Protestant liturgy

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Protestant liturgy or Evangelical liturgy is a pattern for worship used (whether recommended or prescribed) by a Protestant congregation or denomination on a regular basis. The term liturgy comes from Greek and means "public work". Liturgy is especially important in the Historical Protestant churches, both mainline and evangelical, while Baptist, Pentecostal, and nondenominational churches tend to be very flexible and in some cases have no liturgy at all. It often but not exclusively occurs on Sunday. [1] [2]

Contents

Types

Communion liturgies

A Lutheran pastor administers the Eucharist during the Divine Service at the chancel rails. Communion3.jpg
A Lutheran pastor administers the Eucharist during the Divine Service at the chancel rails.

Lutherans have retained and utilized much of the Roman Catholic mass since the early modifications by Martin Luther. The general order of the mass and many of the various aspects remain similar between the two traditions. Latin titles for the sections, psalms, and days have been widely retained, but more recent reforms have omitted this. Recently, Lutherans have adapted much of their revised mass to coincide with the reforms and language changes brought about by post-Vatican II changes. [3]

Protestant traditions vary in their liturgies or "orders of worship" (as they are commonly called). Other traditions in the west often called "Mainline" have benefited from the Liturgical Movement which flowered in the mid/late 20th century. Over the course of the past several decades, these Protestant traditions have developed remarkably similar patterns of liturgy, drawing from ancient sources as the paradigm for developing proper liturgical expressions. Of great importance to these traditions has been a recovery of a unified pattern of Word and Sacrament in Lord's Day liturgy. [4]

Many other Protestant Christian traditions (such as the Pentecostal/Charismatics, Assembly of God, and Non-denominational churches), while often following a fixed "order of worship", tend to have liturgical practices that differ from that of the broader Christian tradition. [5]

Divine office

The term "Divine Office" describes the practice of "marking the hours of each day and sanctifying the day with prayer". [6]

In Lutheranism, the offices were also combined into the two offices of Matins and Vespers, both of which are still maintained in modern Lutheran prayer books and hymnals. A common practice among Lutherans in America is to pray these offices mid-week during Advent and Lent. The office of Compline is also found in some Lutheran worship books and more typically used in monasteries and seminaries (cf. The Brotherhood Prayer Book ).

In Anglican churches, as with Lutheranism, the offices were combined into two offices: Morning Prayer and Evening Prayer, the latter sometimes known as Evensong. In more recent years, the Anglicans have added the offices of Noonday and Compline to Morning and Evening Prayer as part of the Book of Common Prayer . The Anglican Breviary, containing 8 full offices, is not the official liturgy of the Anglican Church.

Rites

Protestant liturgy and ritual families are primarily influenced by the theological development of the regions. [7]

Western rites

Extant

Eastern rites

Extant

Liturgical rites by denomination

Different Christian traditions have employed different rites:

Historical Protestantism

Lutheranism

A Lutheran Ordination Mass of the Church of Sweden, in which 7 priests and 2 deacons received Holy Orders. Ordination Stockholm.jpg
A Lutheran Ordination Mass of the Church of Sweden, in which 7 priests and 2 deacons received Holy Orders.

In the parts of North American Lutheranism that use it, the term "Divine Service" supplants more usual English-speaking Lutheran names for the Mass: "The Service" or "The Holy Communion." The term is a calque of the German word Gottesdienst (literally "God-service" or "service of God"), the standard German word for worship.[ citation needed ]

As in the English phrase "service of God," the genitive in "Gottesdienst" is arguably ambiguous. It can be read as an objective genitive (service rendered to God) or a subjective genitive (God's "service" to people). While the objective genitive is etymologically more plausible, Lutheran writers frequently highlight the ambiguity and emphasize the subjective genitive. [8] This is felt to reflect the belief, based on Lutheran doctrine regarding justification, that the main actor in the Divine Service is God himself and not man, and that in the most important aspect of evangelical worship God is the subject and we are the objects: that the Word and Sacrament are gifts that God gives to his people in their worship.

