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U n i t 1 — L e s s o n 3
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What does liturgy look like in your church? Rate your congregation's liturgy on a
scale from "Straight out of Lutheran Service Book" to "What's a hymnal?"
What Is Liturgy?
Look up the word liturgy in the dictionary or online. How do we use liturgy in the
church?
What Is the Divine Service?
Liturgical worship follows this pattern: Christ speaks His Word and gives His
Supper; the church receives and answers in confession, thanksgiving, and peti-
tion. In this way, the liturgy keeps us focused on Christ.
Not every congregation
uses a formal liturgy, so
some students might be
unaware of what it means to
use liturgy. In reality, though,
every congregation has
some form of liturgy, even
if they consider themselves
nonliturgical. The structure
and flow of worship even
in so-called contemporary
churches forms a liturgy.
Discuss this quote from the
catechism with your stu-
dents. How do they see this
applied in the liturgy and in
their congregation?
People often think worship
in the church service is
about what we do for or
toward God. The reality
is quite different. In the
Divine Service, God pro-
vides His service for us. In
the reading, the preaching,
and the proclamation of His
Word and in His Sacraments
of Baptism and Holy
Communion, God comes to
us. In worship, God gives
His grace and we respond
with thanks and praise.
