Adult Bible Class -- Why We Sing What We Sing

Beginning on Sunday, April 12, we will consider the music and hymns that we use for our worship.  Not everything that is labeled Christian music is usable for Christian worship.  Not everything emphasizes Lutheran theology.  

So, what makes a hymn good or bad?  What determines if a hymn qualifies for use in Lutheran worship?  We will consider these questions as we look at some hymns we use and some popular hymns that we don't use.  

Adult Bible Class is on Sundays at 9:00 AM.

 WHY WE SING WHAT WE SING

A Study on the Hymns of the Church

April 12          Songs of Praise and the Reason We Sing

April 19          Hymns of the Liturgy

April 26          The Season of Christmas (Advent, Christmas, Epiphany)

May 3             The Season of Easter (Lent, Easter, Pentecost)

May 10           The Season of the Church (Various Themes)

May 17            Songs of the Church (Church Militant, Church Triumphant, Funerals)

Something from ... Rev. Bryan Wolfmueller on Church Shopping

Rev. Bryan Wolfmueller is an LC-MS pastor who serves in Austin, Texas.  He often posts videos on YouTube.  In this instance, he responds to a question about someone who is looking for a Lutheran Church to attend.  He offers advice to someone who is searching, urging them to ask six questions to ponder as the visitor investigates which church to attend.  I thought the questions were quite helpful.  So, here you go. 

By the way, I recommend coming to Good Shepherd Evangelical Lutheran Church in Novi if you are in the area.  Make it your first stop, and then keep coming back every Sunday for many years.

Here is something from Rev. Wolfmueller: 

Private Confession & Absolution -- Monday, April 14 (7:00 - 9:00P M)

            Private confession and absolution will be available at church from 7:00 - 9:00 PM on Monday, April 14. No appointment is necessary. Just stop in. If this rite is new to you (and it is for many who attend here), the pastor will walk you through the rite so that you understand and appreciate it more. Private confession and absolution is always available by appointment throughout the year.

Why Private Confession & Absolution?
The answer follows:

          When Lutherans hear someone speak of Private Confession and Absolution, the response is usually a knee-jerk, "That's Roman Catholic!" Though that may be a common perception, the perception is because either it was taught wrongly or understood wrongly. Consider what the Lutheran Confessions teach about Private Confession and Absolution.

Our churches teach that private Absolution should be retained in the churches, although listing all sins is not necessary for Confession. For, according to the Psalm, it is impossible. "Who can discern his errors?" (Psalm 19:12) -- Augsburg Confession, Article XI

What is Confession?
Answer: Confession has two parts: the one is that we confess our sins; the other is that we receive Absolution, or forgiveness, from the confessor, as from God Himself, and in no way doubt, but firmly believe that our sins are forgiven before God in heaven by this.

What sins should we confess?
Answer: Before God we should plead guilty of all sins, even of those that we do not know, as we do in the Lord's Prayer. But before the confessor we should confess only those sins that we know and feel in our hearts. -- Luther's Small Catechism, Part V

          These are basic confessions of the Evangelical Lutheran Church. They are catholic, insofar as they are Christian. But they are not Roman, insofar as the penitent is not obligated to orally confess every sin in order to be forgiven of it and insofar as one's forgiveness is not dependent upon some action on the part of the penitent. The forgiveness is based on Jesus' sufferings and death for the penitent who has been baptized into his name.

          Since the practice of Private Confession and Absolution is a Lutheran practice, it would be good for Lutherans to practice it. It is good for the penitent who is grieved by a particular sin to confess it so that he can hear Christ say through the mouth of his minister: "I forgive you." It would be good for the one who is burdened to be relieved of his burden by Holy Absolution. It would be good for this practice, though foreign to many in my corner of the Evangelical Lutheran Church, to be restored. 

          Private Confession and Absolution has always been available to all members by appointment. In order for this practice to be restored and perhaps put to better use, there will be dates on the calendar set aside for anyone who would like to drop in and make use of this means of grace. These will be set up about 4 times per year. Private Confession and Absolution will still be available by appointment in addition to these scheduled times.

          It is anticipated that Private Confession and Absolution will roughly follow this regular schedule.
                    A day around Epiphany (Epiphany is always January 6)
                    A day during Holy Week
                    A day around Labor Day weekend
                    A day after Thanksgiving weekend

          The next scheduled date and time for Private Confession and Absolution will be Monday, April 14, 7:00 - 9:00 PM.  Appointments are not necessary. You need only drop in. All participation is voluntary, as Absolution cannot be forced upon anyone.

          Of course, this will be new to pretty much any member who decides to make use of it. If you happen to come in, the pastor will walk through the rite with you and explain the various parts of it, especially including the "private" part, namely, that this confession is to Christ and, therefore, remains his business alone. The pastor will not report any confession or even the names of those who come for confession. Finally, the point of this is not for a pastor to learn everyone's dirty, little secrets. (His life is easier if he remains ignorant. But God's people do not call a pastor to be ignorant; they call him to absolve in the name of Jesus.) The point is for the guilty and the grieved to find relief and receive forgiveness, or absolution. 

A Pastoral Concern regarding Vestments

Just recently, Good Shepherd received a shipment of chasubles and accompanying vestments and paraments to adorn our worship.  They are a generous gift from a member whose name I am choosing not to include in this post.  We will dedicate them to the glory of the Lord in an upcoming service, and we will begin using them on Easter Sunday.

While the chasuble is a vestment that is new to Good Shepherd, it is hardly new to the Christian Church, or to the Lutheran Church in particular.  As with anything new, fears and skepticism are to be expected.  Fear and skepticism of novelties in the church are healthy.  We do not want to be swept away by popular fads or, much worse, by poor theology and practice.  This article hopes to alleviate the fears and skepticism.

