Liturgical Variations: Understanding Liturgical Worship, Part IV (d)

Lutheran Book of Worship and Lutheran Worship changed the scope of the Gloria and referred to this part of the Divine Service as "The Hymn of Praise." This carried over to Lutheran Service Book, which has the rubric

HYMN OF PRAISE
During Advent and Lent, the Hymn of Praise is omitted.

It should be noted first that the Lutheran tradition has two historic hymn paraphrases of the Gloria (LSB #947 and 948) plus the relatively new alternative "This Is the Feast" found in Lutheran Service Book's Divine Service I and II.

Here is a setting of LSB #947, All Glory Be to God on High, done in the classic tradition of an organ improvisation for the introduction followed by congregational singing.

Here is a wonderful setting featuring "a full medieval percussion section, penny whistles, and a saxophone ensemble."

The newest tradition is to substitute the Gloria for "This Is the Feast," first published as "Festive Canticle: Worthy Is Christ." As Lutherans follow the Latin Rite, they tend to assign Latin words to new liturgical works, and this is no exception, going by Dignus Est Agnus, or "Worthy Is the Lamb," taken from the first line of the first verse.

There is some discussion among Lutherans as to whether we should substitute ANYTHING for the Gloria. The text of "This Is the Feast" is drawn from the book of Revelation, and hence is appropriate for Easter and it's Season as well as any time there is an End Times theme, such as All Saints Day and the last Sundays of the church year. It is also excellent if the Divine Service is celebrated at a funeral.

As Micah at Liturgical Variations states

The image of Christ as the Lamb of God is repeated with added imagery from Revelation. The concept of praising God for Who He is and what has done is also continued. The imagery of Christmas has been replaced with the imagery of the End Time, when the angels will sing in response to Immanuel. "...has begun His reign:" We pray that Christ begins His reign in our hearts, through the hearing of His Word.

That being said, the chief text is the Gloria, and the secondary text is "This Is the Feast." Think of "This Is the Feast" as seasoning salt. It adds flavor to our church year. Think of it as coming alongside the Gloria and not replacing it. Use it wisely and use it when it is appropriate.

Here it is, sung at Easter Vigil. By the way, this would most likely be in place of the Gloria at a Roman Catholic church. They are using the Richard Hillert setting originally published as "Festival Canticle: Worthy is Christ." That last descant is always challenging, no matter who the choir is.

This is the forth and final post in a series about the Kyrie and Gloria in the Divine Service based on a post by Micah at Liturgical Variations.

Check out all of Micah's posts over at Liturgical Variations.  Micah is a student at Concordia University Texas.

Liturgical Variations: Understanding Liturgical Worship, Part IV (c)

What about English versions of the Gloria? There are some issues with modern translations of the text into English.
If you are singing from an older Anglican or English Lutheran hymnbook, or your translation contains words like "Thee" and "Thou," chances are you have a good translation.

It probably reads something like this...

Glory be to God on high.
And in earth peace goodwill towards men.
We praise Thee.
We bless Thee.
We worship Thee.
We glorify Thee.
We give thanks to Thee for Thy great glory.
O Lord God, heavenly King
God the Father almighty.
O Lord, the only-begotten Son Jesus Christ.
O Lord God, Lamb of God, Son of the Father.
Thou that takest away the sins of the world,
have mercy upon us.
Thou that takest away the sins of the world,
receive our prayer.
Thou that sittest at the right of the Father,
have mercy upon us.
For Thou only art Holy.
Thou only art the Lord.
Thou only, O Christ,
with the Holy Ghost,
art Most High in the glory of God the Father.
Amen.

This is very close to Iggy's Literal Translation, with the exception of today's "you" and "your" instead of "thou" and "thine." Please ask permission before borrowing this translation.

Glory to God in the highest
and on earth peace to men of goodwill.
We praise You;
We bless You;
We worship You;
We glorify You;
We give thanks to You
for Your great glory.
Lord God, Heavenly King
God the Father Almighty.
Lord, the only-begotten Son, Jesus Christ;
Lord God, Lamb of God, Son of the Father,
Who takes away the sin of the world,
have mercy on us;
Who takes away the sin of the world,
receive our prayers;
Who sits at the right hand of the Father,
have mercy on us.
For You alone are holy,
You alone are the Lord,
You alone are the Most High,
Jesus Christ,
with the Holy Spirit
in the glory of God the Father.
Amen

The International Counsel on English Texts (ICET) took some liberties with the translation, and used almost a paraphrase of the Latin.

To begin with, while the literal translation is "men" the application is "people" so I won't get hung up on that one. However, what happened to "goodwill?"