Although the term Mass was used by early Lutherans (the Augsburg Confession states that "we do not abolish the Mass but religiously keep and defend it" [9] ) and Luther's two chief orders of worship are entitled "Formula Missae" and "Deutsche Messe"—such use has decreased in English usage except among Evangelical Catholics and "High Church Lutherans". Also, Lutherans have historically used the terms "Gottesdienst" or "The Service" to distinguish their Service from the worship of other protestants, which has been viewed as focusing more on the faithful bringing praise and thanksgiving to God. [10]

Various forms of the liturgy are used by Lutherans:

Reformed

Congregants attend the Divine Service in a Dutch Reformed Church, Doornspijk Kerkdienst hhk doornspijk.jpg
Congregants attend the Divine Service in a Dutch Reformed Church, Doornspijk

The origins of the liturgy are in John Calvin's Geneva, which became the model for all continental Reformed worship, and by the end of the sixteenth century a fixed liturgy was being used by all Reformed churches. [11] Dutch Reformed churches developed an order of worship in refugee churches in England and Germany which was ratified at synods in Dordrecht in 1574 and 1578. The form emphasizes self-examination between the words of institution and communion consisting of accepting the misery of one's sin, assurance of mercy, and turning away those who are unrepentant. [12] Calvin did not insist on having explicit biblical precedents for every element of worship, but looked to the early church as his model and retained whatever he considered edifying. [13] The liturgy was entirely in the vernacular, and the people were to participate in the prayers. [14]

Anglicanism

Worship in an Anglican congregation belonging to the Church of England. Village Church- Everyday Life in Uffington, Berkshire, England, UK, 1944 D19410.jpg
Worship in an Anglican congregation belonging to the Church of England.

At the time of English Reformation, the Sarum Rite was in use along with the Roman Rite. Reformers in England wanted the Latin mass translated into the English language. Archbishop of Canterbury Thomas Cranmer authored the Exhortation and Litany in 1544. This was the earliest English-language service book of the Church of England, and the only English-language service to be finished within the lifetime of King Henry VIII. [15] In 1549, Cranmer produced a complete English-language liturgy. Cranmer was largely responsible for the first two editions of the Book of Common Prayer . The first edition was predominantly pre-Reformation in its outlook. The communion service, lectionary, and collects in the liturgy were translations based on the Sarum Rite [16] as practised in Salisbury Cathedral.

The revised edition in 1552 sought to assert a more clearly Protestant liturgy after problems arose from conservative interpretation of the mass on the one hand, and a critique by Martin Bucer on the other. Successive revisions are based on this edition, though important alterations appeared in 1604 and 1662. The 1662 edition is still authoritative in the Church of England and has served as the basis for many of the Books of Common Prayer of national Anglican churches around the world. Those deriving from Scottish Episcopal descent, such as the Prayer Books of the American Episcopal Church, have a slightly different liturgical pedigree.

Methodism

A Methodist minister delivering the sermon during a service of worship MethodistPastorvestedwithpreachingbands.jpg
A Methodist minister delivering the sermon during a service of worship
Several liturgical books from multiple Methodist denominations Methodist liturgical books.png
Several liturgical books from multiple Methodist denominations

The United Methodist liturgical tradition is based on The Sunday Service of the Methodists , which was passed along to Methodists by John Wesley (an Anglican priest who led the early Methodist revival) who wrote that

there is no Liturgy in the world, either in ancient or modern language, which breathes more of a solid, scriptural, rational piety, than the Common Prayer of the Church of England. [17]

When the Methodists in America were separated from the Church of England, John Wesley himself provided a revised version of the Book of Common Prayer called The Sunday Service of the Methodists . Wesley's Sunday Service has shaped the official liturgies of the Methodists ever since. Worship, hymnology, devotional and liturgical practices in Methodism were also influenced by Lutheran Pietism and, in turn, Methodist worship became influential in the Holiness movement. [18]

The United Methodist Church (the largest Methodist denomination) has official liturgies for services of Holy Communion, baptism, weddings, funerals, ordination, anointing of the sick for healing, and daily office "praise and prayer" services. Along with these, there are also special services for holy days such as All Saints Day, Ash Wednesday, Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, and Easter Vigil. All of these liturgies and services are contained in The United Methodist Hymnal and The United Methodist Book of Worship (1992) . [19] In most cases, congregations also use other elements of liturgical worship, such as candles, vestments, paraments, banners, and liturgical art.