The first fear to lay to rest is that a chasuble is a Roman Catholic vestment.  It is true that it is used in Roman Catholic masses, but that does not make a chasuble a promotion of Roman Catholicism any more than candles, altars, or stained glass.  The difference between the Roman Catholic Church and the Evangelical Lutheran Church has to do with doctrine and practice, not vestments.  In fact, the early Lutherans emphasized that they did not divest themselves of many practices they had received from the Roman Catholic Church.  Consider this from the Augsburg Confession:

"Falsely are our churches accused of abolishing the Mass; for the Mass is retained among us, and celebrated with the highest reverence. Nearly all the usual ceremonies are also preserved, save that the parts sung in Latin are interspersed here and there with German hymns, which have been added to teach the people. For ceremonies are needed to this end alone that the unlearned be taught [what they need to know of Christ]" (Augsburg Confession, Article XXIV, paragraphs 1-4)  (Source: https://bookofconcord.org/augsburg-confession/#ac-xxiv-0001 )

(If anyone wants the long answer about the differences between Roman Catholicism and Evangelical Lutheranism, go here: BookOfConcord.org · The Original Home of the Book of Concord.)

So, the Lutherans retained a great deal from the heritage of the church catholic because we did not invent new church.  Lutherans contend that we retain the holy, catholic, and apostolic faith in both doctrine and practice.  That includes the vestments which the church had used for generations.  It was the radical reformers who abandoned vestments for street clothes in an effort to downplay the office of the holy ministry.  

The purpose of vestments is to hide the man who is serving in the stead and by the command of Jesus Christ.  No one challenges a police officer because he looks different from one previously seen.  We see the uniform and we recognize the authority that goes with it.  The uniform hides the individual because the authority does not come from the individual.  It is in the office.  

So it is with the holy ministry.  Vestments hide the individual and highlight the office because the authority does not rest with the individual, but with the office.  Individual pastors will come and go.  None of them is immortal.  When a pastor leaves or dies, the office of the ministry does not go with him.  The congregation calls a new pastor.  He may be taller or shorter.  He may have thick, wavy hair or be bald.  He may be young or old.  None of these characteristics changes the office in which he serves.  The vestments show that the authority to preach, teach, and administer the sacraments continues even though the individual minister changes.

The chasuble is a vestment usually worn by the pastor who presides at the altar and consecrates the elements for Holy Communion.  It simply declares, "This is the man who has been set apart to preside over Holy Communion."  Assisting ministers would be vested differently.  There is no other mysterious significance than that (not to my knowledge, anyway).

Vestments are a matter of Christian freedom.  No one would suggest that your salvation is dependent upon whether or not the pastor wears a chasuble.  There is no command from Jesus about clerical garb, so there is freedom in what is worn.  In our WELS circles, we tend to emphasize our freedom to NOT do something more than our freedom to enjoy doing these things.  The impression is given that doing them is wrong and not doing them is a staunch defense of the Christian faith.  This is simply bad catechesis, and it ends up denying that such things are free.  

While our Lord never commanded his ministers how they were to present themselves in the New Testament Church, he had a LOT to say about the way the priests were to be vested in the Old Testament.  Exodus 28 and 39 are highly detailed.  They suggest that God likes vestments.  God could have refrained from extravagance when he gave these commands to Moses.  After all, the Israelites were going to be wondering in the wilderness for forty years and worshiping in a tent.  But he did not go for cheap, easy, or "practical."  He commanded Moses to make these garments "for beauty and for glory" (Exodus 28:2; the ESV expresses this quite literally).  

While some places will not enjoy lavish vestments because of their limited means, that does not mean we limit ourselves when we have the means to do better.  We aim "for beauty and for glory" because it makes a confession.  We believe that we are in God's presence, that we are handling holy things, and that this is worthy of our best efforts.  

Just as we care about the appearance and the maintenance of our building, so also we care about the Divine Services that are conducted in it.  We want to give our best to our Lord.  We want our services, our rites, and our ceremonies to confess the true, Christian (catholic -- small "c") faith.  We want things done "for beauty and for glory."  I pray that these new vestments will convey exactly that.

Sermon -- Presentation of the Augsburg Confession (June 25, 2023)

NOTE: This sermon has been edited from 2017.

An online version of the Unaltered Augsburg Confession can be found here.

MATTHEW 10:26-39

WE FAITHFULLY CONFESS THE TRUTH FOR OUR SALVATION.

In the name + of Jesus.

     Our Lord Jesus Christ said, “Everyone who acknowledges me before men, I also will acknowledge before my Father who is in heaven, but whoever denies me before men, I also will deny before my Father who is in heaven” (Matthew 10:32-33).  Therefore, we faithfully confess the truth.  Since our Lord is pleased to acknowledge us as his own people—despite our sins and weaknesses, we are pleased to confess our Lord who has only done good to us.  He has secured our salvation.  He is worthy of our praise and of our confession.

     This sounds easy enough, but Jesus also said that this confession comes with a cost: “Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth.  I have not come to bring peace, but a sword.  For I have come to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law.  And a person's enemies will be those of his own household” (Matthew 10:34-36).  We might think that the sword Jesus speaks about is Islamic terrorism or an erosion of freedoms for Christians.  While these are threats to pray about, Jesus does not speak here about international terrorism or civic groups who fight to get the Ten Commandments removed from a county courthouse.  He spoke about animosity among one's own family and friends.

     It may sound strange that people would be hostile toward a message which you hold so dear.  The Gospel of Jesus brings such joy and comfort to us, why would it rile up anger in others?  And why would such people become hostile toward us who joyfully confess it?  Why does Jesus and his salvation bother people so much?  St. Paul gives the answer: “The mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God's law; indeed, it cannot” (Romans 8:7).  People refuse to acknowledge that they are sinners.  They like their sins.  They aren't going to apologize for them or stop doing them.  They conclude that God is the one with the problem, and they have friends who encourage them to continue in their sins.  If they were to acknowledge that they need a Savior, they would need to confess that they are wrong and they would need to cease and desist from their sins.  They don't want to repent; they like what they are; and they will lash out at anyone who confronts them or convicts them.

