced society where many things must be done and schedules must be met. Shouldn't the Church be an haven from all of this?

Understanding the Liturgical Worship Service: Afterthoughts

I've finally finished my thoughts on the liturgy! Why was this so important? It's kind of a long post, so I've highlighted my summarizing points.

1) The main reason, in my opinion, that folks think the liturgy "just doesn't speak to them" is that they don't understand the significance of what they are saying every week. So I've tried to spell out some of the meaning behind these ancient words, hoping that whomever reads this would be edified, as well as more pro-liturgy, as it were.

2) A generation ago, many folks thought that "traditional" worship would eventually die out, while many others thought that "contemporary" worship was just a phase. So virtually no one dialogued or debated their position and instead smugly ignored- or spewed vague, damning comments about- the other.
Today, the so-called "worship wars" have died down, but an entire church body is un-united on one of the most important parts of the faith. Thankfully, there are those who are beginning to wit (see, understand) that neither side is backing down and that the debate needs to be more than a subjective one. My hope is that these posts, yea this blog, would at the very least add "food for thought," if not start other discussions.

3) One cannot talk about variations on a theme if one does not know what the theme is. Furthermore, I am wholly opposed to trying to Lutheranize "contemporary" worship, but instead favor the exact opposite.

4) I knew that even if no one read my posts, I'd at least get practice spelling some of the meaning behind the liturgy, since this will not be the last time I talk about these things (Lord willing).

Posts to come will include thoughts on other reasons why folks have left liturgical worship and finding some appropriate, historical, and Confessional answers (if there are any) to them.

Understanding the Liturgical Worship Service: Acts of Exit

Benediction

Historically: Like the Nunc Dimittis, this was not originally in the Mass, but added by Martin Luther, replacing the Ite Missa est (basically meaning, "y'all can go, now, the mass is over")

Explanation: This is the Aaronic blessing, the one which YHWH commanded Moses to give to the people, to put "My Name on them". Just as we began the Divine Service in His Name, so we end in His Name.

Sacramental: God puts His Name on us.

Scripture: Numbers 6:24-26

Alternatives: How 'bout this one?

Hymns: May the Grace of Christ Our Savior

Postlude

Explanation: While the prelude was about music for meditation, the postlude is more about getting folks excited about the Gospel they have just heard. Unfortunately, this also gives rise to that when you go into church, you hear sad music, but when you leave, it's happy music. Some organists combat this by playing fiery renditions of hymns sung during the service.
Alternatives: For Good Friday (and some congregations add Maundy Thursday), there is no postlude, but instead everyone leaves in silence.

UPDATE: Understanding the Liturgical Worship Service: Service of the Sacrament Part V

Since posting this, I found an hymn by Emanuel Cronenwett that would serve as an alternative hymn for the Nunc Dimittis.

Distribution

Explanation: Jesus physically comes to us in, with, and under the forms of bread and wine, thereby forgiving our sins and strengthening our faith.
Sacramental: Hence the name.
Scripture: Matt 26:26-28, Luke 22:19-20, I Cor 11:23-25.

Nunc Dimittis

Historically: This was not originally a part of the Mass, but instead from the Order of Compline, or Nightsong, sung at the close of the day. I believe it was Martin Luther who put it into the Divine Service.
Explanation: The Nunc Dimittis, or "Lord, Now Let Your Servant Go in Peace," is the song Simeon sang after seeing the fulfillment of God's promise in the baby Jesus in the temple. We too can sing these words of praise and thanks, since we too have seen the Lord's salvation in Jesus Christ. What can give Heathen/Gentiles like us truer peace than this?
Sacrificial: We sing God's Word back to Him.
Scripture: Luke 2:29-32
Alternatives: I'm not aware of any contemporary settings, but see below for alternative texts.
Hymns: LSB 937-938. Also the following, by Emanuel Cronenwett, written in 1876 and published in his "Hymns and Poems" of 1926, and updated just enough so no one notices. Since the meter is LM (88 88), I think PUER NOBIS NASCITUR (LSB 344) would be fine.

Now lettest Thou Thy servant, Lord,

Depart, according to Thy Word,

In peace; for lo! mine eyes have seen

Thy rich salvation from all sin.

By grace divine my soul is fed

With living drink and living bread;

Fed like a branch of Thee, the Vine,

Thy life is mine, and I am Thine.

I live, for Jesus lives in me;

I die, O death, to sin and thee!

Thus living, dying, Jesus saith

My soul shall never taste of death.

