The Western Rite, Part 2, The Service of the Word

Service of the Word

This is the oldest part of the service. Many authorities (Reed, Pfatteicher, Strey) describe worship in the early church beginning with a simple greeting, and then the pattern of readings from the synagogue would follow: a reading from the law, a psalm, and a reading from the prophets. To this, readings from the letters and the “memoirs of the apostles” (Justin Martyr’s term for the gospels) were added. Old Testament readings later were reduced to one, and still later disappeared altogether with some exceptions (Epiphany).

In the mid-twentieth century, the use of the Old Testament and psalms were restored to use with the Historic Lectionary (See Service Book and Hymnal, 1958). The post-Vatican II lectionary and ILCW lectionary expanded the readings to a three-year series, still based on the traditional church year, with Old Testament, Epistle and Gospel readings, along with prescribed psalms. (See note on the Revised Common Lectionary below.)

The Salutation often precedes the Prayer of the Day.

The Lord be with you.
And also with you.

Some have called the Salutation “the little ordination.” In worship we give the officiant the privilege to lead us in prayer. The congregation’s response is sometimes rendered “and with your spirit,” (from the Latin “et cum spirito tuo.”) It is meant to be a greeting bewteen pastor and people. We do not know for certain what the “simple greeting” was in the worship of the early church. It could have been “The Lord be with you, and with your spirit.” It could have been the apostolic greeting, “The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you. And with your spirit.” We know that the latter was sometimes used in the preface dialogue before Holy Communion in early liturgies.

Collect / Prayer of the Day

Stir up your power, O Lord, and come, that by your protection we may be rescued from the threatening perils of our sins and saved by your mighty deliverance; for you live and reign with the Father and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.

First Reading

The First Reading is from the twenty-third chapter of Jeremiah.

Listen, the days are coming, declares the Lord,
when I will raise up for David a righteous Branch,
who will reign wisely as king
and establish justice and righteousness on earth.
In his days Judah will be saved
and Israel will dwell securely.
This is his name by which he will be called:
    The Lord Our Righteousness.

So, mark my words, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when it will no longer be said, “As surely as the Lord lives who brought the Israelites up out of Egypt,” but, “as surely as the Lord lives who brought up the descendants of the house of Israel and led them out of a land in the north and from all the countries where I had driven them.” Then they will dwell in their own land. (Jeremiah 23:5-8, EHV)

The Word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.

Psalm 24

The earth is the Lord’s
and everything that fills it,
the world and all who live in it,
because he founded it on the seas,
and he established it on the rivers.
Who may go up to the mountain of the Lord?
Who may stand in his holy place?
He who has clean hands and a pure heart,
whose soul is not set on what is false,
who does not swear deceitfully.
He will receive blessing from the Lord
and righteousness from the God who saves him.
Such are the people of Jacob who look for the Lord,
who seek your face.
Lift up your heads, you gates.
Lift yourselves up, you ancient doors,
and the King of Glory will come in.
Who is this King of Glory?
The Lord strong and mighty,
the Lord mighty in battle.
Lift up your heads, you gates.
Lift up, you ancient doors,
and the King of Glory will come in.
10 Who is he, this King of Glory?
The Lord of Armies—he is the King of Glory. 

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.
As it was in the beginning, is now and will be forever. Amen.

Second Reading

The Second Reading is from the thriteenth chapter of Romans.

And do this since you understand the present time. It is already the hour for you to wake up from sleep, because our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed. 12 The night is almost over, and the day is drawing near. So let us put away the deeds of darkness and put on the weapons of light. 13 Let us walk decently as in the daytime, not in carousing and drunkenness, not in sexual sin and wild living, not in strife and jealousy. 14 Instead, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not give any thought to satisfying the desires of your sinful flesh. (Romans 13:11-14, EHV)

The Word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.

Gradual

Alleluia. Alleluia. Alleluia.
Let no one who waits on you
     be ashamed, O Lord
Show me your ways, O LORD;
     teach me your paths. (Psalm 25:3-4)
Alleluia. Alleluia. Alleluia.

Gospel

The Holy Gospel according to St. Matthew, the twenty-first chapter.
Glory be to you, O Lord.

As they approached Jerusalem and came to Bethphage on the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two disciples, telling them, “Go to the village ahead of you. Immediately you will find a donkey tied there along with her colt. Untie them and bring them to me. If anyone says anything to you, you are to say, ‘The Lord needs them,’ and he will send them at once.”

This took place to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet:

Tell the daughter of Zion: Look, your King comes to you, humble, and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.

The disciples went and did just as Jesus commanded them. They brought the donkey and the colt, laid their outer clothing on them, and he sat on it. A very large crowd spread their outer clothing on the road. Others were cutting branches from the trees and spreading them out on the road. The crowds who went in front of him and those who followed kept shouting,

Hosanna to the Son of David!
Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!
Hosanna in the highest! (Matthew 21:1-9, EHV)

The Gospel of the Lord.
Praise be to you, O Christ.

Sermon

Creed

We believe in one God,
the Father, the Almighty,
maker of heaven and earth,
of all that is, seen and unseen.

We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ,
the only Son of God,
eternally begotten of the Father,
God from God, Light from Light,
true God from true God,
begotten, not made,
of one Being with the Father;
through him all things were made.
For us and for our salvation
he came down from heaven,
was incarnate of the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary
and became truly human.
For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate;
he suffered death and was buried.
On the third day he rose again
in accordance with the Scriptures;
he ascended into heaven
and is seated at the right hand of the Father.
He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead,
and his kingdom will have no end.

We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life,
who proceeds from the Father [and the Son],
who with the Father and the Son is worshiped and glorified,
who has spoken through the prophets.
We believe in one holy catholic and apostolic Church.
We acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins.
We look for the resurrection of the dead,
and the life of the world to come. Amen.

(The text of the Nicene Creed is from http://www.englishtexts.org)

Prayer of the Church / Prayers of the People

Jesus Christ, Righteous Branch of David, come to us and reign in our hearts.

To you, Lord our God, we lift up our souls. We trust in you. Show us your ways.

Awaken us by your Holy Spirit. Release our feet from the devil’s snares and clothe us with your righteousness.

To you, Lord our God, we lift up our souls. We trust in you. Show us your ways.

Forgive us our sins. Instruct us to follow your ways. Deliver us from all our enemies.

To you, Lord our God, we lift up our souls. We trust in you. Show us your ways.

Relieve those who are troubled in heart and free them from their anguish. [We pray especially for…] Guard their lives and rescue them, for they take refuge in you.

To you, Lord our God, we lift up our souls. We trust in you. Show us your ways.

Hear us, Lord, as we bring you our private petitions.

Hosanna! Save us now, Jesus, Son of David. As you once came to your people clothed in human flesh, you come also to us clothed in your holy Word. Remember us. Be present with us day by day, and make us ready for your day of salvation; you live and reign, now and forever.
Amen.

Reprinted from Praying with the Readings: Historic Lectionary, copyright © 2021 Paul C. Stratman. Used with permission.

Let us pray for the whole people of God in Christ Jesus, and for all people according to their needs.

Lord, in your mercy,
hear our prayer.

Let us pray to the Lord.
Lord, have mercy.

Into your hands, O Lord, we commend all for whom we pray, trusting in your mercy; through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.

Lutheran Book of Worship, 1978.