Official Lutheran Doctrine: "We Do Not Abolish the Mass"

In the modern day Lutheran churches much confusion seems to prevail with regard to the standard order of service and the nature of the Divine Liturgy. Some churches seem to maintain no semblance whatsoever of their Lutheran liturgical heritage and employ a free style sing along customary of American non-denominational church groups. While others are quite liturgical and appear “catholic” in the way they worship. Which is correct based upon the official standing of the Lutheran church? Are not Lutherans a “protestant denomination”, if so then shouldn’t they worship like the other protestant and non-denominational churches? Historically, and more importantly doctrinally, no they should not. The official standard of doctrine and practice for the Lutheran Church and her clergy is the Book of Concord, also known as the Lutheran Confessions. According to this document, ratified in the year 1580 A.D., the Lutheran Reformers had no issue with the historic order of service. In fact they maintained the structure of the mass and handed it down to the successive generations of Lutherans. They said the following.

Article XXIV (XII): Of the Mass.
“At the outset we must again make the preliminary statement that we 1] do not abolish the Mass, but religiously maintain and defend it. For among us masses are celebrated every Lord’s Day and on the other festivals, in which the Sacrament is offered to those who wish to use it, after they have been examined and absolved. And the usual public ceremonies are observed, the series of lessons, of prayers, vestments, and other like things.” [1]

Therefore, the official Lutheran stance, according to The Book of Concord, supports the liturgical services including the use of vestments, and customs traditionally used in the Divine Liturgy. Interestingly enough, in this and many other citations, the reformers were not apprehensive to utilize the customary terminology when referring to the Divine Service; as you can see for yourself, they continued to call it the Mass. This coming Lord’s Day let us as Lutherans ponder the format of the service that we attend. Does it maintain the integrity of the liturgy as handed down by our faithful ancestors? If it seems more sing along with little or no liturgical structure, is this the manner of worship in keeping with our official doctrinal material or are we being incongruent? I will attend, and invite you as well to attend, the Mass as described by the progenitors of the Lutheran Reformation, which was maintained and handed down by the historic church from whom even they received it. It is in keeping with the official doctrine and practice to which we have pledged ourselves as Lutherans and it provides the ancient and well recognized structure to cradle the Christo-centric worship and to convey the administration of Word and Sacrament.

Blessings+
Father Daniel

[1]Lutheran Church. Missouri Synod: Concordia Triglotta - English : The Symbolic Books of the Evangelical Lutheran Church. electronic ed. Milwaukee WI : Northwestern Publishing House, 1997, S. 383