  • Traditional Methodist use, also known as Wesleyan Liturgy, based on The Sunday Service of the Methodists
  • Methodist use of 1965, the second liturgical use, based on Book of Worship for Church and Home (1965), was always considered optional and completely voluntary
  • United Methodist use, based on The United Methodist Book of Worship

Because John Wesley advocated outdoor evangelism, revival services are a traditional worship practice of Methodism that are often held in local churches, as well as at outdoor camp meetings, brush arbour revivals, and at tent revivals. [20] [21] [22]

Eastern Protestantism

Byzantine tradition (Eastern European)

Antiochian tradition

Alexandrian tradition

Pentecostalism and nondenominational Christianity

Worship service

Worship service at Dream City Church, affiliated to the Assemblies of God USA, a Finished Work Pentecostal denomination, in Phoenix, United States Dream City Church worship2.jpg
Worship service at Dream City Church, affiliated to the Assemblies of God USA, a Finished Work Pentecostal denomination, in Phoenix, United States
A Worship service at Hillsong Church UK, London Hillsong London Easter special 2013 - 2.jpg
A Worship service at Hillsong Church UK, London

The worship service in neo-charismatic and Pentecostal churches is seen as facilitating "the beleivers' encounter with God." [23] [24] Certain churches in the Pentecostal tradition are more informal in their worship, while others, such as the Church of God, use a formal liturgy. [25] It is usually run by a pastor and contains two main parts, the praise (Christian music) and the sermon, with periodically the Lord's Supper. [26] [27] During worship there is usually a nursery for babies. [28] Children and young people receive an adapted education, Sunday school, often before the service of worship. [29]

  • Pentecostal and Charismatic services

While most Holiness Pentecostal churches use the Methodist rite, other Pentecostal movements, such as charismatic movement use a new conception of praise in worship, such as clapping and raising hands as a sign of worship, it also takes place in many non-charistmatic evangelical denominations. [30]

In the 1980s and 1990s, contemporary Christian music, including a wide variety of musical styles, such as Christian rock and Christian hip hop, appeared in the praise. [31] [32] [33]

Related Research Articles

<i>Book of Common Prayer</i> Prayer book used in most Anglican churches

The Book of Common Prayer (BCP) is the name given to a number of related prayer books used in the Anglican Communion and by other Christian churches historically related to Anglicanism. The first prayer book, published in 1549 in the reign of King Edward VI of England, was a product of the English Reformation following the break with Rome. The 1549 work was the first prayer book to include the complete forms of service for daily and Sunday worship in English. It contains Morning Prayer, Evening Prayer, the Litany, Holy Communion, and occasional services in full: the orders for Baptism, Confirmation, Marriage, "prayers to be said with the sick", and a funeral service. It also sets out in full the "propers" : the introits, collects, and epistle and gospel readings for the Sunday service of Holy Communion. Old Testament and New Testament readings for daily prayer are specified in tabular format, as are the Psalms and canticles, mostly biblical, to be said or sung between the readings.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eucharist</span> Christian rite and sacrament

The Eucharist, also known as Holy Communion, the Blessed Sacrament and the Lord's Supper, is a Christian rite that is considered a sacrament in most churches, and as an ordinance in others. Christians believe that the rite was instituted by Jesus at the Last Supper, the night before his crucifixion, giving his disciples bread and wine. Passages in the New Testament state that he commanded them to "do this in memory of me" while referring to the bread as "my body" and the cup of wine as "the blood of my covenant, which is poured out for many". According to the Synoptic Gospels this was at a Passover meal.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Liturgical year</span> Annually recurring fixed sequence of Christian feast days

The liturgical year, also called the church year, Christian year, ecclesiastical calendar, or kalendar, consists of the cycle of liturgical days and seasons that determines when feast days, including celebrations of saints, are to be observed, and which portions of scripture are to be read.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mass (liturgy)</span> Type of worship service within many Christian denominations

Mass is the main Eucharistic liturgical service in many forms of Western Christianity. The term Mass is commonly used in the Catholic Church, Western Rite Orthodoxy, Old Catholicism, and Independent Catholicism. The term is also used in some Lutheran churches, as well as in some Anglican churches, and on rare occasion by other Protestant churches.