     People are hostile toward God's word and those who confess it because they despise God's grace.  Even people who profess to be Christians are guilty of despising God's grace.  We do this because we think there are good reasons that we are saved: We behave better.  We go to church more.  We pray harder.  We think that we have done something to prove our worth before God.  In other words, we believe that we deserve our salvation because of something we have done.  In that case, your salvation is not a gift, it is a wage.  This is to reject God's word: “By grace you have been saved … so that no one may boast” (Ephesians 2:8-9). 

     We faithfully confess the truth for our salvation.  The truth is that your salvation has been taken out of your hands.  You do nothing to be saved.  That is the very nature of being saved.  He who is lost must be found by someone else.  He who is dead must be revived by another.  He who is hostile must be converted by the love of another.  If you were several miles out on Lake Huron in a boat that had run out of fuel, you would be forced to wait for rescue.  Even if you called on radio for help, you would be helpless until the Coast Guard or someone else came to you.  You would not participate in being saved if your boat was dead in the water.  If you are saved, someone else did the saving.  And this is what our Lord has done.

     We faithfully confess the truth for our salvation.  We confess what God has revealed.  The Lord became flesh and willingly lived a humble and holy life in obedience to God and in service to his neighbor.  But Jesus gives you the credit for it.  He did the work, and he gives you the benefit.  By faith, you are justified.  It is Jesus’ righteousness—not any righteousness of your own—which saves.  Jesus gave his righteousness to you who believe in his name.  By grace, you are saved.  Jesus has done the work; you are given the reward. 

     We faithfully confess this truth for our salvation.  The sins we have committed—whether we have taken pride in being better than others, taken pleasure in seeing the sins of others, or taken pleasure in our own sins—these sins Jesus has taken from us.  Jesus suffered our curse and was afflicted by the wrath that we deserve.  The punishment has been lifted from us.  We are forgiven.  We are not forgiven because we are better.  We are forgiven because Jesus gives us salvation which we have not worked for and a blameless record that we do not deserve.  It is by grace we have been saved.  Since our salvation is completely the work of Jesus Christ, we can be certain that we are saved.  He did work—completely, perfectly, freely.  We, by faith, benefit.  We faithfully confess this, certain that there is no other Savior, and confident that Jesus' saving work is perfect.

     Still, it comes at a cost.  Satan enlists others to demand that we look for salvation outside of or in addition to Jesus.  In the Middle Ages, people were told to look for their salvation from the Pope in Rome.  The Pope urged people to buy indulgences which were supposed to deliver people from purgatory, to pray to saints, to go on pilgrimages to shrines, and to reverence the relics of holy people.  God's grace was not enough; and Jesus Christ was pushed aside.  Even though it seemed ultra-religious, none of it was supported by Scripture.

     God graciously directed some people back to their Bibles for comfort and assurance.  While this brought peace to troubled souls, it also brought a sword.  The Pope excommunicated clergy who demanded answers from the Bible rather than from Church traditions.  He banned writings which pointed people to Jesus.  Emperor Charles V threatened to destroy churches, kingdoms, and princes who did not turn back to the established customs.  Emperor Charles summoned these princes to Augsburg where he demanded their allegiance to him and to the Pope.  The Lutheran princes came to the Diet of Augsburg, not to find compromise so that everyone could get alone, but to faithfully confess God's truth.  This was not a show of stubborn independence or rebellion against authority.  The Lutheran princes at Augsburg were commanded to capitulate for the sake of unity in the Church and empire.  What could be a higher good than peace?  But what could be worse than denying Christ for the sake of peace?  Remember Jesus’ words: “Whoever denies me before men, I also will deny before my Father who is in heaven” (Matthew 10:33).  The sword from the Emperor was preferred to peace with him.  Death because of confessing God’s word was preferred to life without it.  Therefore, Margrave George of Brandenburg replied, “Rather than deny my God and suffer the Word of God to be taken from me, I will kneel down and have my head struck off” (Concordia Triglotta, page 23).  The Lutheran princes faithfully confessed God's truth even though it meant a sword against them.  They stood firm on God's word for their own salvation and for the salvation of those in their kingdoms. 

     We faithfully confess the truth for our salvation.  To keep this confession pure is to keep certain of our salvation.  If this confession becomes polluted, God's truth becomes distorted or even denied.  Then, our salvation is at least put in doubt; at worst, it is lost completely.  Therefore, our devotion to God's truth is essential.  Churches which have welcomed perverse lifestyles have done so because they have rejected the Bible as God’s word long before.  Once parts of the Bible are in question, they can be rejected.  This may make friends with the world, but it is a denial of Jesus and divine truth.

     We faithfully confess the truth for our salvation, knowing that we may pay a price for holding to this confession.  We may think we can avoid the sword by keeping our confession to ourselves, but silence is not an option.  For this is what Jesus says, “Everyone who acknowledges me before men, I also will acknowledge before my Father who is in heaven, but whoever denies me before men, I also will deny before my Father who is in heaven” (Matthew 10:32-33).  Jesus does not say that it is enough to acknowledge him in your heart and keep your faith a secret. 

     If we believe in Jesus and take his word to heart, it will reveal itself in our words and actions.  Light cannot be hidden.  Confessions must be made with words.  However, if you confess your faith and suffer for it, you are in good company.  The apostles died rather than remain silent in their confession.  The Lutheran princes were ready to die rather than deny Christ and his word.  About twenty years after the Augsburg Confess, the sword did come to their lands because of their confession.  And if the princes and their subjects were not put to death, their lands were devastated by invading armies. 

     We faithfully confess the truth for our salvation.  God’s truth is advanced only by preaching and confessing;  Lies are enforced by threats, bullying, and violence.  That might be new for us, but it is not new for the Christian Church.  I don't know what price we might have to pay or what cross we will have to bear.  If we refuse to confess God's truth, the world may praise us; but Christ will disown us.

