Muhlenberg Lutheran Church Order of 1748 to be used for Sunday, July 5 th !

As our nation celebrates the 250 th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, we will join in

the observance by using the Lutheran Church Order of 1748 which would have been used by

most Lutherans in America at the time of the Revolution. While originally prepared in German

by Henry Melchior Muhlenberg, the Father of Lutheranism in America, the service was

influenced by the liturgy of the German Lutheran St. Mary’s congregation in the Savoy district of

London, England, together with translations and adaptations from the Liturgy of the Lutheran

churches in Holland of 1567, and experiences from his experience in Halle, Germany. The

Muhlenberg Liturgy was formally adopted at the formation of the Pennsylvania Ministerium on

August 15, 1748, by pastors and delegates from nine congregations in the Pennsylvania colony,

after the dedication of St. Michael’s Lutheran Church, Philadelphia on Sunday, August 14 th . The

organization of the Pennsylvania Ministerium Synod was organized by six pastors, twenty-four

lay delegates, and another group of laymen from Philadelphia, including one Swedish layman!

The pastors were the only voting members, with laymen serving as “consultants.” The

Muhlenberg Lutheran Church Order (Liturgy) was the only one authorized for use by Lutherans

in the colonies for almost forty years, when some revisions began to take place.

It is notable that there were no printed copies of the liturgy, but each pastor made his own

handwritten copy. It is also interesting that a service of the Word and prayer was led in most

congregations by a layman, with the Lord’s Supper only being celebrated when a circuit riding

pastor was present, sometimes only four or six times a year, given the shortage of pastors. When

a communion service was announced by the pastor, members of the congregation were expected

to announce to the pastor their intention to commune, and were required to attend and participate

in a confessional service on the Saturday before the Sunday of the communion service. Those

who did not announce or participate in the Saturday confessional service were barred from

communion by the pastor!

We hope this interesting experience in worship will be a meaningful addition to our national

commemoration of our 250 th anniversary!