The collect is a short general prayer of a particular structure used in Christian liturgy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Paschal Triduum</span> Good Friday, Holy Saturday, and Easter Sunday

The Paschal Triduum or Easter Triduum, Holy Triduum, or the Three Days, is the period of three days that begins with the liturgy on the evening of Maundy Thursday, reaches its high point in the Easter Vigil, and closes with evening prayer on Easter Sunday. It is a moveable observance recalling the Passion, Crucifixion, Death, burial, and Resurrection of Jesus, as portrayed in the canonical Gospels.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sign of the cross</span> Ritual blessing made by members of some branches of Christianity

Making the sign of the cross, also known as blessing oneself or crossing oneself, is a ritual blessing made by members of some branches of Christianity. This blessing is made by the tracing of an upright cross or Greek cross across the body with the right hand, often accompanied by spoken or mental recitation of the Trinitarian formula: "In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Church service</span> Period of formal public worship

A church service is a formalized period of Christian communal worship, often held in a church building. Most Christian denominations hold church services on the Lord's Day ; a number of traditions have mid-week services, while some traditions worship on a Saturday. In some Christian denominations, church services are held daily, with these including those in which the seven canonical hours are prayed, as well as the offering of the Mass, among other forms of worship. In addition to this, many Christians attend services on holy days such as Christmas, Ash Wednesday, Good Friday, Ascension Thursday, among others depending on the Christian denomination.

Christian liturgy is a pattern for worship used by a Christian congregation or denomination on a regular basis. The term liturgy comes from Greek and means "public work". Within Christianity, liturgies descending from the same region, denomination, or culture are described as ritual families.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Easter Vigil</span> Liturgy held in Christian churches

The Easter Vigil, also called the Paschal Vigil, the Great Vigil of Easter, or Holy Saturday at the Easter Vigil on the Holy Night of Easter is a liturgy held in traditional Christian churches as the first official celebration of the Resurrection of Jesus. Historically, it is during this liturgy that people are baptized and that adult catechumens are received into full communion with the Church. It is held in the hours of darkness between sunset on Holy Saturday and sunrise on Easter Day – most commonly in the evening of Holy Saturday or midnight – and is the first celebration of Easter, days traditionally being considered to begin at sunset.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Christian worship</span> Act of attributing reverent honour and homage to God

In Christianity, worship is the act of attributing reverent honour and homage to God. In the New Testament, various words are used to refer to the term worship. One is proskuneo which means to bow down to God or kings.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eucharistic discipline</span> Regulations and practices associated with the Eucharist

Eucharistic discipline is the term applied to the regulations and practices associated with an individual preparing for the reception of the Eucharist. Different Christian traditions require varying degrees of preparation, which may include a period of fasting, prayer, repentance, and confession.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Roman Rite</span> Most widespread liturgical rite in the Roman Catholic Church

The Roman Rite is the most common ritual family for performing the ecclesiastical services of the Latin Church, the largest of the sui iuris particular churches that comprise the Catholic Church. The Roman Rite governs rites such as the Roman Mass and the Liturgy of the Hours as well as the manner in which sacraments and blessings are performed.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eucharistic theology</span> Branch of Christian theology

Eucharistic theology is a branch of Christian theology which treats doctrines concerning the Holy Eucharist, also commonly known as the Lord's Supper and Holy Communion. It exists exclusively in Christianity, as others generally do not contain a Eucharistic ceremony.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">High church Lutheranism</span> Movement in Lutheranism