Latin
Gloria in excelsis Deo
Et in terra pax hominibus voluntatis

Iggy
Glory to God in the highest
and on earth peace goodwill toward men.

ICET
Glory to God in the highest,
and peace to His people on earth.

On another note, the current trend is to change the word "His" to "God's" in the second phrase of the ICET text. Curiously enough, if they had been faithful to the original text, there would be no pronoun there to begin with. That being said, pronouns keep us from being too repetitive with names, so the use of "His" is not only theologically correct, it is also grammatically correct.

The ICET text also loses the repetition in the beginning. In the ICET text we only worship, give thanks, and praise. We do not bless or glorify. The original text builds and builds and builds, heaping one form of praise upon the other. The ICET text is truncated at best, condensing five clauses into three.

Latin
laudamus te
benedicimus te
adoramus te
glorificamus te
gratias agimus tibi
propter magnam gloriam tuam

Iggy
We praise You;
We bless You;
We worship You;
We glorify You;
We give thanks to You
for Your great glory.

ICET
We worship You,
We give You thanks,
We praise You for your glory.

Another thing that is lost is the allusion to the Agnus Dei (Lamb of God) that will appear later in the Divine Service, just before we receive communion. This echo reminds us that we are preparing to partake in the Holy Supper and receive the Body and Blood of our Lord, as Scripture states, "given...and shed for the forgiveness of sins."

Latin
Dómine Deus Agnus Dei Fílius Patris
qui tollis peccáta mundi
miserére nobis
Qui tollis peccáta mundi
súscipe deprecatiónem nostram
Qui sedes ad déxteram Patris
miserére nobis

Iggy
Lord God, Lamb of God, Son of the Father,
Who takes away the sin of the world,
have mercy on us;
Who takes away the sin of the world,
receive our prayers;
Who sits at the right hand of the Father,
have mercy on us.

ICET
Lord God, Lamb of God,
you take away the sin of the world:
have mercy on us;
You are seated at the right hand of the Father:
receive our prayer.

Note to hymnal committees around the world: if you would never consider The Living Bible or The Message for corporate worship, then perhaps the ICET text is not for you, either. Let's take a more literal approach to the Gloria, something along the lines of the English Stander Version instead of The Living Bible.

At any rate, here is a setting of the ICET text. This one takes the first full line of text as the refrain.

And here is the Healey Willan setting of the historic translation. I believe this one was commissioned by Concordia Publishing House for use with children. When you hear "children" in this sense, think about a classic music education for middle grade children, as opposed to songs for younger children, such as "Jesus Loves Me" or "I Am Jesus' Little Lamb."

This is the third post of four in a series about the Kyrie and Gloria in the Divine Service based on a post by Micah at Liturgical Variations.  Next in this series, the "other" hymn of praise, "This Is the Feast."

Check out all of Micah's posts over at Liturgical Variations.  Micah is a student at Concordia University Texas.

Liturgical Variations: Understanding Liturgical Worship, Part IV (b)

The historic mass follows the Kyrie with the Gloria. The Lutheran Rite now offers "This Is the Feast" as an alternate.

Regarding the Gloria, Micah at Liturgical Variations says

Assured He will come with mercy, we burst forth in song, proclaiming Who He is and what He has done for us. We sing the very same song that the angels sang when Christ physically came to earth (Immanuel- God-with-Us) to pay for the sin of all people...

The Gloria is drawn from the Latin Mass. Here is a look at the historic Latin text and a literal translation of it.

Historic Latin Text
Gloria in excelsis Deo
et in terra pax hominibus bonevoluntatis
laudamus te
benedicimus te
adoramus te
glorificamus te
gratias agimus tibi
propter magnam gloriam tuam
Dómine Deus Rex cæléstis
Deus Pater omnípotens
Dómine Fili unigénite Jesu Christe
Dómine Deus Agnus Dei Fílius Patris
qui tollis peccáta mundi
miserére nobis
Qui tollis peccáta mundi
súscipe deprecatiónem nostram
Qui sedes ad déxteram Patris
miserére nobis
Quóniam tu solus Sanctus
Tu solus Dóminus
Tu solus Altíssimus
Jesu Christe
Cum Sancto Spíritu
in glória Dei Patris
Amen

Iggy's Translation
[Please ask permission before borrowing this translation]
Glory to God in the highest
and on earth peace to men of goodwill.
We praise You;
We bless You;
We worship You;
We glorify You;
We give thanks to You
for Your great glory.
Lord God, Heavenly King
God the Father Almighty.
Lord, the only-begotten Son, Jesus Christ;
Lord God, Lamb of God, Son of the Father,
Who takes away the sin of the world,
have mercy on us;
Who takes away the sin of the world,
receive our prayers;
Who sits at the right hand of the Father,
have mercy on us.
For You alone are holy,
You alone are the Lord,
You alone are the Most High,
Jesus Christ,
with the Holy Spirit
in the glory of God the Father.
Amen

The Gloria and its counterpart This Is the Feast are often omitted in Advent and Lent. This reflects the penitential nature of these seasons.

