Glory to God in the Highest: The Decline of the Gloria In Excelsis, and a Plan for Recovery

I said in one of my earlier posts that the Sanctus might be the single-most ignored piece of liturgy -- that is, the liturgical unit most likely to be altered or replaced with a more recent hymn. While the Sanctus finds its roots in the fourth century and is pulled directly from Scripture, Luther was willing to shift the hymn (placing it after the Verba [Words of Institution]) in the Formula Mass and rewrote the piece for his German Mass. Growing up in the United Methodist Church, we (almost) never sang the Sanctus. I've been to a service where the unending hymn was always omitted.

Despite all of this, I have to revise my earlier statement. The Sanctus may be frequently ignored, but the Gloria in Excelsis is just as neglected.

Like the Sanctus, the Gloria can be traced back to the fourth century. Its inclusion within the Divine Service is attributed to Gregory the Great. By the elventh century, it had become the norm for Sunday and festival services. And, much like the Sanctus, the Gloria unites East and West (though certain Western Rites used in Milan, Spain, and the British Isles, the Gloria was not the only canticle employed after the Kyrie).

In its place, the Lutheran Book of Worship permitted the use of a new hymn, "Worthy is Christ," which is more commonly known as "This is the Feast."

And here I find myself torn. I truly love "This is the Feast." It is a great hymn which highlights the eschatological implications of the Eucharist. But, Pfatteicher points out, it was never intended to replace the Gloria in Excelsis. He writes:

The notes on the Liturgy give clear preference to the greater Gloria as the Hymn of Praise...".The Lutheran Book of Worship also has provided an alternative hymn of praise, especially appropriate for the Sundays of Easter, Christ the King, and All Saints's Day. [Emphasis added.]

What are we to do? "This is the Feast" has become such a part of life in many ELCA parishes that it would be impractical to abandon it. For those of us who have come to the Lutheran tradition since 1978, either through birth or conversion, "This is the Feast" is a staple of Lutheran identity. And it should be. It's a truly wonderful hymn, and I dare not dream of abandoning it.

But we should also not abandon the Gloria. Through it, we join the Church and the choirs of angels in praising the Triune God.

For the past year or so, I've been toying around with the idea of relocating "This is the Feast" from the post-Kyrie position to the Offertory. In its current place, "This is the Feast" undercuts its central thrust. We sing, "This is the feast of victory for our God," and then wait through several readings, a sermon, the Creed, and prayers before getting to anything involving food. However, if we place it at the Offertory, as the Service transitions from Word to Table, it makes sense to stress the shift towards festal language. Doing so would also underscore that the Offertory is part of the Eucharist -- that the collection is not about filling the parish's budget gaps but our offering to God in thanksgiving that we might more fully be the Body of Christ in and for the world.

Having said several critical things about worship at Synod Assembly, let me now offer some affirmation: on the first day, we used "This is the Feast" as the Offertory Hymn. It worked wonderfully. And immediately afterwards, we made Eucharist and partook of the Feast.

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I am deeply indebted to Philip Pfatteicher's Commentary on the Lutheran Book of Worship for the research in this post.