High church Lutheranism is a movement that began in 20th-century Europe and emphasizes worship practices and doctrines that are similar to those found within Roman Catholicism, Eastern Orthodoxy and Anglo-Catholicism. In the more general usage of the term, it describes the general high church characteristics of Lutheranism in Nordic and Baltic countries such as Sweden, Finland, Estonia and Latvia. The mentioned countries, once a part of the Swedish Empire, have more markedly preserved Catholic traditions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Reserved sacrament</span>

During the Liturgy of the Eucharist, the second part of the Mass, the elements of bread and wine are considered to have been changed into the veritable Body and Blood of Jesus Christ. The manner in which this occurs is referred to by the term transubstantiation, a theory of St. Thomas Aquinas, in the Roman Catholic Church. Members of the Orthodox, Anglican, and Lutheran communions also believe that Jesus Christ is really and truly present in the bread and wine, but they believe that the way in which this occurs must forever remain a sacred mystery. In many Christian churches, some portion of the consecrated elements is set aside and reserved after the reception of Communion and referred to as the reserved sacrament. The reserved sacrament is usually stored in a tabernacle, a locked cabinet made of precious materials and usually located on, above, or near the high altar. In Western Christianity usually only the Host, from Latin: hostia, meaning "victim", is reserved, except where wine might be kept for the sick who cannot consume a host.

The Divine Service is a title given to the Eucharistic liturgy as used in the various Lutheran churches. It has its roots in the Pre-Tridentine Mass as revised by Martin Luther in his Formula missae of 1523 and his Deutsche Messe of 1526. It was further developed through the Kirchenordnungen of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries that followed in Luther's tradition.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mass of the Lord's Supper</span> Beginning of the Paschal Triduum

The Mass of the Lord's Supper, also known as A Service of Worship for Maundy Thursday, is a Holy Week service celebrated on the evening of Maundy Thursday. It inaugurates the Easter Triduum, and commemorates the Last Supper of Jesus with his disciples, more explicitly than other celebrations of the Mass.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Liturgical book</span> Christian prayer book

A liturgical book, or service book, is a book published by the authority of a church body that contains the text and directions for the liturgy of its official religious services.

