How is mass celebrated in the Lutheran Church?

Answer 1

Lutheran belief and practice is most accurately outlined in the Lutheran symbolical book, the Book of Concord. All Lutheran Synods and organizations formally subscribe to this book. In the Book of Concord, Article XXIV ("Of the Mass") namely, the Augsburg Confession (1530) states: "Falsely are our churches accused of abolishing the Mass; for the Mass is retained among us, and celebrated with the highest reverence. We do not abolish the Mass but religiously keep and defend it . . . we keep the traditional liturgical form In our churches Mass is celebrated every Sunday and on other holy days, when the sacrament is offered to those who wish for it after they have been examined and absolved (Article XXIV)".

Lutherans in most of the world, commonly use the word "mass" to refer to the formal Lutheran liturgy. North American Lutherans often do not use the term "mass." It is also referred to commonly as "Divine Service," "the Liturgy" or "Corporate Worship" and informally "worship" or "service."

The structure of the Lutheran Liturgy is similar to that of the Roman Catholic, Anglican and Eastern Orthodox Churches. There are also contemporary forms of worship that follow the general format, but loosely resemble the traditional mass. The Lutheran Church, like the others mentioned, is a sacramental Church. The Lutheran focus, in the words of Martin Luther, is that the "Word is rightly proclaimed and the Sacraments are rightly administered." The other non-essential or nonobligatory traditions of worship were coined by Luther as "adiaphoria" or "indifferent things." The word literally means "tolerated and indifferent." While typically Lutherans wear vestments, use candles, gestures, postures and rich Church architecture, arts and statuary, these details may vary. European Lutherans tend to employ rich, bulky , "high church" ritual ceremony and worship. In the U.S., many Churches are 'high church' and employ the fullness of liturgical tradition and some less formal or 'low Church,' parishes may employ a simpler approach. While format may vary, the general liturgical model is:

Prelude

Words of Invocation

Corporate Confession and Absolution

Introit and Gloria Patri

Kyrie

Hymn of Praise or "Gloria in Excelsis"

Collect

Old Testament Lesson

Epistle

Chanting or Reading of the Psalms

Gradual or "Alleluia"

Gospel Lesson

Sermon or Homily

Hymn of the Day

Creed

Prayers of the Church or "Intercessory Prayers"

Sharing of the Peace

Offering is received

Offertory

Great Thanksgiving

Preface

Sanctus

Words of Institution

Lords Prayer

Agnus Dei

Communion (a Sacrament, with belief in the "real presence")

Post-Communion Blessing

Nunc Dimittis

Collect or Prayers

The Salutation and Benedicamus

Benediction and Dismissal

The Most recognizable and common highlighted elements to be found in any Lutheran service are Confession, prayers and hymns, the readings and sermon, communion, the creed and the blessing or "benediction."

The Lutheran Church has a rich musical heritage and many renowned Classical composers, being Lutherans, wrote complex masses, the most famous being Bach's "Mass in B minor." Other composers who wrote famous Lutheran masses and Lutheran Sacred music for mass were George Frederich Handel, Johann Pachelbel, Johannes Brahms, Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy, Michael Praetorius, Johann Walther, Johann Hermann Schein, Samuel Scheidt, Heinrich Schuetz, and many others. There are many living modern day liturgists and composers who write contemporary and traditional settings of Lutheran liturgies.

A common Lutheran liturgy used in North America can be found at ELCA.org.

Answer 2

Baptism and communion. However, Lutherans are not dogmatic about the number of sacraments. The Lutheran symbolical writings also refer to Confession and Absolution as "the third sacrament."