     Yes, these are serious matters with eternal consequences.  But that is why we take them seriously.  That is why we need the mutual encouragement of each other.  It is why we need faithful, continual attendance in God’s house.  We need our Lord's word and grace.  He reminds us: “Do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul.  Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell” (Matthew 10:28-29).  We need not fear those who are mortal.  Rather, we fear the Lord who holds our eternal judgment in his hands.  But good news: The Lord holds our eternal judgment in his hands, and with him there is life and hope and eternal glory.  In Christ alone, we are redeemed and loved and preserved in the faith.  Even if our body is slain, we are not robbed of life in God's kingdom.  If the Lord cares enough about the number of hairs on your head, he certainly will preserve you in his kingdom through his word and sacraments.

     Therefore, we devote ourselves to God's truth—reading, learning, marking, and inwardly digesting it—so that our confession will remain true, so that our Lord will keep us faithful, and so that we will be sure of our salvation.  We faithfully confess God's truth for our salvation.  Our comfort and confidence are always this: The Lord Jesus Christ is pleased to acknowledge us before the Father.  Therefore, even if they take our life, goods, fame, child, and wife, our salvation remains sure, and our glory will be made known in the life to come.

In the name of the Father and of the Son + and of the Holy Spirit.  Amen.

Private Confession & Absolution -- Tuesday, April 4 (6:30 - 8:30 PM)

            Private confession and absolution will be available at church from 6:30 - 8:30 PM on Tuesday, April 4. No appointment is necessary. Just stop in. If this rite is new to you (and it is for many who attend here), the pastor will walk you through the rite so that you understand and appreciate it more. Private confession and absolution is always available by appointment throughout the year.

Why Private Confession & Absolution?
The answer follows:

          When Lutherans hear someone speak of Private Confession and Absolution, the response is usually a knee-jerk, "That's Roman Catholic!" Though that may be a common perception, the perception is because either it was taught wrongly or understood wrongly. Consider what the Lutheran Confessions teach about Private Confession and Absolution.

Our churches teach that private Absolution should be retained in the churches, although listing all sins is not necessary for Confession. For, according to the Psalm, it is impossible. "Who can discern his errors?" (Psalm 19:12) -- Augsburg Confession, Article XI

What is Confession?
Answer: Confession has two parts: the one is that we confess our sins; the other is that we receive Absolution, or forgiveness, from the confessor, as from God Himself, and in no way doubt, but firmly believe that our sins are forgiven before God in heaven by this.

What sins should we confess?
Answer: Before God we should plead guilty of all sins, even of those that we do not know, as we do in the Lord's Prayer. But before the confessor we should confess only those sins that we know and feel in our hearts. -- Luther's Small Catechism, Part V

          These are basic confessions of the Evangelical Lutheran Church. They are catholic, insofar as they are Christian. But they are not Roman, insofar as the penitent is not obligated to orally confess every sin in order to be forgiven of it and insofar as one's forgiveness is not dependent upon some action on the part of the penitent. The forgiveness is based on Jesus' sufferings and death for the penitent who has been baptized into his name.

          Since the practice of Private Confession and Absolution is a Lutheran practice, it would be good for Lutherans to practice it. It is good for the penitent who is grieved by a particular sin to confess it so that he can hear Christ say through the mouth of his minister: "I forgive you." It would be good for the one who is burdened to be relieved of his burden by Holy Absolution. It would be good for this practice, though foreign to many in my corner of the Evangelical Lutheran Church, to be restored. 

          Private Confession and Absolution has always been available to all members by appointment. In order for this practice to be restored and perhaps put to better use, there will be dates on the calendar set aside for anyone who would like to drop in and make use of this means of grace. These will be set up about 4 times per year. Private Confession and Absolution will still be available by appointment in addition to these scheduled times.

          It is anticipated that Private Confession and Absolution will roughly follow this regular schedule.
                    A day around Epiphany (Epiphany is always January 6)
                    A day during Holy Week
                    A day around Labor Day weekend
                    A day after Thanksgiving weekend

          The next scheduled date and time for Private Confession and Absolution will be Tuesday, April 4, 6:30-8:30 PM. Appointments are not necessary. You need only drop in. All participation is voluntary, as Absolution cannot be forced upon anyone.

          Of course, this will be new to pretty much any member who decides to make use of it. If you happen to come in, the pastor will walk through the rite with you and explain the various parts of it, especially including the "private" part, namely, that this confession is to Christ and, therefore, remains his business alone. The pastor will not report any confession or even the names of those who come for confession. Finally, the point of this is not for a pastor to learn everyone's dirty, little secrets. (His life is easier if he remains ignorant. But God's people do not call a pastor to be ignorant; they call him to absolve in the name of Jesus.) The point is for the guilty and the grieved to find relief and receive forgiveness, or absolution.

Private Confession & Absolution -- Saturday, January 7 (9:00 - 11:00 AM)

           Private confession and absolution will be available at church from 9:00 - 11:00 AM on Saturday, January 7. No appointment is necessary. Just stop in. If this rite is new to you (and it is for many who attend here), the pastor will walk you through the rite so that you understand and appreciate it more. Private confession and absolution is always available by appointment throughout the year.

Why Private Confession & Absolution?
The answer follows:

          When Lutherans hear someone speak of Private Confession and Absolution, the response is usually a knee-jerk, "That's Roman Catholic!" Though that may be a common perception, the perception is because either it was taught wrongly or understood wrongly. Consider what the Lutheran Confessions teach about Private Confession and Absolution.

Our churches teach that private Absolution should be retained in the churches, although listing all sins is not necessary for Confession. For, according to the Psalm, it is impossible. "Who can discern his errors?" (Psalm 19:12) -- Augsburg Confession, Article XI

What is Confession?
Answer: Confession has two parts: the one is that we confess our sins; the other is that we receive Absolution, or forgiveness, from the confessor, as from God Himself, and in no way doubt, but firmly believe that our sins are forgiven before God in heaven by this.

