"He is Risen!" Christ is Risen! Alleluia! Amen!
For centuries the church has greeted one another with the words celebrating the resurrection of our savior Jesus Christ. This is not the only thing which has been passed down the centuries. Our worship is also a legacy, a gift, from our brothers and sisters who have gone before us.
The Lutheran church has done much to preserve that connection. There are two important characteristics of Lutheran worship. First, it is biblical. It is centered around the Word of God. Second, it is Christo-centric. The service points us consistently to the saving work and resurrection presence of Jesus Christ. In it God speaks and gives to us; we respond with thanks and praise.
(Parts of this article come from Trinity Lutheran Church of Columbus, Ohio. Their website is located at: www.oldtrinity.com)
The Preparation
In most churches, an organ prelude begins the worship. This is not just to establish a "mood," but is itself an offering--a creation of artistic talent for God's glory. The music is often related to the liturgical theme of the day or season, such as a chorale prelude on one of the hymns to be sung. During this time, worshipers may listen, often personal prayers in silence, or meditate on appropriate literature, including the psalms and lessons for the day.
Invocation
We remember our Baptism by invoking the Name of the Triune God. (It is appropriate to make the sign of the cross which was first given us in the baptismal rite.)
Confession and Absolution
We wish to enter God's Holy Place with "clean hands and a pure heart (Psalm 24). In response to a scriptural invitation, we confess our sin and ask for forgiveness. The pastor reminds us of God's love and mercy and declares us forgiven in the name of God, who made us His at our baptism.
The Entrance Rite
We begin the Service Proper with a Hymn.
In the Kyrie (pronounced KEER-ee-ay), we greet our Lord as people of old greeted a king when he came to their city. In a series of petitions, a minister asks for peace and salvation for ourselves and for the world, the people joining in the response "Lord, have mercy" (in Greek, Kyrie eleison).
The Hymn of Praise which follows expresses our joy for the gifts which our Lord brings. "Glory to God in the highest" is an ancient song which begins with the angels' Christmas carol (Luke 2:14) and swells into a profound adoration of the Holy Trinity. An alternative is "This is the feast", a modern song based on phrases from the book of Revelation.
I will continue our exploration of Lutheran worship in the Pastor's Pages for the next two months. Next month, in "How Lutherans Worship, Part 2" we'll hear about "The Service of the Word", the part of the service in which we hear the Scripture verses read and interpreted in the sermon. Part 3 will cover the third part of our service, "The Service of the Lord's Supper", where we receive God's grace in the sacraments.
Showing posts with label biblical. Show all posts
Showing posts with label biblical. Show all posts
Tuesday, May 10, 2011
Friday, March 18, 2011
March 2011: What is an Elder?
Strictly Speaking, the word "elder" in the Bible, episcopos, means overseer. The present day equivalent of the episcopos is the pastor. What we commonly call "elders" today are members who have been appointed to serve the congregation in its temporal affairs and to assist the pastor in ministry. According to the Constitution of Immanuel First Lutheran, the Elders, together with the Pastor, shall be concerned with the spiritual welfare of the congregation.
What do the Elders do?
The Elders do more than just read scriptures during the Sunday worship service. They are responsible for overseeing all the aspects of the service, making sure that the proper elements are available, the altar properly prepared and that the worship liturgy leads the people into proper worship of God. Elders also oversee worship attendance. Primarily they analyze communion attendance and call upon those who are lax.
Elders also oversee the baptisms of newborn children in the congregation, and the proper instruction of new members and youth. In order to foster this, the elders, with the Pastor, provide adult and youth confirmation classes.
Some of the more enjoyable tasks of an elder is the care of shut-ins, members who are unable to come to Sunday worship either due to inability to drive or due to illness. Elders will frequently visit shut-ins, helping with personal needs and with the pastor, serve communion. (Sometimes we get bags of oranges.) In addition to the care of members, Elders are also responsible for the pastoral care of the pastors, praying for them and assisting them with difficult problems of ministry.
