The Benediction

The Lord bless thee, and keep thee.
The Lord make His face shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee.
The Lord lift up His countenance upon thee, and give thee peace.

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What is the Benediction? It is the final blessing of the people, commanded by God (Numbers 6:22-26), and always regarded by the Church as one of the most solemn parts of the Service. Says an ancient writer: “When the Benediction is pronounced, you should incline both head and body, for the blessing which is given you is the dew and rain of heaven.”

What is the nature of the Benediction? It is not a mere pious wish, but is the actual impartation of a blessing from God to the believing congregation, as we are assured in Numbers 6:27, “They [the priests] shall put my name upon the children of Israel, and I will bless them.” Because of the singular pronoun “thee,” it is highly appropriate as the conclusion of the Communion, in which through the Sacrament, the Lord has bestowed His grace upon each believer.

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*an excerpt from An Explanation of the Common Service, pages 66-67.  (on sale through August 31)
*picture above from our Benediction notecard

Our Father, who art in heaven, Hallowed be Thy Name; Thy kingdom come; Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven; Give us this day our daily bread; And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us; And lead us not into temptation; But deliver us from evil. For Thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever and ever. Amen.

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Why did the early Church introduce this prayer into the Communion Service [the second part: the Service of the Sacrament of the Altar]? 

On account of its sacredness.
(a) From ancient times it has always been regarded as a divine and spiritual form of prayer, which can never fail to move our heavenly Father, because His Son taught us thus to pray. On this Cyprian says beautifully: “What prayer can be more spiritual than that which was given us by Christ, by Whom also the Holy Spirit was sent? What petition more true before the Father than that which came from the lips of His Son, Who is the Truth?”

(b)  Its use was esteemed the peculiar privilege of true believers. Hence it was said, not in the first part of the worship [the Service of the Word], where we usually have it, but in the Communion Service, from which the heathen and catechumens (the unbaptized) were excluded. The latter were strictly forbidden to utter it. Chrysostom explains thus: “Not until we have been cleansed by the washing of the sacred waters are we able to call God, Father.”

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An Explanation of the Common Service, pages 57-58.  (on sale through August 31)
*Read about bulk order pricing here.

“An Explanation of the Common Service is an excellent resource. It is concise and informative, and it presents to laymen and clergy alike the simplicity and strength of the historic Lutheran Service used by most North American parishes prior to the 1970-80s. I have had only positive feedback from all who have used it. This book is a superb resource for both new members and life-long Lutherans.”  Rev. William Parsons,  Redeemer Lutheran Church in Fairhope, AL.

After several requests from pastors to order in bulk for their Sunday School and Adult Bible classes, we now offer discounted pricing for this book: orders of 10-20 books receive 15% off; 21-30 books receive 20% off; 31+ books receive 25% off.

In addition, we have extended the sale price for this book only to August 31 so that the bulk order discount can be applied to the current sale price.  It’s basically a double discount.  Contact us with your order so that we can create a customized invoice for you. Our website cannot compute the bulk order discount automatically. 

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*From the back cover:   
The Common Service, with roots in the Reformation, the Middle Ages, and the early church, became the standard English liturgy for the Lutheran Church in America in the late 19th century. The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod published it as its standard in The Lutheran Hymnal in 1941. With the publication of Lutheran Worship (1982), editors revised the Common Service, updating what they considered archaic language, but the basic structure remained the same. In the Lutheran Service Book (2006), editors have again included the Divine Service from The Lutheran Hymnal, which is the liturgy of the Common Service.

What is it about the beauty and reverence of this Divine Service that have caused Lutheran congregations to welcome it every Sunday morning for over a century? Many today enjoy it without being able to verbalize its deep theological beauty. Others may exclude it from congregational practice because they consider it outdated and invalid for the modern parishioner. In either case, the editors of An Explanation of the Common Service provide a basic yet important description of the theological and biblical meaning of this time-tested liturgy.

An Explanation of the Common Service explains the liturgy in such simple terms that it is perfect for teaching new members, catechumens, and youth. Yet its timeless truths are profound enough to instruct even long-time members and pastors. First printed a century ago, this Lutheran liturgical handbook uses questions and answers to explain the meaning of three services: the Communion service, Matins, and Vespers. (Liturgical texts are equivalent to those in The Lutheran Hymnal, 1941.) In addition, hymnody, liturgical theology, and history are addressed succinctly. The glossary of liturgical terms is helpful, extensive, and reliable.

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*This is an edited re-post from 5/6/11.

Why do we do what we do, sing what we sing, and pray what we pray in the Common Service (LSB Setting 3, TLH p. 15)?  In the next few weeks, we will be posting several excerpts from An Explanation of the Common Service in order to “provide a basic yet important description of the theological and biblical meaning of this time-tested liturgy” (back cover).

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The Kyrie

Lord, have mercy upon us.
Christ, have mercy upon us.
Lord, have mercy upon us.

What is the meaning of the word Kyrie?  It is a Greek word and means “O Lord.”

What is the office of the Kyrie?  The congregation, realizing its infirmity from indwelling sin, calls upon God for that grace which has been announced and offered in the Introit.

Why is the prayer thrice uttered?  Because the grace for which it asks is from God the Father, through the Son, by the Holy Spirit.

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An Explanation of the Common Service, pages 27-28.  (on sale through August 20)