Deutsche Messe

German trade fair called the orders of worship of the Reformation, the attempt to make the Western communion service in the traditional medieval form of the ( Roman Catholic ) Mass in German language and the latest findings of the Reformers.

Early German fairs

Very soon after the first appearance of Martin Luther studied clergymen who were close to the Reformation, according to new forms of worship. They wanted to redesign or at least the traditional liturgical traditions of elements " clean ", which was regarded as undesirable developments this either strictly biblical foundations. Especially the medieval sacrificial theology of the Roman Mass was the Reformers offensive ( cf. Luther's criticism of the Sacrifice ). It is reported, for example, that already 1522/23 in many places first attempts were made with German sacramental services, eg by Karl town in Wittenberg or by Martin Bucer, Kaspar Hedio, Johann Schwebel and John Oecolampadius on Franz von Sickingen Ebernburg. Often thereby only parts of the service were translated into German ( for example, the biblical readings) or just the canon Prayers ( Canon Missae ) omitted.

Some of these early Protestant orders of worship were printed and found as another reformatory ideas rapidly shared and learned, for example,

From other places and other reformers is known that they held at least parts of the Mass in German, or the Lord's Supper " in both kinds " (ie, with bread and wine) handed out.

The orders of worship mentioned here are very different to each other to some extent in their sequence and their changes in relation to the Medieval Fair. But you all have in common the following:

• Following the expiry of the medieval ( Roman Catholic ) Fair relatively accurate.
• They use consistently the German language.
• They include a celebration of the Eucharist with bread and wine.
• They reject the earlier quietly speaking to the priest Canon Missae from, is the expression of the Roman Catholic sacrificial theology in a special way.

Martin Luther's German Mass 1526

Martin Luther himself was the reform requirements initially only very slowly after, by 1523 both writings from ordenung worship service Ynn the common ( German ) and formula missae et communionis (Latin ) published that in contrast to the above-mentioned documents but not both include running order of worship, but in which he merely explains how he a new Reformation worship imagines in the future.

The German Mass and Order of divine service was published by Luther in 1526. It differs from his own writings from the year 1523 and from the above mentioned previous attempts especially by the following things:

• Luther creates its own new tunes for worship ( liturgical ) singing.
• Luther differs from the traditional order of worship pieces of the show in some places more pronounced rate.
• Some pieces are missing in Luther (for example, the Gloria in excelsis and Hallelujah ). Whether he has implicitly mitgemeint these pieces or would have actually left out is unclear.

The fact that no songs are mentioned in Luther's order of service, does not mean that no songs should be sung. On the contrary, the song singing of the congregation, for example, before and after the sermon, during and after the distribution of communion is from other writings of Luther and his contemporaries occupied.

Expiration of Deutsche Messe

Effect of Luther's German Mass

The order, as suggested by Luther in the German Trade Fair, has not prevailed in the Protestant churches. In particular, the division of the distribution ( only spoken the bread - word, then get all the bread, then only the cup - word is spoken and all communicate a second time ) is in the Sunday Normal service is not feasible for reasons of practicality. His radical reduction and reformulation of the preparation of the Last Supper (including omission of the Preface, the anamnesis and epiclesis ) was most theologians and church leaders too far. The normal form of the Lutheran and even the Protestant communion worship, therefore, a form has prevailed, which is much closer to the expiry of the original form of the Mass, such as those the Brandenburg- Nürnbergische Church Order of 1533 ( by Andreas Osiander ) or the North German church orders of Johannes Bugenhagen offer. The only exception to the southwest German Lutheran territories (Württemberg, Baden, Palatinate ), which follow in the celebration of the sacrament of the much simpler version of the Upper German sermon worship, as it contains about the Württemberg church order of 1553.

Widely used, however, the melodies created by Luther, especially his Kyrie eleison, his German Sanctus Isaiah, the prophet and his credo Song have We all believe in one God.

Since the time of the so-called " liturgical movement " in the 1920s, it has again been made to accept as just a regular form of worship Luther's German Mass and in the present, here would be particularly the high- Church movement to call. The bear and the modern agenda of evangelical church account by allowing adaptations of Luther's version as one of several possible variants.