Holy Cross Worship Service Oct 15, 2023 10 a.m.

Gods’ invitation is open to everyone: For this week’s service, in response to demands for a liturgy in German, in early 1526 Luther wrote and published the Deutsche Mass. Luther desired the mass to be sung throughout from beginning to end, and so he collaborated with the composer Johann Walther on the music. The German mass was not intended to be a replacement for his 1523 Latin mass, but merely an alternative that would appeal especially to the "simple people," as Luther claimed, in a language they could understand. This morning’s mass will follow the German mass order of worship and will include some of Luther’s prayers and hymns, as well as other German composers of the era.