“The Lutheran Church may justly claim that, in the Common Service, she possesses and uses “the completest embodiment of the Common Service of the Christian Church of all ages”; a Service “which may he tendered to all Christians who use a fixed Order, the Service of the future as it has been of the past” (Preface to the Common Service). Should this book be of assistance to any one, in awakening interest, or in developing a better understanding, a more intelligent use, and a higher appreciation of the forms of Divine Worship, as the Church of the Reformation conceives and orders it, the very considerable time and labor which its production has cost will not have been spent in vain.” — From the Introduction.

Level of Difficulty: Primer: No subject matter knowledge needed.

Book Contents

• Preface by Lutheran Librarian

• Foreword

• Introduction

• Order of The Service or The Communion

  • A Form Of Silent Prayer

  • The Preparation

    • The Exhortation
    • The Versicle
    • The Confession
    • The Prayer for Grace
    • The Declaration of Grace

  • The Service Proper

    • The Office of the Word

      • The Introit
      • The Kyrie
      • The Gloria in Excelsis
      • The Salutation and Response
      • The Collect
      • The Epistle
      • The Hallelujah
      • The Gospel
      • The Creed
      • The Apostles’ Creed.
      • The Sermon
      • The Votum
      • The Offertory
      • Offering of Gifts
      • The General Prayer
      • The Lord’s Prayer.
      • The Hymn

    • The Holy Supper

      • The Salutation and Response
      • The Prefatory Sentences
      • The Eucharistic Prayer
      • The Sanctus
      • The Lord’s Prayer
      • The Words of Institution
      • The Pax
      • The Agnus Dei
      • The Distribution
      • The Nunc Dimittis
      • The Prayer of Thanksgiving
      • The Benedicamus
      • The Benediction
      • Amen.

• Matins and Vespers

  • The Hours
  • Matins
    • The Versicle
    • The Invitatory and Venite
    • The Lessons
    • The Respond
    • The Responsory
    • The Sermon
    • The Canticle (Te Deum Laudamus)
    • The Prayer
    • The Benedicamus
    • The Benediction
  • Vespers
    • The Magnificat
    • The Collect for Peace

• Christian Hymnody

  • Early Christian Hymnody
  • Influence of German Reformation
  • Sweden
  • Denmark
  • Norway
  • Iceland
  • England
  • America
  • Office of the Hymn

• Liturgical Colors

  • Chief Festivals
  • Minor Festivals
  • Significance of Liturgical Colors

• Index and Glossary

Publication Information

• Lutheran Library edition first published: 2022-02-09
• Copyright: CC BY 4.0