Traditional, Mixed, or Contemporary

[gtmyers]

Our pastor will chant some of the liturgy in some services not every sunday though, I enjoy it though when he does. I wish pastors would do it more.

Yes I agree. We are looking for a Lutheran Church right now and I enjoy and get more out of it when they chant. If the pastor can't do it, they can always get someone else to can't they? Cantor?
I visited a small country church that did this well last Sunday. Enjoyed it very much!

 

[gtmyers]

I must be a closet conservative...

I'm open to new music in a service (I loved With One Voice and I'm an enthusiastic support of Evangelical Lutheran Worship) but I really want a liturgy on Sunday morning which includes a Call to Confession and Forgiveness of Sins; the Ordinary (Kyrie, Gloria or Hymn of Praise, Credo, Sanctus, Agnus Dei); four Scripture readings; and which includes Communion.

I was music director in a non-Lutheran church which had no Call to Confession and Forgiveness of Sins; no Scripture readings, no Ordinary and no Communion -- and I hated it. I could hardly wait until a position opened up in a Lutheran church so I could get back to a form of worship where I felt like I was actually worshipping.

The church I attend (where I'm music director) uses piano instead of organ during its services, and that's fine with me -- I've done my own piano transcriptions of Setting 2 in the Green Book and Setting 1 in ELW; and there's plenty of piano music which is appropriate for a church service; but I find the liturgy really enhances my worship experience.

"Liturgy" does not equal "bad".

You and I think alike! Just exiting the Presbyterian Church because I miss the Lutheran liturgical worship!

 

[gtmyers]

After reading all the posts I kinda see that there is a need for the liturgy even in those going to churches that do not have it. I feel this need in my own life. The Presbyterian Church I attend has no liturgy. Its just hymns, prayer, hymn, prayer, hymn, offering, a 30 minute sermon and one more hymn and finally a closing prayer. However, we do say the Lords prayer and the Apostles Creed. We have communion once a month. Now, on occasion we have visited some of our family at their Lutheran Church in another town. When we have, I get this feeling of really worshiping. There is just something about the liturgy, the readings, the Gospel, and communion that leads me to believe I have worshipped God.
So for me I like the traditional or divine worship service. This is why we are looking for us a Lutheran Church now.
But its hard because we have formed friends at the Pres. Church.

 

[Edial]

...This is why we are looking for us a Lutheran Church now.
But its hard because we have formed friends at the Pres. Church.

Just curious ...
What do your friends say about you wanting to leave?

 

[Izdaari Eristikon]

After reading all the posts I kinda see that there is a need for the liturgy even in those going to churches that do not have it. I feel this need in my own life. The Presbyterian Church I attend has no liturgy. Its just hymns, prayer, hymn, prayer, hymn, offering, a 30 minute sermon and one more hymn and finally a closing prayer. However, we do say the Lords prayer and the Apostles Creed. We have communion once a month. Now, on occasion we have visited some of our family at their Lutheran Church in another town. When we have, I get this feeling of really worshiping. There is just something about the liturgy, the readings, the Gospel, and communion that leads me to believe I have worshipped God.
So for me I like the traditional or divine worship service. This is why we are looking for us a Lutheran Church now.
But its hard because we have formed friends at the Pres. Church.

I definitely understand! My situation is a little different: my present church does give me a good worship experience, good fellowship and exceptionally strong teaching (our pastor has a real gift for it), so I won't be leaving. But still, I like to get my "liturgy fix" at least once a month, sometimes at a local ELCA church, other times at the Episcopal cathedral.

Good luck, or even better, divine guidance on finding the right church for you!

 

[RevCowboy]

Yes I agree. We are looking for a Lutheran Church right now and I enjoy and get more out of it when they chant. If the pastor can't do it, they can always get someone else to can't they? Cantor?
I visited a small country church that did this well last Sunday. Enjoyed it very much!

Howdy GT!

The Cantor can chant some of the parts of the litrugy, like the Kyrie and Psalm. However, the Great Thanksgiving, proper preface and Eucharistic prayer should be done only by a pastors, as well as the Prayer of the Day (which is rarely chanted, and often prayed by the whole congregation when it should be only the presider). If the Gospel is chanted, a Deacon should do it. Since Lutherans don't have deacons in that sense, I think anyone could.

OK, I will end the liturgy nerdyness there.

 

[Edial]

...

OK, I will end the liturgy nerdyness there.

.

I think you belong in Tofferer's nerd thread.

 

[Edial]

I definitely understand! My situation is a little different: my present church does give me a good worship experience, good fellowship and exceptionally strong teaching (our pastor has a real gift for it), so I won't be leaving. But still, I like to get my "liturgy fix" at least once a month, sometimes at a local ELCA church, other times at the Episcopal cathedral.

Good luck, or even better, divine guidance on finding the right church for you!

You are an interesting person, Izdaari.

 

[Edial]

Edial

I hope you are ready for some real "fun" responses to that post. hahahaha

I've said worse ... they let me slide.

I even said the one that there will be no women in heaven because of this verse ...

REV 8:1 When he opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for about half an hour.

Since silence and women don't really mix ... you get the punchline.

The ladies gave me some responses, ... but considered me harmless.

 

[Bartolomeo]

I believe that most of the reason contemporary services take hold is that the traditional services they supplant have deteriorated due to a lack of proper instruments, musicians, or choral leadership. It is rare for any but the largest churches to be willing to invest in traditional music by commissioning a new or improved pipe organ or paying for a capable organist and choir director. Or there is stagnation of the material due to an unwillingness to try new hymns or liturgical settings.

So they get Kurt and Dean from teh congregation, who can sort of sing and play guitar.

There are exceptions, of course, but it is rare to see a contemporary service that is done well. It's a huge amount of work to put on an effective and well-rehearsed contemporary service every Sunday. Quality music is never easy.