08 October 2007

The Fifth Setting

Reformation is approaching and this year we'll use the 5th Setting of the Divine Service from LSB for our worship that day.

The Confession and Absolution and Entrance Hymn is the same as DS III, but then you move into a different world. Instead of the traditional Kyrie there is Hymn #942; instead of the traditional Gloria in Excelsis there is Hymn #948 or #947. Salutation and collect follow, and then first reading, Psalm or Gradual, second reading and Hymn of the Day. The Holy Gospel is announced and read and the Creed is sung in metrical paraphrase #954 or #953. The sermon follows. The Prayer of the Church is based on Luther's paraphrase of the Our Father. Then the offering is gathered as the altar is prepared. After the preface (invariable, based on Luther's Deutsche Missa), the Our Father and Verba follow and the great hymn "Isaiah, Mighty Seer" - a peculiar form of the Sanctus. Pax Domini and Agnus lead to distribution. Then a post-communion hymn ("O Lord, We Praise You") and collect, benedicamus and benediction.

This is clearly an adaptation of Luther's Chorale Mass, the German Mass, and the vitality and vibrancy of the Reformation rings through the texts. It is not the Divine Service that we're most accustomed to, but it has its own richness and beauty. I'm glad we'll celebrate it - even if only once a year.

4 comments:

Rev. Eric J Brown said...

I'm not quite ready to try it here. . . I was going to just have the choir 3 years ago sing Isaiah, Mighty Seer, and their eyes bulged out. But I hope it goes well!

William Weedon said...

Well, I confess we'll be using the EASY setting of the Creed and the Choir is doing the Gloria that day. :)

William Weedon said...

Plus, they're sort of like unbelievable in the music they can sing. MANY of the adults in the congregation sang in the choir at one time or another, so as a whole the congregation generally gives a yeoman's try to just about anything tossed there way.

William Weedon said...

their. Grr.