Minor Festival -- The Confession of St. Peter

o wn is Greek for "He who is"

                Lutheran worship is liturgical.  While that often refers to an order of worship, it can also refer to the calendar of the Church Year.  The Church Year includes major festivals, such as Christmas, Epiphany, Easter, Pentecost, etc...  On Sunday, January 18, we recognize a minor festival, the Festival of the Confession of St. Peter.

               In a conversation with his disciples, he asked who other people say he is.  St. Peter answered Jesus’ question: “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” (Matthew 16:16) Jesus responded to Peter’s confession: “On this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it.” (Matthew 16:18) Jesus was not telling us that he was building his church on a mortal, sinful man, but on the confession St. Peter made: “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”  St. Peter’s confession is and will always be the confession of the Christian Church.