5th Sunday Reaction
Background & Reasoning
We have maintained the pattern of 1st and 3rd Sundays of the month offering communion, and 2nd and 4th being based around the Word in Prayer & Preaching. The divine services (settings 1 through 5) are communion orders, which we have been following setting 5 which allows the most attention on Hymns. Prayer & Preaching is a ‘Simple Church’ format for the 2nd and 4th Sundays. For 5th Sunday’s of the month the tradition has been not to have communion (or at least that is what I’ve been told). To prevent any individual order of service from becoming stale, I would like to avoid using the same order two weeks in a row. That means some experimentation on 5th Sunday’s. For this Sunday Aug 31 we have planned to use Matins which is a very traditional canticle based service. It might be the only time that you hear me attempt to chant a line after I break people’s eardrums with that horrible sound. Since both the services that we have been using have downplayed the canticle or liturgical music, the 5th Sunday seemed a good chance to allow those who enjoy the canticles to see their favorites.
Vespers or Compline, which are the evening versions of Matins, were considered for the Saturday service, but the attendance has not be at the level to support the canticles. Instead, Saturday follows Responsive Prayer 2 which is contemplative in nature and mirrors the 2nd/4th Sunday service, but different enough to break the pattern. Both services will have the same Hymns and Sermon.
Question & Discussion
I’d like to use the 5th Sunday in an experimental fashion like this as an opportunity to explore the richness of the LSB resources, and maybe eventually something different, should the musicians come forward. All of that said, it is not my choice alone. The form below is for feedback. Please comment and if you feel comfortable, give me your name email address to start a conversation. If you are not comfortable, just leave those lines blank and I won’t know who you are, but I can still have your comments/thoughts on Matins and the 5th Sunday.
