Isn't it divine? We all enjoy contemporary worship after all

As Lutherans, most of us relish and rejoice in the thought of joining all the saints in singing our hymns of praise every Lord’s Day. What is good for Grandma and Grandpa, the saying goes, is good for us; therefore, there is no room for contemporary music in our divine services. Well, you might not know this, but some Sundays our ancient liturgy has a rather contemporary flair. Amid the Kyries, Alleluias, and Prefaces we have used for centuries, many congregations will enjoy singing what has become one of our most loved contemporary hymns of praise, This is the Feast, also known as Worthy is Christ. 

When people hear the word contemporary, they most certainly think of the Hillsongs, Third Days, and Casting Crowns of the music business. But the word contemporary quite literally means “belonging to or occurring in the present.” And that’s exactly how This is the Feast fits into our Lutheran Service Book today, and the worship books of many other denominations for that matter.

This beautiful Hymn of Praise found in Divine Settings One and Two was introduced in 1978 with the publication of Lutheran Book of Worship as an alternative to the Gloria in Excelsis, which heralds the Lord’s coming at the beginning of the Service of the Word. The Rev. Dr. Arthur Just nailed it in his book Heaven on Earth when he said, “The magnificence of the Gloria in Excelsis has caused some to wonder why the Church ever agreed to add a new Hymn of Praise.” But if you are going to agree to just one contemporary change in your liturgy in your lifetime, This is the Feast is more than worthy of that amen and alleluia.

This is the Feast is based off three passages from The Revelation to John and the canticle Dignus est Agnus, Latin for “Worthy is the Lamb.” In finest contemporary fashion, this Hymn of Praise opens with an antiphon that will be sung five times in Setting One — “This is the feast of victory for our God. Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia.” Three stanzas from Rev. 5:12, 15:3-4, 19:5-9 are united, creating a hymn that describes a great feast of unity that Christ will celebrate with all the company of heaven. The words certainly describe the marriage feast of the lamb to his bride, and the renewal of the Supper in the heavens, where He enjoys the Eucharist with us once again, just as he promised in Matt. 26:29 — “I tell you I will not drink again from the fruit of the vine from now until that day I drink it anew with you in my Father’s kingdom.” But it also evokes all of the victories over sin that God has provided His people.

Divine Setting Two offers a different melody, and the refrain is sung only three times. Either way, This is the Feast proclaims a great Gospel message as it reminds us of who God is and what he has done for us. And it shows us how contemporary composers and musicians can increase our rich hymnody.

We don’t always use this hymn of praise in our liturgy, preferring the magnificent, traditional, and ancient hymn of praise, Gloria in Excelsis. Like the Greater Gloria, This is the Feast is not used during Advent and Lent, when we look to the coming of Christ or turn inwardly, reflecting on our need for Christ to begin with. But it is an wonderful Hymn of Praise to sing, especially in the weeks after Christ’s final Passover, which we remember beginning on Easter.