Thoughts on the Divine Service
17. The Offertory
Dear friends,
Back when I was a grumpy teenager looking to find fault with the liturgy, one part of the service seemed to justify my reservations: After the sermon, in which we heard we were saved by grace alone, the ushers would collect the offering. Then, as it was brought forward, we would sing the Offertory: “Create in Me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.” This troubled me: it seemed like we were offering God money so that He would make us clean.
The offering and the Offertory go back a long way, and we can find traces of them in the 3rd century. After the sermon—between the Service of the Word and the Service of the Sacrament, an early practice developed of expressing thanks for all of God’s gifts by presenting offerings. The flow makes sense: since the Lord gives gifts and we respond with thanks and praise, Christians would hear of God’s grace in the Word and then present offerings of thanksgiving. In earlier times, those gifts were most often bread and wine for use in the Service of the Sacrament. As time went on, those offerings also included donations for the poor. It was appropriate to speak a prayer of thanksgiving, and so various offertories—offering prayers—developed.
Good Shepherd included the offering collection as part of the Divine Service until the arrival of Covid-19, when we moved the plate to the table in the narthex. Though the initial concern was germs in those days, there was already some debate about the collection as more people moved to online giving. In the years since, we’ve elected to dispense with the offering collection, and I remain thankful for the generosity of those who come here.
We have, however, kept the Offertory. Divine Service 1 features Psalm 116:12-13,17-19, which is totally straightforward as it begins with the question, “What shall I render to the Lord for all His benefits to me?” The answer includes receiving His gifts (“I will take the cup of salvation”) and giving thanks (“I will offer the sacrifice of thanksgiving”). Where an offering is collected, this Offertory makes clear that the offering is an offering of gratitude for God’s kindness. Where it’s not collected, the Offertory serves as a reminder that we live thankful lives in response to God’s gifts.
Divine Service 3 includes the more traditional Psalm 51:10-12, “Create in me a clean heart, O God…” Having heard God’s gracious promises in His Word, we pray that He would continue to be gracious; and when an offering is collected, it’s understood as a sacrifice of thanksgiving, not a financial gambit for grace.
Divine Services 4 and 5 don’t include an offertory, so we add another setting of Psalm 51:10-12. The reason for doing so is foremost practical: the pastor needs time to slip on a chasuble, and it’s a good use of time to pray to the Lord who creates cleans hearts in His Word and Supper.
When I wrote about the creeds last week, I wrote how they’re a chance for faith to respond and say, “That’s my God, and I want to talk about Him!” The Offertory serves a similar purpose: having received God’s gifts, faith wants to say “Thank you,” confidently trusting God will continue to be gracious. What joy!
Every good wish in Christ,
Pastor Pauls