This entry is part 10 of 10 in the series Divine Service.

Divine Service

The previous post was all about the Lord’s words, whether it was the prayer he gave us, the sacrament he gives us, or the peace he gives us. By faith we trust everything he says and receive everything he gives. It is the rejection and exclusion of his word that divides the church.

Continuing in D.S. III:

Agnus Dei

Literally “Lamb of God,” pronounced “On-yoos Day-ee.” John the Baptist’s testimony from John 1:29 is fully employed three times, answered by the blind men in Matthew 9:27. The “grant us peace” was often substituted in Roman requiem masses with “grant them eternal rest.” The LCMS Christian Cyclopedia notes that the Agnus Dei was left out of the 1552 Anglican Book of Common Prayer Communion rite but returned in the Scottish liturgy. The “O Christ” phrases were added to bring the English text more in line with the ancient musical setting.

The Lamb of God reference reminds us of the innocence and the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, an important doctrinal point. Christ had to be innocent so that he could be sacrificed. Jesus was more than just a role model. “What Would Jesus Do?” given sufficient self-examination shows us what we cannot do: lead the perfect innocent life. Christ ends his didactic example by giving his life for us, so that we may not be forever separated from God. This gospel grants us peace.

The Distribution

Herman Sasse wrote that the church and the Lord’s Supper are inseparable:

Every celebration of the Supper ought remind us that Jesus Christ in the time between his earthly days and the revelation of his glory at his “return” is not distant from us, that he even now exercises his glory “hidden under the cross” through the means of Word and Sacrament in his church, that the present Christ is the greatest power and the most important face of world history in our day. We should know this as we ponder the future of the church. The presence of Christ is the life of the church. The future of the church is the future of the Lord.

Some worry that frequent communion will render it commonplace. I don’t think this is such a bad thing. The distribution of Christ’s body and blood is the distribution of the forgiveness of sins. In the Lord’s Supper Christ forgives our ennui, too. Better to have it too often than not enough. One can always stay seated during the Distribution.

Nunc Dimittis

Literally, “now send forth, or dismiss”. It is a canticle, a nonmetrical spiritual song, as is the Magnificat (Luke 1:46-55) and the Benedictus (Luke 1:68-79). Luke 2:29-32 is the reply of Simeon, who was informed by the Holy Spirit that he wouldn’t die until he saw Jesus. Christ was Simeon’s deliverance even as a baby. The Nunc Dimittis was first used in the Compline, or Bedtime Prayer, but it’s also appropriate here, at the dismissal of the Lord’s Table.

It’s also appropriate to be the end of this post. We’re almost to the end! The next post will cover the Thanksgiving, the Benedicamus, and the Benediction.

Series Navigation«Divine Service 8Divine Service 10»