preaching the word most important? | James White

James F. White has a great short historical summary of Christian worship practice (A Brief History of Christian Worship).  Speaking of the Reformation period, he quotes Luther radically new views saying "the preaching and teaching of God's Word is the most important part of divine service."  Yet White points out,

"This insistence on lessons and sermons is not he pattern of the early Church at all.  Luther probably did not care but other Protestant leaders seriously thought they were restoring primitive practice in making scripture central to a people's office."