The Christian Liturgy

Lesson 40

The Christian Liturgy The Invocation:

Upon whom are we calling? The one and only True God

Of what does this remind us? That we worship the True God His name was placed on us at our

baptisms

The Christian Liturgy The Confession of Sins:

Why is this at the beginning of the service?

We don’t deserve to stand in the presence of God because no one can see God and live. We ask for and are reminded of forgiveness and proceed to worship.

What do we confess? Every one of our sins: the ones we

know of and the ones we don’t now of

The Christian Liturgy The Kyrie:

What does Kyrie mean? It is Greek for ‘Lord,’ as in “Lord,

have mercy.” How was the Kyrie used in ancient times? It was a song of praise, used when

the king arrived. (similar to how today they play “Hail to the Chief,” when the president comes to town)

How is it used today? Asking the Lord to forgive us yet

again.

The Christian Liturgy The Absolution:

What is absolution? It is an announcement that our sins

are forgiven. How can the pastor forgive sins? God gives Christians the privilege to

announce to sinners that their sins are forgiven. The congregation calls the pastor to do this publicly for them.

Why does he make the sign of the cross? As a reminder that Christ died for our

sins.

The Christian Liturgy The Gloria in Excelsis:

What does Gloria in Excelsis means? It is Latin for “glory in the highest” What Bible teachings are reinforced in the

gloria? The angel’s Christmas announcement Our response to God’s grace Our sins are forgiven God listens to our prayers The relationship between the Father,

Son, and Holy Spirit God is holy (without sin)

The Christian Liturgy The Prayer of the Day:

What is the purpose of the Prayer of the Day?

Sums up the theme of the day and asks God’s blessings according to theme of the day.

The First Lesson: What is the emphasis of the first lesson? This lesson is almost always from

the OT and also points to the theme of the day.

The Christian Liturgy The Psalm:

What is the emphasis of the psalm? The psalm follows the pattern of OT

worship and also points to the theme of the day.

The Christian Liturgy The Second Lesson:

What is the emphasis of the second lesson?

This lesson is usually taken from the Epistles and also points to the theme of the day.

The Verse of the Day: What is the purpose of the verse of the

day? The Verse of the Day also presents

the theme of the day.

The Christian Liturgy The Gospel:

What is the emphasis of the gospel lesson?

They give the theme of the day. These are words that focus on Jesus and his work and words.

Why do we usually stand for the gospel lesson?

To show honor and respect to Jesus.

The Christian Liturgy The Creed:

The Apostles’: A personal confession of what I

believe. The Nicene: We confess together our belief that

Jesus is both true God and true man. The Athanasian: Used on Trinity Sunday to remind us

that God is three in one.

The Christian Liturgy The Hymn of the Day:

What is the purpose of our hymns? The hymns, especially the hymn of

the day, reinforce the theme of the day.

The hymns are also intended to teach us the truths of God’s Word.

The Christian Liturgy The Sermon:

Why do we include a sermon? To have a longer explanation of one

of the lessons. What is the purpose of the sermon? To explain a section of Scripture and

to apply it to our lives. It should always have law to point out our sins and gospel to point to our Savior.

The Christian Liturgy “The Create in Me…”:

What are we asking God to do? To help us live our lives the way he

wants us to live them. The offering:

Why do we do this at this point in the service?

It is our thankful response to God’s love, which we heard in the lessons and the sermon.

The Christian Liturgy The Prayer of the Church:

What is the purpose of this prayer? To pray for everything and anything

and everyone. The Lord’s Prayer:

Why do we pray this every Sunday? It is how Jesus taught us to pray and

it is said to be the perfect prayer.

Break and Quiz Time

The Christian Liturgy The Preface:

What is this all about? This has been used by Christians

since the 100’s. The people are asking God to be with the pastor as he goes up to the altar to handle the very body and blood of the Lord.

The Christian Liturgy The Sanctus:

What does sanctus mean? Latin for “holy” What thoughts do these words remind us

of before receiving the Sacrament? The seriousness of approaching the

Lord, and the wonderful blessing that he not only allows us to, but also that he has forgiven all of our sins.

The Christian Liturgy The Words of Institution:

Why do we say these words in church? Our Lord commanded us to do this

“in remembrance of me.” We use these words to remind us

what is happening in the sacrament.

The Christian Liturgy The Agnus Dei:

What does Agnus Dei mean? Latin for “Lamb of God”

Why do we sing these words? Another way to ask God to be

merciful and to grant us forgiveness.

The Christian Liturgy The Distribution:

What should I be doing when I can take communion?

Before it, I should examine myself and confess my sins. I should remind myself of why I want to take communion. Afterwards, it is appropriate to give thanks.

The Christian Liturgy The Nunc Dimitis:

What does nunc dimitis mean? Latin for “now let us depart” What verses of the Bible is this based on? Simeon’s words about Jesus in Luke

2:29-32 Why do we use these words at this point

in the service? We sing and ask the same thing that

Simeon did. We too have been in our Lord’s presence.

The Christian Liturgy The Prayer for Peace:

What is the purpose of this prayer? We ask the Lord to be with us and to

bless us.

The Christian Liturgy The Bendiction:

Where do we find these words in the Bible?

Numbers 6:22-27

How does God bless us through these words?

He places his name on us and promises that he will bless, even if we don’t know how.

Comparison The Service of the Word (p.38) The parts are the same but the words

are different. The Service of Word and Sacrament (p. 26) The parts are the same but the words

are different. Morning Praise: What is Matins? Latin for “of the morning.” It was the

first service of the day in the monastery. Evening Prayer: What is Vespers? Latin for “evening.” It was the second to

last service of the day in the monastery. (They had chapel six times a day!)

Homework Look at the end of the last page of your notes!

Homework Study notes and quizzes for a test (Lessons

33-40)