Philosophy Of Music In Lutheran Worship

Among Protestant churches, the Lutheran tradition has the richest heritage of music for worship. It is based on the assumption that music is a profound means by which we enter God's presence and render our liturgy of thanksgiving to God. Bringing together insights first developed by Martin Luther and practices that have grown out of almost 500 years of Lutheran worship, this article describes why and how music is used in Lutheran worship. The public worship of God's people is only rarely what we know it can or should be. A lack of understanding on the part of pastors, church musicians, and laity alike as to what Lutheran worship really is or might be is all too common. Inadequate experience and education in living the liturgy in colleges, seminaries, and in the local congregation has resulted in confusion and misunderstanding about worship, worship forms, and worship practices on the part of clergy, laity, and church musicians alike. In large part, this confusion is the result of bei…