Lord, I am weak, be Thou my Stay!

Guide my frail feet along the way;

O help me live the life of faith,

So that I die Thy people's death.

When Thou shalt in Thy glory come

To gather all Thine Israel home,

Then shall my body rise again,

And clothe my soul in light. Amen!

OR

Thank the Lord

Explanation: This is an alternative text to the Nunc Dimittis. Certainly receiving Christ's body and blood is something to thank, praise, and glorify God for, and certainly He recalls His promises, as He did to Simeon, but the rich imagery of the Nunc Dimittis is just not to be found in this text, however joyful the musical setting might be.
Sacrificial: We sing our thanks to God.
Scripture: Any psalm of praise.
Alternatives: Nunc Dimittis
Hymns: May God Bestow on Us His Grace (LSB 823-4), O Jesus, Blessed Lord, to Thee (LSB 632), Sent Forth by God's Blessing (642), O Lord, We Praise Thee (LSB 617)

Thanksgiving/Post Communion Collect

Explanation: Just as with every other Christian meal, a prayer is said, thanking God for His gifts of food, drink, life, salvation, and Christ- in this case received all at once!

Understanding the Liturgical Worship Service: Service of the Sacrament Part IV

(Before I begin, let me give a quick plug: I've started another blog to not keep up on; this one will only be presenting less familiar hymns, as well as alternative translations to familiar ones. Most of these will be by other folks, although I might alter a few things, since these hymns are in public domain (i.e. older). Hopefully it will be more devotional and less academic/controversial.)

Words of Institution

Explanation: These are the very words that Jesus said when He instituted the Sacrament of Holy Supper. "Because the Words (verba) of Institution are the very heart of the sacramental action, they should always be employed. It is through Christ's word and its power, not through the action of the celebrant, that Christ's body and blood are present in the bread and wine." (Theology and Practice of The LORD'S SUPPER, CTCR Doc, 1983).
Sacramental: The are Christ's very words.
Scripture: Matt 26:26-28, Luke 22:19-20, I Cor 11:23-25
Alternative: Some chant this, some just speak it. I suppose having soft piano music in the background (like some do during prayers) might be okay, but this can very easily become distracting, so care should be taken.

Pax Domini

Explanation: Pax Domini means "The peace of the Lord." When the risen Christ first physically appeared to His apostles in the upper room, He greeted them by saying, "Peace be with you." In the same way, Christ is about to physically appear to us in, with, and under the forms of bread and wine.
Sacramental: Christ gives us His peace.
Scripture: Judges 6:23, John 20:19-20, Romans 5:1-2
Alternatives: Some congregations "share the peace" with each other at this time. It's slightly disruptive, but it's a liturgical answer to just greeting each other before the first hymn.
Hymns: no

Agnus Dei

Explanation: This song, spoken by John the Baptist in John 1, has been in use since the 8th Century, maybe even earlier. Thrice we call upon the Lamb of God to hear us, have mercy on us, and take our sins away. This is an illusion to the Exodus of the folk of Israel, where a first-born, spotless lamb was sacrificed, it's blood painted on door frames, and eaten by the household, so that their lives would be spared. Likewise, Christ lived a spotless (free of sin) life, was sacrificed on the cross, His blood placed on the door frame of our hearts (figuratively speaking), and eaten in the forms of bread and wine. Therefore, our eternal lives are spared. In this manner, He "grant(s) us peace."
Sacramental: We sing the words of Scripture back to God.
Scripture: Exod 12:1-23, I Cor 5:7b, I Pet 1:19-20
Alternative: Michael W. Smith has a song called "Agnus Dei," but the text is different. I'm not aware of any other versions.
Hymns: The only hymn version I know is found in the DS IV in LSB.

Understanding the Liturgical Worship Service: Service of the Sacrament Part III

Prayer of Thanksgiving/Eucharistic Prayer

Historical: This is a prayer that was once in the Divine Service, then taken out, then re-introduced ignorantly and incorrectly in LBW, before be properly re-introduced in the LSB. I'm not going to go into the details here, though; suffice it to say that there is nothing to be afraid of in the LSB version of prayer of thanksgiving.
Explanation: Thanking God for His Holy Supper. The prayer is essentially a retelling of God's Salvation History, and historically can get pretty lengthy. It is often adapted to fit the liturgical season/holiday, as well, focusing on whatever particular event is relevant. The practice of re-telling important tales goes back to Hebrew/Old Testament culture and so the Prayer of Thanksgiving is merely an extension of that practice.
Also note: LSB's version also includes a bit where we ask God that we worthily receive His body and blood, replacing the Exhortation, which I'll discuss later.
(The word 'Eucharist' comes from the Greek word for 'thanks' and it's because of this prayer that some call the Lord's Supper the 'Eucharist.')
Sacramental: We tell back to God what He has told us in His Word.
Scripture: Matthew 26:6
Alternative: a bunch of DS settings exclude this
Hymns: no