We get the term "Gloria" from the Latin Bible. It is the first word in the song the angels sang to the shepherds.

Gloria in excelsis deo
Glory to God in the highest

Below is a straight-forward Latin Gloria set to Gregorian chant.

Here is a wonderful setting of the Latin Gloria sung by a boys choir.  The setting is by Valentin Rathgeber, an early Baroque composer.  It is common even today that a cantor introduces (or intones) the first phrases of the Gloria with a chant, and then the choir or congregation responds with the rest of the text.

Bach and Vivaldi have wonderful settings of the Gloria. They provide a setting for each sentence or phrase of the Gloria, so these will be less practical for congregational worship. Bach's version takes over six minutes just to get through the first line. If you are looking to highlight the Gloria in your annual Christmas concert, though, these would be wonderful options.

JS Bach, Part I
Gloria in Excelsis Deo
et in terra pax hominibus bonevoluntatis



Vivaldi, Part I
Gloria in Excelsis Deo

A contemporary composer who takes a shorter approach is John Rutter. This one is three sections, but still about 20 minutes long. If you use this in the Divine Service, you might have the choir sing one of the three sections, and have a cantor chant the other two.

Rutter, Part I
Gloria in excelsis Deo
et in terra pax hominibus bonevoluntatis
laudamus te
benedicimus te
adoramus te
glorificamus te
gratias agimus tibi
propter magnam gloriam tuam
Gloria excelsis Deo

If you are looking for a straight-forward setting and you want ot show off your choir's Latin skills in a single, brief setting, try this Mozart work.

This is the second post of four in a series about the Kyrie and Gloria in the Divine Service based on a post by Micah at Liturgical Variations.  Next in this series, comparing English translations of the Gloria.

Check out all of Micah's posts over at Liturgical Variations.  Micah is a student at Concordia University Texas.

Liturgical Variations: Understanding Liturgical Worship, Part IV (a)

Micah over at Variations on a Liturgical Theme has posted his latest installment of Understanding the Liturgical Worship Service.

Topics include:

• The Kyrie
• Gloria in Excelsis/This Is the Feast

Regarding the Kyrie, Micah says...

Because we have rebelled against His perfect Law, we cower in terror and plead with Him not to destroy us for our insurrection (sin), but to deal with us graciously. We beg our benevelant King to have mercy on us, a sinner. (Luke 18:13)

The word kyrie is the first word the Greek liturgy for this section. In it, the phrase Kyrie eleison means, "Lord, have mercy." Sometimes the Greek term is retained in its entirety.

Here is the Kyrie from Bach's Mass in B minor. Bach used the Latin Mass, which retained the Kyrie in the Greek form.

The Kyrie has been known to expand and contract over time.  The historic English translation is "Lord, have mercy upon us."  The words "upon us" have been added.  The phrase can stand on its own or it can be a response to a series of petitions, where a deacon or pastor chants the petition and the congregation responds with "Lord, have mercy."

Here is an expanded Kyrie from the Eastern Rite in Greek. I would like to thank the GreekOrthodox over at youtube for posting the words in Greek and English.

Κύριε ἐλέησον, Κύριε ἐλέησον, Κύριε ἐλέησον.
Ἔτι δεόμεθα ὑπὲρ τοῦ εἰσακοῦσαι Κύριον
τὸν Θεὸν φωνῆς τῆς δεήσεως ἡμῶν τῶν ἁμαρτωλῶν,
καὶ ἐλεῆσαι ἡμᾶς.
Κύριε ἐλέησον, Κύριε ἐλέησον, Κύριε ἐλέησον.

Lord have mercy, Lord have mercy, Lord have mercy.
Again we pray that the Lord God
will hear the voices of the petitions of us sinners
and have mercy on us.
Lord have mercy, Lord have mercy, Lord have mercy.

And from the Latin Rite, here it is in Gregorian Chant.

Kyrie eleison, Kyrie eleison, Kyrie eleison.
Christe eleison, Christe eleison, Christe eleison.
Kyrie eleison, Kyrie eleison, Kyrie eleison.

