Satan and the Church
Here’s a brief selection from an essay by Dr. Naomichi Masaki entitled “Liturgy and Culture: Can the Liturgy Be Made to Reflect a Particular Culture?”
Satan does his best to diminish Christ’s incarnation in the church because he knows so well that the flesh of Jesus is life itself, and that through the ever-fresh baptismal water, the living voice of Jesus, and the reception of His very body and blood at the Eucharist, life itself is given out to the faithful with forgiveness and salvation. (pg. 135, Through the Church the Song Goes On, LCMS Commission on Worship, 1999)
Sailing with Christ
Lately I’ve been on a Johann Gerhard reading binge. A few weeks back in Ft Wayne I picked up volume 2 of Gerhard’s “Postilla” and have been thoroughly enjoying his sermons.
Here’s a brief selection from Gerhard’s sermon for the Fifth Sunday after Trinity on Luke 5:1-11 (Jesus preaching to the crowd from the boat and the large catch of fish).
Peter’s small boat is a picture of the Christian Church. For just as God’s Word resounds from Peter’s small boat is also how one hears Christ’s word in the Christian Church. This makes Peter’s little boat much dearer and nobler than a great transport ship laden with gold, silver, precious stones, and other such perishable goods.
Worship Is . . .
Worship is the gift of the gracious God through the incarnate and suffering Christ for his congregation which receives the gift by faith and so enters into fellowship with God. Thus worship is a participation in the work of Christ. — (Luther On Worship, Vilmos Vajta, pg 63)
Lutheran Musician Quote
One more reason to consider attending the Church Music Workshops in Fort Wayne this summer.
“The richer the background in Lutheran doctrine, mores, and music, the more nearly will the musician approach the true ideal of a Lutheran musician and servant of God in church.” — Hugo Gehrke
Buszin on Church Musicians
I’m in the process of rereading the essays by Walter Buszin in the “Music for the Church” published by the Good Shepherd Institute. It’s a great book and the essays, though written about 40-50 years ago, are still fresh and speak to our times today.
Fourth Sunday in Advent
The Fourth Sunday in Advent, especially if we are in Series B of the lectionary, is a Sunday that has special memories for me. Nine years ago my dad was planning to preach a sermon on the Gospel text Luke 1:26-38. But God had different plans for him on that Fourth Sunday in Advent. God was calling him home to be with Him.
The sermon was never preached, although it had been written. Over the years I’ve read and reread that sermon. This sermon wasn’t intended to be a “farewell”. Yet, it has provided me comfort then, as it still does today.
Walther and Small Churches
In a culture fixated on bigger is better, it was refreshing to read a selection from C.F.W. Walther over at Mercy Journeys with Pastor Harrison on the relative unimportance of congregational size.
The highlight from Walther was this:
The smallest congregation is just as important as the largest one, and the largest is no more important than the smallest, because every congregation is great only because Christ is present in it.
Higher Hymnody: The Gifts Christ Freely Gives
Here’s a good article by Jonathon Kohlmeier over at Higher Things on hymnody. In particular, he takes a look at Kantor Richard Resch’s hymn “The Gifts Christ Freely Gives” (LSB 602) and comments on the gifts we receive in the Divine Service. Thanks Jonathon!
The Treasure of the Lutheran Church (according to Lohe)
For those of you not familiar with Wilhelm Lohe, the current edition of Logia focuses on the Lohe Bicentennial and has a number of good articles.
This evening I was reading the article entitled “Why Do I Declare Myself for the Lutheran Church?” by Lohe himself. He enumerates a number of reasons of why he holds fast to the Lutheran Church. The following excerpt caught my eye.
Thoughts on the Prelude
When you look back on this past Sunday (or any Sunday you can remember), what were you doing while waiting for the worship service to begin? Praying? Reviewing the service? Talking? Listening to the prelude?
Share your thoughts . . .