What sins should we confess?
Answer: Before God we should plead guilty of all sins, even of those that we do not know, as we do in the Lord's Prayer. But before the confessor we should confess only those sins that we know and feel in our hearts. -- Luther's Small Catechism, Part V

          These are basic confessions of the Evangelical Lutheran Church. They are catholic, insofar as they are Christian. But they are not Roman, insofar as the penitent is not obligated to orally confess every sin in order to be forgiven of it and insofar as one's forgiveness is not dependent upon some action on the part of the penitent. The forgiveness is based on Jesus' sufferings and death for the penitent who has been baptized into his name.

          Since the practice of Private Confession and Absolution is a Lutheran practice, it would be good for Lutherans to practice it. It is good for the penitent who is grieved by a particular sin to confess it so that he can hear Christ say through the mouth of his minister: "I forgive you." It would be good for the one who is burdened to be relieved of his burden by Holy Absolution. It would be good for this practice, though foreign to many in my corner of the Evangelical Lutheran Church, to be restored. 

          Private Confession and Absolution has always been available to all members by appointment. In order for this practice to be restored and perhaps put to better use, there will be dates on the calendar set aside for anyone who would like to drop in and make use of this means of grace. These will be set up about 4 times per year. Private Confession and Absolution will still be available by appointment in addition to these scheduled times.

          It is anticipated that Private Confession and Absolution will roughly follow this regular schedule.
                     A day around Epiphany (Epiphany is always January 6)
               The Monday of Holy Week
               A day around Labor Day weekend
               A day after Thanksgiving weekend 

          The next scheduled date and time for Private Confession and Absolution will be Saturday, January 7, 9:00-11:00 AM. Appointments are not necessary. You need only drop in. All participation is voluntary, as Absolution cannot be forced upon anyone.

          Of course, this will be new to pretty much any member who decides to make use of it. If you happen to come in, the pastor will walk through the rite with you and explain the various parts of it, especially including the "private" part, namely, that this confession is to Christ and, therefore, remains his business alone. The pastor will not report any confession or even the names of those who come for confession. Finally, the point of this is not for a pastor to learn everyone's dirty, little secrets. (His life is easier if he remains ignorant. But God's people do not call a pastor to be ignorant; they call him to absolve in the name of Jesus.) The point is for the guilty and the grieved to find relief and receive forgiveness, or absolution.

Presentation of the Augsburg Confession

Today marks the 492nd anniversary of the presentation of the Augsburg Confession before Emperor Charles V.  The Lutheran princes made this confession to prove to the Emperor and the Roman Catholic Church that the Evangelical Lutherans were not a sect who had abandoned the Holy Christian faith.  To this day, faithful Lutherans confess that we are part of the church catholic (that is, the one, universal church of Christ).

The Augsburg Confession can be broken up into two parts.  The first part (Articles 1-21) proclaims what the Evangelical Lutheran confession is and that it has not strayed at all from the historic, Christian faith.  The second part (Articles 22-28) addresses some of the abuses that had found their way into the Roman church.  It names them, shows them to be false teaching and practice, and explains why the Lutherans have corrected or rejected them.

The text of the Augsburg Confession can be found here: https://bookofconcord.org/augsburg-confession/.  It does not take too long to read through it, and it would be time well spent.

A Pastoral Concern, also a concern of Christian Life Resources

Below is a link to an article from Christian Life Resources (previously known as WELS Lutherans for Life).  While the whole article is worth your while, it is also beneficial to read how different Lutherans understand the Bible and how Lutherans, therefore, end up all over the spectrum of theology.

How can one set of Lutherans (WELS, ELS, LC-MS, and others) condemn the practice of abortion and another set of Lutherans (ELCA) support it?  Either it is God-pleasing or it is not.  (It's not.)  So, how does the ELCA defend this practice based on the Scriptures?  This article offers some insight.

Check it out here: Churches on Abortion: Why We Differ - Christian Life Resources

BIBLE MATTERS for Wednesday, September 9

Our first session of Bible Matters, a discussion group, will be this Wednesday, September 9.  We will meet at Good Shepherd at 7:00 PM.  The topic will be: "Why Lutheran?"

Some of the questions we can consider and discuss:

     >  Why do you attend a Lutheran Church?

     >  What is it about the confession of the Lutheran Church that you find appealing?

     >  If someone were to ask you what you like about being Lutheran, how would you respond?

     >  Lutherans seem to believe different things about the Bible.  Where you do you stand, and why?

     >  Aren't all denominations basically the same?

     >  Why do you have liturgical worship?  Why not adopt something new or innovative?

Of course, other questions may arise, and we can discuss those as they come up.  All are welcome, including friends and acquaintances.

Private Confession & Absolution -- Saturday, January 11 (9:00-11:00 AM)

Private Confession & Absolution -- Saturday, January 11, 9:00-11:00 AM

Private confession and absolution will be available at church from 9:00 - 11:00 AM on Saturday, January 11.  No appointment is necessary.  Just stop in.  If this rite is new to you (and it is for many who attend here), the pastor will walk you through the rite so that you understand and appreciate it more.  Private confession and absolution is always available by appointment throughout the year.

Why Private Confession & Absolution?  The answer follows:

When Lutherans hear someone speak of Private Confession and Absolution, the response is usually a knee-jerk, "That's Roman Catholic!"  Though that may be a common perception, the perception is because either it was taught wrongly or understood wrongly.  Consider what the Lutheran Confessions teach about Private Confession and Absolution.

