Our Christian form of worship is rooted in ancient practice, though the precise order and combination of its elements developed over time. The early Christian pattern generally included the reading of Scripture, preaching, prayers, and the Lord’s Supper.
Beginning in the fourth century, the Nicene Creed was gradually introduced into the worship service and became customary during the Middle Ages. It was commonly placed after the sermon and before the offering and Eucharistic prayer, which corresponds to our confessional Lutheran arrangement.
Luther retained much of the historic pattern of worship while reforming its meaning and content according to Scripture and correcting abuses that had developed in the Roman Catholic Church. In Lutheran worship, the usual sequence became:
• Scripture readings
• Sermon
• Creed
• Prayers
• Offering
• The Lord’s Supper
Lutheran services have not always followed an identical order in every place or for every service. The sequence is theologically fitting, but it is not required as an unchangeable rule.