References

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  2. Bjorlin, David (2018-06-21). "Hope of the World": the liturgical work and witness of Georgia Harkness".{{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  3. "Luther's Reform of the Mass". Lutheran Reformation. 2017-03-27. Retrieved 2023-02-18.
  4. slife (2020-05-20). "Christian Liturgy". The Spiritual Life. Retrieved 2023-02-18.
  5. slife (2020-05-20). "Christian Liturgy". The Spiritual Life. Retrieved 2023-02-18.
  6. Fernand Cabrol, "Divine Office" in Catholic Encyclopedia (New York 1911)
  7. "Evangelical church | Definition, History, Beliefs, Key Figures, & Facts | Britannica". www.britannica.com. Retrieved 2023-02-18.
  8. See, e.g., John T. Pless, "Six Theses on Liturgy and Evangelism," Archived December 23, 2005, at the Wayback Machine (Conference on Liturgy and Outreach, Concordia College, 1987) ("[I]n worship God is at work to serve His people with His Word and Sacraments. Evangelical worship is Gottesdienst (subjective genitive), Divine service.").
  9. Article 24 of the Augsburg Confession
  10. [ permanent dead link ]
  11. White 1989, p. 6869.
  12. Bürki 2003, pp. 33–34.
  13. White 1989, p. 67.
  14. White 1989, p. 63.
  15. F Procter & W. H. Frere, A New History of the Book of Common Prayer (Macmillan, 1905) p. 31.
  16. Bevan, G. M. (1908). Portraits of the Archbishops of Canterbury. London: Mowbray.
  17. Works of John Wesley, vol. XVI, page 304
  18. Ruth, Lester (2009). "Worship: Sacraments, Liturgy, Hymnody, Preaching – Liturgical Revolutions". In Kirby, James E.; Abraham, William J. (eds.). The Oxford Handbook of Methodist Studies. Oxford and New York: Oxford University Press. pp. 324–329. doi:10.1093/oxfordhb/9780199696116.013.0018. ISBN   9780199696116. LCCN   2009926748. S2CID   152440716.
  19. 2008 Book of Discipline paragraph 1114.3
  20. Winn, Christian T. Collins (2007). From the Margins: A Celebration of the Theological Work of Donald W. Dayton. Wipf and Stock Publishers. p. 115. ISBN   9781630878320. In addition to these separate denominational groupings, one needs to give attention to the large pockets of the Holiness movement that have remained within the United Methodist Church. The most influential of these would be the circles dominated by Asbury College and Asbury Theological Seminary (both in Wilmore, KY), but one could speak of other colleges, innumerable local campmeetings, the vestiges of various local Holiness associations, independent Holiness oriented missionary societies and the like that have had great impact within United Methodism. A similar pattern would exist in England with the role of Cliff College within Methodism in that context.
  21. Dresser, Thomas (4 May 2015). Martha's Vineyard: A History. Arcadia Publishing Incorporated. p. 57. ISBN   9781625849045.
  22. Chilcote, Paul W.; Warner, Laceye C. (13 February 2008). The Study of Evangelism: Exploring a Missional Practice of the Church. Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing. p. 206. ISBN   9780802803917.
  23. Braun, Gabriele G. (19 June 2020). God's Praise and God's Presence: A Biblical-Theological Study. Wipf and Stock Publishers. pp. 8–10. ISBN   978-1-5326-5506-7.
  24. Gerald R. McDermott, The Oxford Handbook of Evangelical Theology, Oxford University Press, UK, 2013, p. 311
  25. Vaughan, Benson (23 March 2018). The Influence of Music on the Development of the Church of God (Cleveland, Tennessee). Wipf and Stock Publishers. p. 238. ISBN   978-1-5326-3334-8. Some have claimed Pentecostals still have no liturgy of their own; however, this study clearly established that the Church of God has a liturgy that has been constantly developing throughout the past 125 years.
  26. Cartledge, Mark J.; Swoboda, A. J. (7 July 2016). Scripting Pentecost: A Study of Pentecostals, Worship and Liturgy. Routledge. p. 109. ISBN   978-1-317-05866-3. The 1911 Constitution and General Rules of the Pentecostal Holiness Church contains a rubric for celebrating the Lord's Supper. It directs the pastor, "at the close of the sermon or Scripture lesson, or at any time that may be deemed proper," to call the deacons to "gather round the table and kneel with the whole congregation" in preparation for the rite.
  27. Stewart, Adam (30 September 2015). The New Canadian Pentecostals. Wilfrid Laurier Univ. Press. p. 46. ISBN   978-1-77112-141-5. The service begins with the worship leader and worship team playing a high-energy song intended to signal the transition from this informal greeting time to the worship component of the service. ... After another three or four songs come the announcements and the collection or offering, which are both usually directed by the senior pastor of the congregation. The offering is followed by one or two more subdued worship songs, intended to prepare the worshipers for the sermon. Occasionally, however, the assistant pastor or lay leader within the congregation preaches instead. If it happens to be the first Sunday of the month, the congregation will celebrate communion, which usually follows the sermon, the senior pastor officiating with the assistance of lay leaders.
  28. Greg Dickinson, Suburban Dreams: Imagining and Building the Good Life, University of Alabama Press, USA, 2015, p. 144
  29. Lang, J. Stephen (10 September 1999). 1,001 Things You Always Wanted to Know About the Holy Spirit. Thomas Nelson. ISBN   978-1-4185-6857-3.
  30. Robert H. Krapohl, Charles H. Lippy, The Evangelicals: A Historical, Thematic, and Biographical Guide, Greenwood Publishing Group, USA, 1999, p. 171
  31. Suzel Ana Reily, Jonathan M. Dueck, The Oxford Handbook of Music and World Christianities, Oxford University Press, USA, 2016, p. 443
  32. Mathew Guest, Evangelical Identity and Contemporary Culture: A Congregational Study in Innovation, Wipf and Stock Publishers, USA, 2007, p. 42
  33. Don Cusic, Encyclopedia of Contemporary Christian Music: Pop, Rock, and Worship: Pop, Rock, and Worship, ABC-CLIO, USA, 2009, p. 85-86