Our churches teach that private Absolution should be retained in the churches, although listing all sins is not necessary for Confession.  For, according to the Psalm, it is impossible.  "Who can discern his errors?" (Psalm 19:12) -- Augsburg Confession, Article XI

What is Confession?
     Answer: Confession has two parts: the one is that we confess our sins; the other is that we receive Absolution, or forgiveness, from the confessor, as from God Himself, and in no way doubt, but firmly believe that our sins are forgiven before God in heaven by this.
What sins should we confess?
     Answer: Before God we should plead guilty of all sins, even of those that we do not know, as we do in the Lord's Prayer.  But before the confessor we should confess only those sins that we know and feel in our hearts. -- Luther's Small Catechism, Part V

These are basic confessions of the Evangelical Lutheran Church.  They are catholic, insofar as they are Christian.  But they are not Roman, insofar as the penitent is not obligated to orally confess every sin in order to be forgiven of it and insofar as one's forgiveness is not dependent upon some action on the part of the penitent.  The forgiveness is based on Jesus' sufferings and death for the penitent who has been baptized into his name.

Since the practice of Private Confession and Absolution is a Lutheran practice, it would be good for Lutherans to practice it.  It is good for the penitent who is grieved by a particular sin to confess it so that he can hear Christ say through the mouth of his minister: "I forgive you."  It would be good for the one who is burdened to be relieved of his burden by Holy Absolution.  It would be good for this practice, though foreign to many in my corner of the Evangelical Lutheran Church, to be restored.  And so it will be.

Private Confession and Absolution has always been available to all members by appointment.  (I am guessing that has been a pretty good secret.)  In order for this practice to be restored and perhaps put to better use, there will be dates on the calendar set aside for anyone who would like to drop in and make use of this means of grace.  These will be set up about 4 times per year.  Private Confession and Absolution will still be available by appointment in addition to these scheduled times.

It is anticipated that Private Confession and Absolution will roughly follow this regular schedule.
     A Saturday around Epiphany (Epiphany is always January 6)
     The Saturday before Palm Sunday
     The Saturday after Labor Day weekend
     A Saturday after Thanksgiving weekend (should coincide with the 1st Saturday in Advent)

The next scheduled date and time for Private Confession and Absolution will be Saturday, January 11, 9:00-11:00 AM.  Appointments are not necessary.  You need only drop in.  All participation is voluntary, as Absolution cannot be forced upon anyone.

Of course, this will be new to pretty much any member who decides to make use of it.  If you happen to come in, the pastor will walk through the rite with you and explain the various parts of it, especially including the "private" part, namely, that this confession is to Christ and, therefore, remains his business alone.  The pastor will not report any confession or even the names of those who come for confession.  Finally, the point of this is not for a pastor to learn everyone's dirty, little secrets.  (His life is easier if he remains ignorant.  But God's people do not call a pastor to be ignorant; they call him to absolve in the name of Jesus.)  The point is for the guilty and the grieved to find relief and receive forgiveness, or absolution.

Local Tourist -- Historic Trinity Lutheran Church (LC-MS), Detroit

On Saturday, November 16, the Local Tourist took his lovely wife, Laura, and joined Pastor Gregory & Susan Gibbons and Pastor Geoff & Becky Kieta to tour Historic Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church (LC-MS) in Detroit.  Our tour was graciously led by Pastor James Rolf and his wife Cheryl.  By coincidence, Pastor Rolf and Pastor Gibbons knew each other as children when they were both growing up in Saginaw.

Historic Trinity is the mother church of Lutheranism in Detroit.  Many parishes (some no longer functioning) can trace their roots back to Historic Trinity.  The church was established in 1847, but the church building we toured was built during the Great Depression.  A great amount of planning and detail went into the construction of this church.  Besides being a magnificent structure, it is also highly decorated with wood work, stained glass, stone reliefs, and even floor tiles which include many pieces from Pewabic Pottery, another Detroit institution.

In addition to the ornate features in the church, Historic Trinity also boasts a 2nd edition Luther Bible and a sample of Martin Luther's own handwriting.  Besides the church itself, we also got to walk through the adjoining building which boasts the Luther Lounge.  A bonus for us is that they had just finished decorating for Christmas already, which included dozens of Christmas trees scattered throughout the facility and over 100 (I think) Nativity scenes from around the world.

Photos almost never do justice to the real thing, but here are a few for you to enjoy.

The Luther Lounge, decorated for Christmas.

Martin Luther's handwriting

(L to R) Pastor Geoff & Becky Kieta, Pastor Gregory & Susan Gibbons, Pastor Tom & Laura Schroeder

A Pastoral Concern -- Appreciating our Lutheran heritage even more and more-r

Here is the 3rd video from "The Ten Minute Bible Hour."  This "ten minutes" lasts about 38 minutes.  It is a very good confession made by Pastor Will Weedon concerning Lutheran doctrine and practice, especially in regards to why Lutherans are not American evangelicals.  Evangelicals might think that these differences are meaningless.  Lutherans say these differences are all about the gospel and how God delivers his grace to us.  The gulf between the two cannot be ignored or dismissed.

Here is the 3rd video.  Be sure to watch the others (#1) here and (#2) here.  And share these.

A Pastoral Concern -- Appreciating our Lutheran heritage even more

I had blogged earlier about Pastor Will Weedon's tour and explanation of his church, which is reflective of Lutheran churches in general.  If you have not watched that video, you can find it linked in my earlier blog post here.

After that tour, the host of the "Ten Minute Bible Hour," sits down with Pastor Weedon to ask about particulars in connection with what Lutherans believe.  Pastor Weedon speaks in particular of the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod only briefly, but quickly gets into what is simply the confessional Lutheran approach to doctrine and practice.  It is a good reminder that Lutheran doctrine matters, that it is not an innovation (we are the church catholic), and that it is truly good, right, and salutary to believe, teach, and confess such things.

This portion of the Ten Minute Bible Hour runs just shy of 27 minutes--and it is only the first part of the interview!  It is 27 minutes well spent for your viewing, and I hope it has you longing for part 2 of the interview.  I know I am looking forward to it, and I will link to it when it comes to YouTube.

Enjoy.  And share!