Exhortation

Explanation: A number of hymnals (especially older ones, but also the ELH) include this. Taking Paul's warning that one should examine one's self before eating and drinking our Lord, this is basically a just that: an review of the fact that we are sinful beings in need of God's mercy and forgiveness, which we receive in Jesus' body and blood. Most LCMS congregations either hope that folks do this on their own, or they hope that folks pay attention to the Prayer of Thanksgiving.
Please don't think that I'm condemning the (compilers of the) LSB; nor am I condemning congregations that leave Paul's exhortation up to the members. I'm simply saying that this is an historical part of the Lutheran Divine Service and that it's not 100% wrong. I think the LSB did a fine job of keeping the exhortation in mind, both in the "Prayers for Worship" on the inside cover, as well as in the Prayer of Thanksgiving.
Sacramental: We examine ourselves.
Scripture: I Corinthians 11:27-29
Alternative: LSB inside cover
Hymns: a bunch of hymns ask God that we worthily receive His body and blood, but these are more appropriate during Communion than before, really

Lord's Prayer

Explanation: I'm going to skip over the meaning of Jesus' words and just talk about their relationship to the Lord's Supper.
Our Father in Heaven: we acknowledge that God is in heaven (despite what some think)
Let Your Name be hallowed: His Name is hallowed when His people do what He says: like eating and drinking His flesh and blood.
Let Your kingdom come: We are about to sing the song of all the company of heaven, and feast on Christ, the Lamb of God. This truly is "heaven on earth."
Let Your will be done on earth, just like it is done in heaven: "This do in remembrance of Me."
Give us today our daily bread: Um, pretty self-explanatory
And forgive us our guilts, as we have forgiven or guilters: "Shed for you for the forgiveness of all your sins."
Save us from trial/temptation/accosting, but allay us of evil: what is more refreshing and enlivening than Jesus' body and blood?
Yes, folks, there is a reason this prayer is not said along with all the other prayers.
Scripture: Matthew 6:9-13
Alternatives: I'm sure there are contemporary songs on the Lord's Prayer. (Please don't sing that schmalzy one from the 40's?- it's awful and anyone without gray hair probably despises it.)
Hymns: LSB 957-959; there are others, too

Understanding the Liturgical Worship Service: Service of the Sacrament Part II

Sanctus (Holy)

Explanation: Like the Gloria in excelsis, the Sanctus is the song the angels sang, but this time in the presence of their exalted Lord and in the vision of Isaiah the prophet. Why is this important? We sinful, deathly, and very earthly beings are eating and drinking the flesh and blood of a sinless, once dead but now living, and very earthly-yet-heavenly Being; that is to say, at the Lord's Supper heaven and earth meet. We are about to experience our Lord Christ: a foretaste, a preview of the feast to come. And so we sing the song we'll sing when we meet Him then.
'Hosanna' means 'save us now,' although it is a word of praise, since we have the Hope and assurance that indeed our Messiah has saved us by His death and resurrection, and He heals us with His true body and blood.
Sacramental: We sing back what has already been told to us in Scripture.
Scripture: Isaiah 6:3
Alternative: Revelation Song (this could also incorporate the Agnus Dei); please don't sing Hosanna, since it really doesn't deal with our text, nor is it 100% theologically sound.
Hymns: LSB 960-961; There also have been a number of attempts to turn Holy, Holy, Holy (LSB 507) into the Sanctus, including by Jaroslav Vajda.

Benedictus

Explanation: The Benedictus (Blessed) is taken from Psalm 118 and said by the crowds when Jesus bodily entered Jerusalem, just like our risen and uplifted Lord is about to bodily enter us. Hosanna means "Lord, save us," and was used for the entrance of the King, akin to "God save the King." Jesus, our heavenly King, makes His entrance.
Sacramental: We sing back what has already been told to us in Scripture.
Scripture: Psalm 118:25-26, Matthew 21:9
Alternative: I'm not aware of any.
Hymns: All Glory, Laud, and Honor (LSB 442)