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The Liturgy of the Word

The Liturgy of the Word. The Collect of the Day The Lessons The Sermon.

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The Liturgy of the Word

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  1. The Liturgy of the Word The Collect of the Day The Lessons The Sermon

  2. BLESSED Lord, who hast caused all holy Scriptures to be written for our learning: Grant that we may in such wise hear them, read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest them, that by patience and comfort of thy holy Word, we may embrace and ever hold fast the blessed hope of everlasting life, which thou hast given us in our Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen.

  3. But when the student of the Holy Scriptures, prepared in the way I have indicated, shall enter upon his investigations, let him constantly meditate upon that saying of the apostle's, "Knowledge puffeth up, but charity edifieth." For so he will feel that, whatever may be the riches he brings with him out of Egypt, yet unless he has kept the Passover, he cannot be safe. Now Christ is our Passover sacrificed for us . . . St. Augustine On Christian Doctrine

  4. Liturgy of the Word: • Akin to Hebrew synagogue services • Open to Catechumens, who in earlier times had to depart before the Liturgy of the Eucharist, or Holy Communion • Is Catechetical in nature • Focus is to clarify the nature of the God whom we are worshipping through: • Prayers • Songs of Praise • Scripture Readings • Teaching/Preaching • Creedal Statement

  5. Liturgy of the Word: • Entrance • Summary of the Law • Collect for Purity • Gloria . . .

  6. Liturgy of the Word: • Collect of the Day • Old Testament Lesson • Responsorial Psalm • Epistle • Alleluia • Gospel • Sermon

  7. Collect: Latin:ôrâtiô ad collêctam (prayer at the gathering) Also a gathering prayer summing up themes for the day. Hence, it links the Church Year with the Lectionary Readings and Sermon.

  8. Collect: The traditional collect follows a set format: • Address the Father (Almighty God) • appeal to something about God's character that is relevant to what is being prayed about (to whom all hearts are open, all desires known and, from whom no secrets are hid;) • the request, usually drawn in some way from the Scripture readings for the day (Cleanse the thoughts of our hearts by the inspiration of Thy Holy Spirit) • why you're asking (So that we may perfectly love Thee and worthily magnify Thy Holy Name) • through Jesus or in Jesus’ name (Through Christ our Lord) • a praise of God as Trinity, or Doxology (whom with Thee and the Holy Ghost livest and reignest, one God, world without end. Amen.)

  9. Scripture Lessons: Old Testament • Reveals the continuity between Israel and Jesus • OT Lesson typifies the New • OT always points to Christ as the fulfillment Mt 5:17: “Do not think I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.”

  10. Scripture Lessons: i.e.: Exodus 24:13-18 Then Moses set out with Joshua his aide, and Moses went up on the mountain of God. He said to the elders, “Wait here for us until we come back to you. Aaron and Hur are with you, and anyone involved in a dispute can go to them.” When Moses went up on the mountain, the cloud covered it, and the glory of the Lord settled on Mount Sinai. For six days the cloud covered the mountain, and on the seventh day the Lord called to Moses from within the cloud. To the Israelites the glory of the Lord looked like a consuming fire on top of the mountain. Then Moses entered the cloud as he went on up the mountain. And he stayed on the mountain forty days and forty nights.

  11. Scripture Lessons: Matthew 17:1-6 And after six days Jesus taketh with him Peter, and James, and John his brother, and bringeth them up into a high mountain apart: 2 and he was transfigured before them; and his face did shine as the sun, and his garments became white as the light. 3 And behold, there appeared unto them Moses and Elijah talking with him. 4 And Peter answered, and said unto Jesus, Lord, it is good for us to be here: if thou wilt, I will make here three tabernacles; one for thee, and one for Moses, and one for Elijah. 5 While he was yet speaking, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them: and behold, a voice out of the cloud, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye him. 6 And when the disciples heard it, they fell on their face, and were sore afraid.

  12. Scripture Lessons: Compare also: • Moses receiving the Law on the Holy Mountain to Matthew’s Sermon on the Mount, which deals with the Hebraic Law • Isaiah 53’s suffering servant to Christ’s passion • Creation narrative of Genesis 1 with John 1 • Paul teaching Christ as the New Adam (Rom 5:14, 1 Cor 15:45, etc.)

  13. Scripture Lessons: The Psalm • The Psalms are the oldest hymn book in the Abrahamic traditions (Judaism, Christianity, Islam) • A psalm is vehicle of prayer: praise, supplication, lament, etc. • The psalm in our liturgy ties the lessons together in prayer. It reminds us that scripture study is not reading per se, but prayer.

  14. Scripture Lessons: The Epistle • Epistles are letters written to early congregations • They are, therefore, occasional; i.e.: they are directed towards specific situations and deal with specific issues • However, most probably were meant to be passed along to other regional congregations • The early churches collected and copied these epistles and began to spread them to wider audiences • The earliest epistle is probably Paul’s first letter to the Thessalonians, dated around 51 (making it the oldest preserved Christian writing), and the latest is probably 2nd Peter, most likely written between 80 and 90 AD.

  15. Scripture Lessons: The Gospel The Gospel reading is surrounded by much ceremony; i.e.: processing and kissing the book; standing; making the three crosses, one on our foreheads (intellect), one on our lips (our mode of both expression and receiving nourishment), and one on our hearts (emotion/soul/desire) as a sign of being readied to receive the Word, who is Christ, the fulfillment of God’s covenant promise to Israel.

  16. The Sermon • The Sermon connects the readings to our lives • In the Episcopal Church preaching is important, but not central as in other traditions. The zenith of our liturgy is the act of Communion • A good sermon brings both hope and challenge • Though sermons are directed towards the whole congregation, it should be received as if spoken to you personally • Sermons should be discussed with the priest either informally or during formal spiritual direction/counseling

  17. After the sermon we, as one body, turn to the altar and profess our faith by reciting the Creed. We now move into the Eucharist, or Holy Communion.

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