A Pastoral Concern -- Appreciating our Lutheran heritage

Below is a YouTube broadcast of a Protestant who goes to visit various traditions within Christendeom.  On October 31, he posted an interview with LC-MS pastor, Rev. Will Weedon.  Pastor Weedon is a regular guest on Issues, Etc. which is a podcast by Lutheran pastors who discuss various aspects of the Christian faith and social issues.  It is highly recommended.

This YouTube video is ironically titled "The Ten Minute Bible Hour."  It is ironic because this video goes for 30+ minutes--and it is worth every minute of it.

Pastor Weedon takes great pains to explain why Lutherans worship the way we do, why our churches look the way they look, and how it all points to Jesus and the gifts he gives us.  In fact, Pastor Weedon is so passionate about these things and explains them so well that you might end up thinking, "We should really adopt more ceremony than we have been doing.  Oh, and we also may want to renovate the church too."  Pastor Weedon may serve in the LC-MS, but WELS people should have no problem assenting to everything he says.

If you have ever had a friend who thinks that Lutherans are too catholic, too cold, too formal, to stodgy, etc..., maybe have them watch this video.  It will go a long way to explain that what we do in our worship is intentional.  Americans might treat such things rather flippantly and accuse us of being arrogant for taking them so seriously.  Pastor Weedon reminds us that we are right to take our worship--the liturgy, the ceremonies, the architecture, the furnishings, all of it--seriously.  After all, these are the holy things.  And if we don't take the holy things serious, we are in serious trouble.

Enjoy.  And share!

Private Confession and Absolution -- Saturday, September 7 (9:00-11:00 AM)

Private Confession and Absolution

Saturday, September 7, 9:00-11:00 AM

When Lutherans hear someone speak of Private Confession and Absolution, the response is usually a knee-jerk, "That's Roman Catholic!"  Though that may be a common perception, the perception is because either it was taught wrongly or understood wrongly.  Consider what the Lutheran Confessions teach about Private Confession and Absolution.

Our churches teach that private Absolution should be retained in the churches, although listing all sins is not necessary for Confession.  For, according to the Psalm, it is impossible.  "Who can discern his errors?" (Psalm 19:12) -- Augsburg Confession, Article XI

What is Confession?
     Answer: Confession has two parts: the one is that we confess our sins; the other is that we receive Absolution, or forgiveness, from the confessor, as from God Himself, and in no way doubt, but firmly believe that our sins are forgiven before God in heaven by this.
What sins should we confess?
     Answer: Before God we should plead guilty of all sins, even of those that we do not know, as we do in the Lord's Prayer.  But before the confessor we should confess only those sins that we know and feel in our hearts. -- Luther's Small Catechism, Part V

These are basic confessions of the Evangelical Lutheran Church.  They are catholic, insofar as they are Christian.  But they are not Roman, insofar as the penitent is not obligated to orally confess every sin in order to be forgiven of it and insofar as one's forgiveness is not dependent upon some action on the part of the penitent.  The forgiveness is based on Jesus' sufferings and death for the penitent who has been baptized into his name.

Since the practice of Private Confession and Absolution is a Lutheran practice, it would be good for Lutherans to practice it.  It is good for the penitent who is grieved by a particular sin to confess it so that he can hear Christ say through the mouth of his minister: "I forgive you."  It would be good for the one who is burdened to be relieved of his burden by Holy Absolution.  It would be good for this practice, though foreign to many in my corner of the Evangelical Lutheran Church, to be restored.  And so it will be.

Private Confession and Absolution has always been available to all members by appointment.  (I am guessing that has been a pretty good secret.)  In order for this practice to be restored and perhaps put to better use, there will be dates on the calendar set aside for anyone who would like to drop in and make use of this means of grace.  These will be set up about 4 times per year.  Private Confession and Absolution will still be available by appointment in addition to these scheduled times.

It is anticipated that Private Confession and Absolution will roughly follow this regular schedule.
     The Saturday before or on Epiphany (Epiphany is always January 6)
     The Saturday before Palm Sunday
     The Saturday after Labor Day weekend
     The Saturday after Thanksgiving weekend (should coincide with the 1st Saturday in Advent)

The next scheduled date and time for Private Confession and Absolution will be Saturday, September 7, 9:00-11:00 AM.  Appointments are not necessary.  You need only drop in.  All participation is voluntary, as Absolution cannot be forced upon anyone.

Of course, this will be new to pretty much any member who decides to make use of it.  If you happen to come in, the pastor will walk through the rite with you and explain the various parts of it, especially including the "private" part, namely, that this confession is to Christ and, therefore, remains his business alone.  The pastor will not report any confession or even the names of those who come for confession.  Finally, the point of this is not for a pastor to learn everyone's dirty, little secrets.  (His life is easier if he remains ignorant.  But God's people do not call a pastor to be ignorant; they call him to absolve in the name of Jesus.)  The point is for the guilty and the grieved to find relief and receive forgiveness, or absolution.

Private Confession & Absolution -- Saturday, September 7 (9:00-11:00 AM)

Private Confession and Absolution

Saturday, September 7, 9:00-11:00 AM

When Lutherans hear someone speak of Private Confession and Absolution, the response is usually a knee-jerk, "That's Roman Catholic!"  Though that may be a common perception, the perception is because either it was taught wrongly or understood wrongly.  Consider what the Lutheran Confessions teach about Private Confession and Absolution.

Our churches teach that private Absolution should be retained in the churches, although listing all sins is not necessary for Confession.  For, according to the Psalm, it is impossible.  "Who can discern his errors?" (Psalm 19:12) -- Augsburg Confession, Article XI

What is Confession?
     Answer: Confession has two parts: the one is that we confess our sins; the other is that we receive Absolution, or forgiveness, from the confessor, as from God Himself, and in no way doubt, but firmly believe that our sins are forgiven before God in heaven by this.
What sins should we confess?
     Answer: Before God we should plead guilty of all sins, even of those that we do not know, as we do in the Lord's Prayer.  But before the confessor we should confess only those sins that we know and feel in our hearts. -- Luther's Small Catechism, Part V

These are basic confessions of the Evangelical Lutheran Church.  They are catholic, insofar as they are Christian.  But they are not Roman, insofar as the penitent is not obligated to orally confess every sin in order to be forgiven of it and insofar as one's forgiveness is not dependent upon some action on the part of the penitent.  The forgiveness is based on Jesus' sufferings and death for the penitent who has been baptized into his name.

