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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.

As my dad reflected on the message the angel Gabriel gave to Mary, he wrote:

It is truly wonderful.  God would become flesh.  This “Son of the Most High” would deliver us from the power of sin, death, and the devil, and give to us a kingdom that is forever.  Though King Herod would try to kill this baby Jesus, he would live that he might suffer and die for the whole world.  May our hearts praise God as those of old did.  God be praised for giving us a Savior.

I think my dad would have gladly joined in on that Advent Sunday with these words of Paul & Ruth Manz.

Rejoice in heaven all ye that dwell therein, Rejoice on earth ye saints below, For Christ is coming, is coming soon, For Christ is coming soon!

E’en so, Lord Jesus, quickly come, And night shall be no more; They need no light nor lamp nor sun, For Christ will be their All!

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.

I suggest that the LCMS Blue Ribbon Task Force on Synod Structure and Governance take a look at what Walther wrote.   Walther would differ considerably with at least one of the their “Proposals and Possibilities“.

“Allow congregations with more than 750 confirmed members to be represented by two additional delegates for each additional unit of 750 confirmed members or the majority thereof, with each pair of additional delegates to be one ministerial (ordained or commissioned) delegate and one non-ordained delegate.”

Walther says all congregations are equally important because of Christ.  Some in the Synod say larger congregations are more important.  Why?  Because they have more members and constituents.  It seems like this rationale would better apply to Electoral Votes for President of the United States than the church.

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!

A brief excerpt:

Have you ever asked, “Why do we sing all these different hymns during church?” I have. Wouldn’t the service go much faster if we just started with the Invocation instead of singing all of the verses of some hymn before it? Do we really need a Hymn of the Day, doesn’t that just take up more time? I guess communion hymns are okay, they give us something to do while everyone else is receiving communion. Does Pastor really need to make the service even longer by having a closing hymn? What’s the point?

. . .

No, hymns aren’t there to keep us entertained. They are there to teach us. They are gifts to remind us of all that Christ has done for us and is doing for us.

Speaking of “long hymns”, the Hymn of the Day for September 21 is Salvation Unto Us Has Come.  If you don’t sing all 10 stanzas in LSB, take the time to read them.

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.

I declare myself for the Lutheran Church for the sake of the treasure.  The Lutheran Church lacks many things I would like to see in it, but it has something that lets it be the true church despite all shortcomings, and for the sake of which I find it easy and beautiful to be faithful to it in its outward misery.  Do you know what I am talking about?  I am talking about its utterly pure confession and its pure doctrine in conformity with its confession.  Who has ever proved that its confession is in error in any doctrinal article?  When speaking of its confession, I am not only talking about the Augsburg Confession, but about the entire Book of Concord from the Augsburg Confession all the way to the Formula of Concord.  You do not know these writings, dear reader, otherwise you would agree with me.  Get to know them and you will agree.  What is more beautiful, lovely, powerful, and lively than Luther’s catechisms?  What is more catholic than the Augsburg Confession and its Apology?  What is more thoughtful and bold than the Smalcald Articles?  And what is slandered more wrongfully than the beautiful Formula of Concord in its clean but mild definition of all teachings?  Dear reader, I repeat, you do not know your Church’s confessions of faith.  Get to know them in order to know why you adhere to your church.

One of Lohe’s strengths was his confessional committment which influenced the LCMS from its founding.  It seems he was quite passionate about the Lutheran Confessions and would encourage us as well to be familiar with what our Lutheran church “officially” believes, teaches, and confesses.

A few years ago Concordia Publishing House published a wonderful and accessible edition of the Book of Concord called “Concordia: The Lutheran Confessions-A Readers Edition of the Book of Concord – 2nd edition.” If you don’t have it, I would encourage you to consider getting it; and if you do have it, consider reading it.

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?

I would surmise most organists try to choose preservice music that reflects the theme of the day and the hymns that will be sung. Perhaps the musician will highlight a hymn tune that is not being sung, but still evokes the season of the church year or theme.

I’ve been recently reading portions of the “Manual on the Liturgy” for the Lutheran Book of Worship (LBW). I had to smile when Philip Pfatteicher wrote:

Preludial music by instrumentalists or vocalists can help to prepare the worshipers for the service. . . . It must be assumed that the congregation will actually listen [my emphasis] to the music played before the service, for to perform music in church to which no one listens or which is simply to cover up the noise of the entering and gathering congregation is liturgically and artistically misguided. (pg 200)