Daily Offices
Matins and Vespers: The Daily Offices
While Sunday, being the Lord’s Day in which we commemmorate the Resurrection of Our Lord, is celebrated with utmost joy as we receive Christ’s body and blood in accord with His Word and promise in the Gospel, it is also desireable for our congregation to meet at other times. Personal and family devotions fulfill some of this need and should be encouraged, especially when the focus of these devotions in terms of the pattern of words used and theological content found therein remains in agreement with the Catechism.
However, in keeping with the reality of the priesthood of the believer and for the sake of mutual encouragement in the Faith, it is also important that the church gather in public services for the purpose of prayer and hearing God’s Word throughout the week as well. This daily pattern of worship is good for us for a number of reasons, and one of those reasons pertains to the practice of the early church.
While we have not yet implemented a daily regimen of worship here, still it is a good thing when we purpose to increase our time together in the Word and in prayer, through more frequent gatherings, following the example of Christians from previous generations.
Luke 24:52f (NKJV)
{50}And [Jesus] led them out as far as Bethany, and He lifted up His hands and blessed them. {51}Now it came to pass, while He blessed them, that He was parted from them and carried up into heaven. {52}And they worshiped Him, and returned to Jerusalem with great joy, {53}and were continually in the temple praising and blessing God. Amen.
Acts 2:46f (NKJV)
{46}So continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart, {47}praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved.
Lutherans historically have taken this “with one accord” quite literally and have attempted to do this with music and especially with congregational singing, as they together sing the Faith and sing the Word with one accord. This is both the musical and theological heritage that has shaped Lutheran identity for generations, for congregational participation in the Liturgy is rooted in the priesthood of the believer as taught by the apostles and is expressed by Lutherans in their rich musical and intensely scriptural and theological worship.
This distinctively Lutheran contribution to worship can once again gain traction in American churches today, and we would love to see that happen. And while our pastor and congregation have much to learn as well as plenty of opportunities for growth in this area, this pattern of worship that is both rich in musical expression as well as in theological and biblical focus—a pattern that was put into practice by Luther in Wittenberg and by those who followed Wittenberg’s example in other parishes—included daily Matins and Vespers. These daily offices, as they are called, may have looked like the following.
Weekday Offices
Matins at 5 a.m. and Vespers at 4 p.m. For now, both of these daily offices are held only on Wednesday (as well as on Saturday and Sunday. Eventually, this can be expanded to include other days. As this becomes a more daily routine, and as we follow the readings assigned for each day of the year in Lutheran Service Book, pp. 299-304, these daily services will cover about one-third of the Old Testament and most of the New Testament each year.
Weekday Matins
We follow the service of Matins as described in LSB pp. 219-228.
The readings for Matins will be the Old Testament lesson and the Psalms as assigned in LSB pp. 299-304.
Weekday Vespers
We follow the service of Vespers as described in LSB pp. 229-234.
The readings for Vespers will be the New Testament lesson and the Psalms as assigned in LSB pp. 299-304.
Weekday Compline
If there is interest, Pastor is willing to lead Compline at 9 p.m. on Tuesday and Friday nights. This is also called “Prayer at the Close of the Day.” Compline is a short but beautiful service of singing and prayer that is meant to quiet our thoughts and hush our spirits from the clamor and chaos of the day so that we may call on the name of the Lord even as the hours of night descend upon Christ’s people.
Saturday Offices
Matins at 5 a.m. and Vespers at 4 p.m.
Saturday Matins
We follow the same basic pattern as on weekdays.
Saturday Vespers
As this service precedes the Lord’s Day when we will celebrate Holy Mass, and to encourage penitence and a hunger for the Gospel, Luther’s revised Litany will also be sung on Saturday.
Sunday Offices
On Non-feast Sundays
Matins on Non-feast Sundays
We follow the same basic pattern as on weekdays.
Vespers on Non-feast Sundays
We follow the same basic pattern as on weekdays, except that the readings at Sunday Vespers will often include portions from Luther’s Small Catechism, and there will also be a catechetical hymn for the congregation to sing. The sermon will likewise usually focus on that hymn or the text of the Catechism directly.
On Feast Days
Matins at 5 a.m. and Vespers at 4 p.m.
Matins on Feast Sundays
We follow the same basic pattern as on weekdays.
Vespers on Feast Sundays
Sunday Vespers always has a catechetical focus, as mentioned above. Moreover, the history of Sunday Vespers at Wittenberg and elsewhere indicates that the service, and particularly on Feast Days, was a rich, musical experience that focuses attention on the catechetical lesson for that Vespers service. This is certainly something we would like to bring back from our Lutheran heritage, as God permits.