Since the practice of Private Confession and Absolution is a Lutheran practice, it would be good for Lutherans to practice it.  It is good for the penitent who is grieved by a particular sin to confess it so that he can hear Christ say through the mouth of his minister: "I forgive you."  It would be good for the one who is burdened to be relieved of his burden by Holy Absolution.  It would be good for this practice, though foreign to many in my corner of the Evangelical Lutheran Church, to be restored.  And so it will be.

Private Confession and Absolution has always been available to all members by appointment.  (I am guessing that has been a pretty good secret.)  In order for this practice to be restored and perhaps put to better use, there will be dates on the calendar set aside for anyone who would like to drop in and make use of this means of grace.  These will be set up about 4 times per year.  Private Confession and Absolution will still be available by appointment in addition to these scheduled times.

It is anticipated that Private Confession and Absolution will roughly follow this regular schedule.
     The Saturday before or on Epiphany (Epiphany is always January 6)
     The Saturday before Palm Sunday
     The Saturday after Labor Day weekend
     The Saturday after Thanksgiving weekend (should coincide with the 1st Saturday in Advent)

The next scheduled date and time for Private Confession and Absolution will be Saturday, September 7, 9:00-11:00 PM.  Appointments are not necessary.  You need only drop in.  All participation is voluntary, as Absolution cannot be forced upon anyone.

Of course, this will be new to pretty much any member who decides to make use of it.  If you happen to come in, the pastor will walk through the rite with you and explain the various parts of it, especially including the "private" part, namely, that this confession is to Christ and, therefore, remains his business alone.  The pastor will not report any confession or even the names of those who come for confession.  Finally, the point of this is not for a pastor to learn everyone's dirty, little secrets.  (His life is easier if he remains ignorant.  But God's people do not call a pastor to be ignorant; they call him to absolve in the name of Jesus.)  The point is for the guilty and the grieved to find relief and receive forgiveness, or absolution.

Private Confession & Absolution -- Saturday, January 12, 9:00-11:00 AM

Private confession and absolution will be available at church from 9:00 - 11:00 AM on Saturday, January 12.  No appointment is necessary.  Just stop in.  If this rite is new to you (and it is for many who attend here), the pastor will walk you through the rite so that you understand and appreciate it more.  Private confession and absolution is always available by appointment throughout the year.

Why Private Confession & Absolution?  The answer follows:

When Lutherans hear someone speak of Private Confession and Absolution, the response is usually a knee-jerk, "That's Roman Catholic!"  Though that may be a common perception, the perception is because either it was taught wrongly or understood wrongly.  Consider what the Lutheran Confessions teach about Private Confession and Absolution.

Our churches teach that private Absolution should be retained in the churches, although listing all sins is not necessary for Confession.  For, according to the Psalm, it is impossible.  "Who can discern his errors?" (Psalm 19:12) -- Augsburg Confession, Article XI

What is Confession?
     Answer: Confession has two parts: the one is that we confess our sins; the other is that we receive Absolution, or forgiveness, from the confessor, as from God Himself, and in no way doubt, but firmly believe that our sins are forgiven before God in heaven by this.
What sins should we confess?
     Answer: Before God we should plead guilty of all sins, even of those that we do not know, as we do in the Lord's Prayer.  But before the confessor we should confess only those sins that we know and feel in our hearts. -- Luther's Small Catechism, Part V

These are basic confessions of the Evangelical Lutheran Church.  They are catholic, insofar as they are Christian.  But they are not Roman, insofar as the penitent is not obligated to orally confess every sin in order to be forgiven of it and insofar as one's forgiveness is not dependent upon some action on the part of the penitent.  The forgiveness is based on Jesus' sufferings and death for the penitent who has been baptized into his name.

Since the practice of Private Confession and Absolution is a Lutheran practice, it would be good for Lutherans to practice it.  It is good for the penitent who is grieved by a particular sin to confess it so that he can hear Christ say through the mouth of his minister: "I forgive you."  It would be good for the one who is burdened to be relieved of his burden by Holy Absolution.  It would be good for this practice, though foreign to many in my corner of the Evangelical Lutheran Church, to be restored.  And so it will be.

Private Confession and Absolution has always been available to all members by appointment.  (I am guessing that has been a pretty good secret.)  In order for this practice to be restored and perhaps put to better use, there will be dates on the calendar set aside for anyone who would like to drop in and make use of this means of grace.  These will be set up about 4 times per year.  Private Confession and Absolution will still be available by appointment in addition to these scheduled times.

It is anticipated that Private Confession and Absolution will roughly follow this regular schedule.
     A Saturday around Epiphany (Epiphany is always January 6)
     The Saturday before Palm Sunday
     The Saturday after Labor Day weekend
     A Saturday after Thanksgiving weekend (should coincide with the 1st Saturday in Advent)

The next scheduled date and time for Private Confession and Absolution will be Saturday, January 12, 9:00-11:00 AM.  Appointments are not necessary.  You need only drop in.  All participation is voluntary, as Absolution cannot be forced upon anyone.

Of course, this will be new to pretty much any member who decides to make use of it.  If you happen to come in, the pastor will walk through the rite with you and explain the various parts of it, especially including the "private" part, namely, that this confession is to Christ and, therefore, remains his business alone.  The pastor will not report any confession or even the names of those who come for confession.  Finally, the point of this is not for a pastor to learn everyone's dirty, little secrets.  (His life is easier if he remains ignorant.  But God's people do not call a pastor to be ignorant; they call him to absolve in the name of Jesus.)  The point is for the guilty and the grieved to find relief and receive forgiveness, or absolution.