Singing with Luther
Happy Reformation!
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
This coming Sunday, we celebrate the Reformation. Our first thought might be that this is a day to celebrate Martin Luther, but truthfully, Luther would never want it that way - because for Luther, it was always about Jesus!
However, Lutheran congregations traditionally use Divine Service Setting V on Reformation Sunday, which Luther arranged. A key feature of this liturgy is that Luther wrote hymns in place of the Gloria Patri, the Creed, the Sanctus, the Agnus Dei, and so on.
Why so many hymns? Because Luther knew the music would teach and that people would commit the words to memory through singing, which was important, as the people of the sixteenth century did not have hymnals to hold during the Divine Service. Their hymnal had to be contained in their minds.
This coming Sunday, we’ll use Divine Service Setting V for the first time at Good Shepherd. As we use Divine Service Setting V this week, take a moment to appreciate it and its important role in the budding Lutheran Church of the sixteenth century, and reflect on how those first Lutherans truly took the liturgy to heart. Then follow them and cherish the Words of the liturgy, as they all lead and point us to Christ Jesus.
Your unworthy undershepherd,
Pastor Rogness