Lord, have mercy; Lord, have mercy; Lord, have mercy.
Christ, have mercy; Christ, have mercy; Christ, have mercy.
Lord, have mercy; Lord, have mercy; Lord, have mercy.

For more on the Kyrie and for a setting from Luther's German Mass, check out this post here at All for Hymn.

This is the first post of four in a series about the Kyrie and Gloria in the Divine Service based on a post by Micah at Liturgical Variations.  Next in this series, settings of the Gloria in Latin.

Check out all of Micah's posts over at Liturgical Variations.  Micah is a student at Concordia University Texas.

Liturgical Variations: Understanding Liturgical Worship, Part III

Micah over at Variations on a Liturgical Theme has posted his latest installment of Understanding the Liturgical Worship Service.

Topics include:

• Confession
• Absolution
• Introit (Latin for "Entrance")

Regarding Confession and Absolution, Micah says:

Before we enter the presence of God we must be pure. Thus we confess, or acknowledge, to Him who and what we are: sinners. We are honest- knowing He already knows our sinful condition- but confident of His forgiveness and mercy.

This is where the pastor, on behalf of Christ, announces to all that they are absolved, or forgiven of their sins. Many Protestants struggle with this, however Jesus says in Matthew 16:19, "I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you free on earth shall be freed in heaven," (translated by yours truly) and in John 20:23, "If you forgive the sins of anyone, their sins are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven." (NIV)

For those who don't quite understand the sacramental nature of Absolution, it is important to remember that the pastor is not the one who absolves, but Christ himself. The pastor stands in the place of Christ as His representative. As the TLH Order of Holy Communion and LSB (Divine Service, Setting Three) state,

...in the stead and by the command

of my Lord Jesus Christ

I forgive you all your sins

in the name of the Father

and of the Son

and of the Holy Spirit.

Those words, "in the stead," let us know that Jesus is present here in the proclamation. The words "by the command" let us know that these are not the pastor's words but the very Word of Christ Himself.

Hymn of Confession

From depths of woe I cry to Thee,

In trial and tribulation;

Bend down Thy gracious ear to me,

Lord, hear my supplication.

If Thou rememberest every subm

Who then could heaven ever win

Or stand before Thy presence?

Hymn of Absolution

Jesus speaks to us in this hymn.

In the first line, "he" refers to Satan.

Though he will shed My precious blood,

Me of My life bereaving,

All this I suffer for your good;

Be steadfast and believing.

Life will from death the vict'ry win;

My innocence shall bear your sin

And you are blest forever.

LSB 556, Stanza 8

The tune from LSB 508

is also associated with this text.

Liturgical Variations: Understanding Liturgical Worship, Part II

Micah over at Variations on a Liturgical Theme has posted his latest installment of Understanding the Liturgical Worship Service.

Topics include

• Prelude
• Opening Hymn/Gathering Song
• Invocation

Here is his introduction

This is a continuation of my series that tries to help explain the elements of the Divine Service. At the conclusion of explanations, I'll also discuss whether something is sacrificial (we serve God) or sacramental (God serves us), what Scripture inspired this element, any (contemporary) alternatives, and any hymns based on that element.

It's shaping up to be an excellent series, folks.  Among other things, Micah gives us the scriptural references regarding the various liturgical acts.

And speaking of opening hymns, here is a grand setting of  Hymn #1 from The Lutheran Hymnal, "Open Now Thy Gates of Beauty."  This gathering would not have used TLH, so the text may vary slightly.  They disabled the embed code, so you have to click over to hear it.

Not to be left out, though, here is an organ arrangement of the same tune.

Introducing "Variations on a Liturgical Theme"

Written by All for Hymn reader Micah Schmidt, a student at Concordia University, Austin, Texas, Variations on a Liturgical Theme - aka Liturgical Variations - just got up and running on December 2, 2009.

Micah describes Liturgical Variations as "A blog that includes a variety of topics, including alternative Bible translations, liturgy, hymnody, Gottestdienst, doctrine, and whatever else pops into my head."

Check out the first blog post here.  It features English Reformer William Tyndale.

Also, Micah has just started a series on Understanding the Liturgical Worship Service.  Here is an excerpt:

A brief history: the order of service originated as a Christianisation of the Old Testament worship liturgy. Over time various responses (mostly from Scripture) were added. By the mid 1st millenium A.D., the liturgy would have looked semi-familiar.

Stop on by Liturgical Variations for a good read and a cup of coffee, as long as you don't mind bringing your own coffee.

Are you blogging about hymns and liturgy?  Drop your URL into the comment box and you will be considered for a featured post on All for Hymn.