About The Lutheran Missal
The Lutheran Missal project aims to make available to the English-speaking church of today the lectionary, prayers, and other accompanying rites and resources that were available to and used by the Lutheran Church in the first century following the Reformation.
This striving for liturgical restoration is not a new instinct among English-speaking Lutherans, and several other such efforts have been made, most notably the effort culminating in the Common Service of 1888, which aimed to make available an ordered liturgy on the basis of the “common consent of the pure Lutheran liturgies of the Sixteenth Century.” In many respects, this Common Service was a great success. Published in 1888, it was in use by the vast majority of Lutherans in this country who worshiped in the English language until 1978, when it was largely displaced by the liturgical innovations and new lectionaries that came about, in part, from the influence of the Roman Church and the Second Vatican Council.
This project continues in the trajectory of the Common Service. The text of the Divine Service printed in the Missal will be the Order of Holy Communion as found in the Common Service of 1888, most familiar to today’s Lutherans as page 15 from The Lutheran Hymnal or Setting Three from Lutheran Service Book. Taking the Common Service as its basis, the intention of this project is to expand on that work in providing a more thorough analysis of the late medieval and Reformation-era liturgies in use in Germany. The backbone of this project is an expanded lectionary, one which provides not only for Sundays, major feasts of Christ, and those of the apostles, but also provides for weekdays, minor feasts, and other occasions. The combined effect of these restorations will be at least a fourfold increase in the number of texts appointed in the lectionary. There is no intention of modifying the service itself, save only to allow for the substitution of historic proper and seasonal texts, such as post-communion collects, as an alternative to the present texts.
The missal project as it currently stands will culminate in the production of several books: an altar missal, a lectionary, a gospel book, a desk edition, and hand missals for the laity.
Missals
What is a missal?
A missal is a book that contains all of the readings, prayers, and other texts necessary for celebrating the mass (Divine Service).
Is The Lutheran Missal project associated with a particular church body?
While there is no official connection or endorsement by any church body, the editors and contributors are all clergy or laity within the Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod.
How will The Lutheran Missal differ from books like the existing Altar Book for Lutheran Service Book?
The Lutheran Missal will contain all of the necessary readings, collects, and propers for celebrating the Divine Service in a single book, while the current LSB Altar Book contains only collects and minor propers, with the lectionary in a separate volume. In addition, The Lutheran Missal will focus solely on the traditional (one-year) lectionary, and will have a substantially larger temporal lectionary that includes weekdays, as well as a greatly expanded sanctoral calendar.
What will the order of service look like in The Lutheran Missal?
The order of service will be the Order of Holy Communion from the Common Service of 1888, as found on page fifteen of The Lutheran Hymnal (1941) and Setting Three of Lutheran Service Book (2006), with the only change being an allowance for proper offertories, communions, and post-communion collects.
Altar Edition
The large-format (8.5"x11") altar edition is the flagship volume for The Lutheran Missal series. It will be beautifully adorned with gilded edges, satin ribbons, and an embossed leather cover. Pictured at right is a representative altar missal of similar size and quality, produced by our printer, Catholic Book Publishing.
Chapel Edition
The chapel edition will be a 75% scaled version of the altar book. While it may be bound in cloth rather than leather, its contents will be identical in every other respect. It is intended for use on a smaller chapel altar, the pastor’s desk, or a home devotional altar.
Personal Edition
Hand missals have long been treasured by the laity of the Roman Catholic Church, and soon similar missals will be available within the Lutheran tradition. These books will be a great aid in home devotions, helping families stay connected to the rhythm of the church year—even while traveling or on vacation. Feasts and occasions not yet observed in the local parish can be marked through devotions at home. The hand missals will also serve the pastor well for home and hospital visits, and they may even find a place in the church pew racks.
Lectionaries
Lectionary books traditionally include all the readings found in the missals, excluding the chanted psalms and prayers. There are two main types of lectionaries: the Gospel Book and the Epistolary.
Gospel Book
The Gospel Book does not contain the full texts of the four Gospels, as one might expect. Instead, it includes the specific Gospel passages read during the mass, arranged according to the liturgical calendar. It is sized so that it can be enclosed within an ornate outer cover. The Gospel texts for the chief festivals—and perhaps other occasions—will include notation for chanting. Pictured at right is a representative Gospel Book by our printer, Catholic Book Publishing.
Epistolary
The Epistolary contains both the Epistles and Prophecies. Unlike the Gospel Book, it is not used with an outer cover. Traditionally, the Epistolary was left in place near the epistle horn of the altar (opposite the Gospel Book), but it our churches today it will commonly be placed at the lectern.
Graduals
The Gradual is a liturgical book that contains the text and notation of the chants sung by the choir during the Mass. The name comes from the Gradual chant, which is sung after the Epistle, traditionally from the steps (gradus) of the altar—hence the name. Contents include: Introits, Graduals, Alleluias and Tracts, Sequences, Offertories, and Communions. These texts will also be found in the Missal, but without notation.
Melismatic Chant
This edition of the Gradual presents the traditional Gregorian chants in their full melismatic form. These chants are richly ornamented and require a trained schola cantorum or cantor. They represent the musical tradition in its most complete and authentic form, conveying the solemnity and beauty of the liturgy through the ancient melodies of the church.
Simplified Chant
The simplified Gradual retains the essential character and modality of Gregorian chant while reducing the complexity of its melodic lines. Designed for smaller choirs or parishes, this version allows for reverent and faithful chant performance without the demands of extensive training. The chants are presented with modern musical notation, and with fewer notes per syllable and more straightforward contours.
Congregational Chant
This edition sets the same Gradual texts to basic Gregorian tones, allowing them to be sung by the congregation. While this is a few steps removed from the historic practice, the Gregorian tones are much to be preferred over the Psalm tones of Lutheran Service Book.
Electronic Resources
As The Lutheran Missal project approaches completion, a number of digital tools and resources will be made available to support its use and implementation.
Calendar & Propers
An online liturgical calendar will present the occasions of the Church Year in their proper order of precedence, along with the appointed Propers for each day.
Bulletin Templates
Bulletin templates will be offered in a variety of formats—ranging from simple single-page outlines to complete, ready-to-print bulletins. These resources are designed to assist congregations in preparing consistent and well-ordered service materials.
Research Archive
In the course of preparing The Lutheran Missal, a vast body of source material has been assembled—drawn from over 100 liturgical books and manuscripts spanning 17 centuries. This data will be organized into an online research archive, providing scholars, pastors, and church musicians access to the historical foundations of the Western Catholic liturgy. The archive will be made publicly available for study, reference, and practical use—including applications beyond the immediate scope of the missal project.