In defending the retention of the rites and traditions of Christian worship, Luther wrote in the Augsburg Confession (Article XV), “After all, the chief purpose of all ceremonies is to teach the people what they need to know about Christ.” From this principle, he adopted the term, “Gottesdienst” (which means “the service of God”). The English equivalent is the term, “Divine Liturgy.” It is a term that expresses a theology of worship which promotes the exposure of all of God’s activities through the continued participation in what is commonly referred to as “the worship service.” This Lent, each mid-week service will focus on one part of the Divine Liturgy, that is, of God’s work, so that all who continue to participate will grow in faith and knowledge of all that Christ has done to win salvation for God’s people.
Lenten Midweek Service : Gottesdienst (Part Three) : March 4, 2026
“We Enter God’s Presence : The Kyrie, The Hymn of Praise & Collect of the Day”
The preparatory portion of the service is over. We have confessed our sin, and by the grace and mercy of God, we have been forgiven. Thus, like children being called to the dinner table, we are now ready to enter into God’s presence and receive from Him the blessings of His grace and mercy. As the family joins in prayer to give thanks for what is about to be received and to ask His blessings, we enter singing of God’s faithfulness with the full expectation of God revealing Himself to us and of being nourished in our faith by God’s Word and through the reception of the Lord’s Supper.
When Jesus died upon the cross, the curtain that separated the Holy of Holies from the rest of the Temple was torn in two indicating that the Law had been fulfilled and that those, having been cleansed by the blood of the Lamb, has full access to God by faith in Christ. In this part of the Divine Liturgy, we enter into His presence seeking that the heart of God be revealed to us.
Gottesdienst : What does this mean?
This year’s theme for Lent is entitled, “Gottesdienst.” It is a German word which means, “the service (dienst) of God (Gott).” Lent is a time of meditation and reflection on the “service of God” in Christ, that is, all that He has done to redeem His people and creation from sin and death. Living this side of the cross, this reflection primarily happens when the people of God gather, in this case, on Wednesday evenings and during Holy Week and experience the “service of God” through Word and Sacrament ministry. It is through these things that God serves His people by “calling, gathering and enlightening” them, forming them to be His people and equipping them for a response of service in this world.
Gottesdienst : Source Material
The primary source for the Lenten and Holy Week services will be drawn from the adult instruction curriculum used here at Grace entitled, “Liturgical Catechesis : A Survey of the Lutheran Faith & Confession.” It is a curriculum that follows the individual parts of the Divine Liturgy and that is designed to highlight the teachings of the Lutheran faith associated with those parts. For example, in Lesson Two, the liturgical focus is the Invocation. Appropriately, the catechetical focus is the Nature of Man, Sin and Baptism. Each subsequent lesson takes up the next part of the liturgy and the corresponding teachings. For this Lenten season, this will be the schedule…
Gottesdienst : Continuing Education
Obviously, given the depth of each lesson, no one lesson can be adequately covered in just one service. Thus, each service will focus on one or two major points with attention given to God’s service in that part of the liturgy. To encourage deeper study of each individual part and the associated doctrines, copies of the actual lessons will be provided allowing the congregation to study the lesson over the next week. Copies will be distributed at the end of each service. However, if you prefer a digital (PDF) copy, please let the church office know and copies will be e-mailed to you.