One of the tougher responsibilities of an elder, with the pastor, is that of church discipline. Matthew 18:15-17 and 1 Corinthians 5:1-5 state that if a person consistently lives in rebellion to Scripture, they are to be denied the sacrament of communion and removed from the fellowship. The is called excommunication. The process of excommunication is never done vengefully or unilaterally, but in love. The goal is that "the [person's] sinful nature may be destroyed and his spirit saved." The ultimate goal of excommunication is reconciliation, between the erring member and the church, and the erring member and God.
What kind of person becomes an Elder?
1 Timothy 3:1-20 outlines the requirements for an Elder, some of which is the following: "...must be above reproach, the husband of but one wife, temperate, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, not given to drunkenness, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money..."
When the Board of Elders of Immanuel First look for new Elders, several other criteria are used in addition to 1 Timothy 3. Active membership for at least five years and regular worship and Bible study is a sign of a commitment to the church. It is also important that they are familiar with the Bible and have had training in the Lutheran confessions. In order that they have enough life experiences, we expect them to be at least 30 years old.
The position of elder is a great honor and also a great responsibility. We have been blessed by the men who have served our congregation and we owe them our love, respect and support. God bless our Elders.
What do the Elders do?
The Elders do more than just read scriptures during the Sunday worship service. They are responsible for overseeing all the aspects of the service, making sure that the proper elements are available, the altar properly prepared and that the worship liturgy leads the people into proper worship of God. Elders also oversee worship attendance. Primarily they analyze communion attendance and call upon those who are lax.
Elders also oversee the baptisms of newborn children in the congregation, and the proper instruction of new members and youth. In order to foster this, the elders, with the Pastor, provide adult and youth confirmation classes.
Some of the more enjoyable tasks of an elder is the care of shut-ins, members who are unable to come to Sunday worship either due to inability to drive or due to illness. Elders will frequently visit shut-ins, helping with personal needs and with the pastor, serve communion. (Sometimes we get bags of oranges.) In addition to the care of members, Elders are also responsible for the pastoral care of the pastors, praying for them and assisting them with difficult problems of ministry.
One of the tougher responsibilities of an elder, with the pastor, is that of church discipline. Matthew 18:15-17 and 1 Corinthians 5:1-5 state that if a person consistently lives in rebellion to Scripture, they are to be denied the sacrament of communion and removed from the fellowship. The is called excommunication. The process of excommunication is never done vengefully or unilaterally, but in love. The goal is that "the [person's] sinful nature may be destroyed and his spirit saved." The ultimate goal of excommunication is reconciliation, between the erring member and the church, and the erring member and God.
What kind of person becomes an Elder?
1 Timothy 3:1-20 outlines the requirements for an Elder, some of which is the following: "...must be above reproach, the husband of but one wife, temperate, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, not given to drunkenness, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money..."
When the Board of Elders of Immanuel First look for new Elders, several other criteria are used in addition to 1 Timothy 3. Active membership for at least five years and regular worship and Bible study is a sign of a commitment to the church. It is also important that they are familiar with the Bible and have had training in the Lutheran confessions. In order that they have enough life experiences, we expect them to be at least 30 years old.
The position of elder is a great honor and also a great responsibility. We have been blessed by the men who have served our congregation and we owe them our love, respect and support. God bless our Elders.
Sunday, January 30, 2011
February 2011: Sexual Purity
This month, several of our youth will be joining a thousand other youth at LoveFest. Young people are bombarded with sexual images and messages everywhere. Not all of them are good. At LoveFest we'll be learning a lot about what God thinks about sex and about sexual purity.
If you watch TV at all, you find that the concept of "sexual purity" is considered to be almost an oddity. People who are committed to "sexual purity" are considered to be "fanatics". Since the 1960's, our society has sought to free our sexual natures from their bondage to rules and shame. Sexual purity became equated with a denial of our sexual nature. The idea of sexual union being only between "a man and a woman within marriage" was considered repressive and new ways of sexual union became acceptable.
