On the Pastor’s Singing of the Our Father

Pope St. Gregory the Great was taking a bit of heat for some changes he introduced into the liturgy. Apparently, prior to his time, the Roman liturgy did not actually make use of the Our Father in the eucharist. He thought it a pity not to include that most excellent of all prayers in the Divine Service, the holy Mass. But apparently, after so doing, he was being accused by Bishop John of Syracuse of introducing “Greek practices” into the liturgy by including it. Pope St. Gregory demurred, on the grounds that it has apostolic precedent and also noting the different way it was used among the Greeks: “But also the Lord's Prayer among the Greeks is said by all the people, but with us by the priest alone” (Book 9, Letter 12, to John, Bishop of Syracuse).

That is of a piece with the traditional Roman pattern where the priest speaks out the prayers of the liturgy and the people “Amen” them. In our current liturgy, of course, the option is given for either the whole people joining in speaking the Our Father (but note, never of the collect, common practice not withstanding) , or for the pastor to chant the prayer, with the people joining in the doxology (or at least, the Amen). Either is within the rubrical permissions of Lutheran Service Book. But if we inquire which practice has the better precedent, there is no question. The pastor chanting the Our Father was simply standard Lutheran fare in the Church orders. The custom can be seen readily enough even in so late a book as The Lutheran Hymnal.

Among Lutherans, the evangelical reform of the canon to the Preface, Our Father, and Words of the Testament heightens the fittingness of having the Pastor be the one who chants these words. With the quote from Pope Gregory you realize that this is a most ancient way of praying the Our Father that has its root in the Roman liturgy dating all the way back to his liturgical reforms (590-640 A.D.) and that Lutherans on this point (as in so many others) simply chose to stand in continuity with the tradition they had received.

I’d encourage our pastors in our own day to sing it. I still remember hearing one of our members exclaim how blessed he was by that practice. Harlan said: “It reminds me of the way it was when I was a child.” I smiled and thought: yes, and even the way it was when the Venerable Bede was a wee one too!