Worship Matters
The "Kyrie"
Traditional Lutheran liturgy often contains an element called a "Kyrie" at the beginning. If it is used in a liturgy it comes right after the "Processional" or "Gathering Hymn" and the "Greeting". Kyrie is Latin for Lord and is the first word of the typical congregational response.
Right now, in the setting of the liturgy that we are using, it is the first word the congregation sings before Pastor Jesse sings the Petitions of the Kyrie. More fully, the congregation sings, "Kyrie eleison, on our world and on our way. Kyrie eleison ev-ry day." Translated, that means "kyrie eleison" means Lord have mercy. We traditionally use it at the beginning of worship because it is our prayer, right from the start, for God's intervention in the affairs of the Church and the whole world.
In the last several years, attempts have been to remove or translate Latin words, as they often have little meaning to modern worshipers. But especially in matters related to faith and religion, tradition is a difficult thing to drop, so Kyrie it remains.
Traditional Lutheran liturgy often contains an element called a "Kyrie" at the beginning. If it is used in a liturgy it comes right after the "Processional" or "Gathering Hymn" and the "Greeting". Kyrie is Latin for Lord and is the first word of the typical congregational response.
Right now, in the setting of the liturgy that we are using, it is the first word the congregation sings before Pastor Jesse sings the Petitions of the Kyrie. More fully, the congregation sings, "Kyrie eleison, on our world and on our way. Kyrie eleison ev-ry day." Translated, that means "kyrie eleison" means Lord have mercy. We traditionally use it at the beginning of worship because it is our prayer, right from the start, for God's intervention in the affairs of the Church and the whole world.
In the last several years, attempts have been to remove or translate Latin words, as they often have little meaning to modern worshipers. But especially in matters related to faith and religion, tradition is a difficult thing to drop, so Kyrie it remains.
