Lutheran Church of the
Master

Hold the Pickle, Extra Sauce on the Side, please…

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Unlike this iconic Burger King jingle that launched in 1974, the centuries old Order of Worship on Sunday morning doesn’t much cater to individual preferences. There is a pattern for worship at LCM, as there is for most ELCA churches and almost all other mainline churches (both Catholic and Protestant). Same pattern everywhere, pretty much all the time. This is a glimpse of what it means when we say we are part of one holy, universal (catholic – small c) church.

 

The Roman Catholic Church still refers to this pattern in the original latin: Ordo (meaning order). At LCM, we call it the Order of Worship. The book of Evangelical Lutheran Worship (ELW page 91) explains the pattern this way:

 

“In the principal service of Christian worship, the Holy Spirit gathers people around the means of grace – the saving Word of God and the sacraments. From the table of communion where Jesus Christ comes with forgiveness, life, and salvation, God sends us out to share the good news and to care for those in need.”

 

The Order of Worship goes like this (by the way, if you ever get a peek at the working OOW document used every Sunday by the tech crew, musicians, and pastor you’ll see these four headings jump out loud and clear):

 

1. GATHERING – The Holy Spirit calls us together as the people of God. The gathering includes a hymn, confession and forgiveness, a greeting, and a prayer of the day.

 

2. WORD – God speaks to us in scripture reading, preaching, and song. This is where we hear the assigned readings (where they come from is another story), the sermon, a creed, prayers of the people, and sharing of the peace.

 

3. MEAL – God feeds us with the presence of Jesus Christ. The offering is a sign of our giving our whole selves in grateful response for all God’s gifts, followed by the eucharistic dialogue, words of institution, the Lord’s Prayer, and a prayer after communion.

 

4. SENDING – God blesses us and sends us in mission to the world. Some churches post a sign at the exit of their sanctuary: “Now entering the mission field.” That’s an extra reminder that, with the blessing of God, we are sent to live as Christ’s body in the world.

 

Perhaps you wonder why, if the order of worship is so universal, your experience at each church is so different. Back to ELW page 91 again: “The basic pattern of this service – gathering, word, meal, sending - is a structure that allows for freedom and flexibility in the ways worship may be shaped locally, while focusing on what the church holds in common.” In other words, the overall pattern holds lots of space for each congregation to stretch into its own style, depending on its own musical, liturgical, and pastoral gifts.

 

We might sing different hymns, read from different translations of scripture, say different prayers, and hear different sermons, but the Order of Worship is a reminder that we are joined by the “same gifts of grace for the sake of the same mission of the gospel into the life of the one triune God.”

 

Note: This article was suggested by someone who wondered what visitors must think about the things we do on Sunday morning. Perhaps you have or you hear other questions. Send them to the church office and we’ll go in search of answers.