What is sad is that sexual purity, as God sees it, is far from repressive. Sexual purity is not the denial of our sexual natures, but rather it recognizes that we were created as sexual beings. We were created man and woman. We were commanded to be fruitful and multiply. As man and woman, our biological natures complement each other. However, sexual purity also recognizes that, as created beings, we must express that sexuality in the ways that our Creator designed us to do.
According to "This We Believe--Selected Topics of Faith and Practice in the LCMS" God created mankind as sexual. Sexual union in marriage was for enjoyment as well as procreation. Sexual expression of love is to be in marriage and between one man and one woman. Sex is only between a man and a woman. Sex outside of marriage is forbidden. God's will for His people is to remain sexually pure throughout life.
Sexual purity is not a call to be a prude. It is not a call to give up fun or to be a boring person. Sexual purity enhances the value of the sexual union. It is not a call to repress one's sexuality but rather it is to uplift marriage as sacred. Its purpose is not to belittle our sexuality but rather to exalt sexuality in marriage.
For those who are not currently in a marriage relationship, I think it is important to know that they do not "lose out". Their sexuality is not being repressed. It is important to realize that our sexuality is more than just sexual intercourse. Single people are still sexual beings and continue to express their sexuality (i.e. their maleness and femaleness) in a myriad of ways. While it may not culminate in marriage, it is still a part of their daily lives.
Though we are sexual beings, it is also important to know that we are not defined by that sexuality. Many people have tried to excuse sinful behavior by saying, "This is the way I am. I can't help it." In fact, it is dangerous to let our human desires define us. Our human desires have been corrupted by sin. While we are sexual beings, we are more than our maleness or femaleness. We are more than our desires for a man or a for a woman. Where our human desires point us to desire something which God has declared sinful, we are not to express that part of our sexuality. Where our human desires point to godly behavior, we know we have the blessings of God.
If you watch TV at all, you find that the concept of "sexual purity" is considered to be almost an oddity. People who are committed to "sexual purity" are considered to be "fanatics". Since the 1960's, our society has sought to free our sexual natures from their bondage to rules and shame. Sexual purity became equated with a denial of our sexual nature. The idea of sexual union being only between "a man and a woman within marriage" was considered repressive and new ways of sexual union became acceptable.
What is sad is that sexual purity, as God sees it, is far from repressive. Sexual purity is not the denial of our sexual natures, but rather it recognizes that we were created as sexual beings. We were created man and woman. We were commanded to be fruitful and multiply. As man and woman, our biological natures complement each other. However, sexual purity also recognizes that, as created beings, we must express that sexuality in the ways that our Creator designed us to do.
According to "This We Believe--Selected Topics of Faith and Practice in the LCMS" God created mankind as sexual. Sexual union in marriage was for enjoyment as well as procreation. Sexual expression of love is to be in marriage and between one man and one woman. Sex is only between a man and a woman. Sex outside of marriage is forbidden. God's will for His people is to remain sexually pure throughout life.
Sexual purity is not a call to be a prude. It is not a call to give up fun or to be a boring person. Sexual purity enhances the value of the sexual union. It is not a call to repress one's sexuality but rather it is to uplift marriage as sacred. Its purpose is not to belittle our sexuality but rather to exalt sexuality in marriage.
For those who are not currently in a marriage relationship, I think it is important to know that they do not "lose out". Their sexuality is not being repressed. It is important to realize that our sexuality is more than just sexual intercourse. Single people are still sexual beings and continue to express their sexuality (i.e. their maleness and femaleness) in a myriad of ways. While it may not culminate in marriage, it is still a part of their daily lives.
Though we are sexual beings, it is also important to know that we are not defined by that sexuality. Many people have tried to excuse sinful behavior by saying, "This is the way I am. I can't help it." In fact, it is dangerous to let our human desires define us. Our human desires have been corrupted by sin. While we are sexual beings, we are more than our maleness or femaleness. We are more than our desires for a man or a for a woman. Where our human desires point us to desire something which God has declared sinful, we are not to express that part of our sexuality. Where our human desires point to godly behavior, we know we have the blessings of God.
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