# Lehre und Wehre_St. Louis Missouri_August 1862_S231
# AI translation — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

Report on the True Mean of the Lutheran Liturgy. 231

Remarks.

a. Even in the morning and evening blessing devised by Dr. Luther for household prayer, there is, in its five parts — the blessing with the holy cross, the Creed, the Lord's Prayer, the morning-evening prayer, the hymn — a liturgical structure.

b. It is to be lamented that psalmody has fallen so far out of use for the secondary services, and likewise that the liturgical name "Mette," and especially "Vesper," has fallen into forgetfulness. Psalmody, however, could easily be brought back into the secondary service by following the instruction given by Dr. Luther, as it is taken up as a citation in the report of the synodical account of the Middle District of 1859, and may there be read on p. 33, below.

For a closer look into the purpose and arrangement of the secondary services, there follow here, in like manner, several statements of Dr. Luther's.

German Mass, etc.: "Since the greatest and foremost part of all worship is to preach and teach God's Word, we order preaching and reading as follows: on the holy day, or Sunday, we let the customary Epistles and Gospels remain, and we have three sermons: early, at five or six o'clock, some psalms are sung, as at Mette. Thereupon the Epistle of the day is preached, chiefly for the sake of the servants, that they too may be provided for and hear God's Word, in case they cannot be present at the other sermons. After that, an antiphon, and the Te Deum laudamus or the Benedictus, alternately, with a Lord's Prayer, collects, and the Benedicamus Domino.

During the Mass, at eight or nine, the Gospel is preached, as appointed by the season throughout the year. After noon, at Vespers, before the Magnificat, the Old Testament is preached, in order, one part after another." (Erl. A. 22, 235.)

Instruction to the Pastors, etc.: "Further, since in many places the old ceremonies have everywhere been done away with, and little is read or sung in the churches, the following order has been established, as to how it may henceforth be observed in the churches and schools, and especially in places where many people are to be found, as in cities and towns. Namely: first, one may sing three psalms early every day in the church, in Latin or German. And on the days when there is no preaching, a lesson may be read by a preacher, namely Matthew, Luke, the first Epistle of St. John, both Epistles of St. Peter, that of St. James, some of St. Paul's Epistles, such as both to Timothy and to Titus, to the Ephesians, to the Colossians. And when these are finished, one should begin again from the beginning. And whoever reads the lesson should then exhort the people to pray a Lord's Prayer for the common need, especially for whatever arises at that time, such as for peace, for sustenance, and especially for God's grace, that he would guard and govern us. After that the whole church may sing a German hymn, and thereupon the preacher may read a collect.