A blog of the Evangelical Lutheran Liturgy
Last Sunday, we stopped at Holy Trinity Lutheran Church in Columbia. It is a small congregation, but it is not a dying congregation. The amount of young families is what caught my eye right away. We were greeted right away by a young father of four. When we made our way into the nave, there before our eyes was an amazing stone crucifix that hangs to the right side of the altar. What a sight to see!
Read MoreThe Rev. Dr. William Weinrich speaking at the Fort Wayne Gottesdienst Conference, May 4-5, 2026.
Read MoreA writer on Substack, whom I believe to be a Reformed Christian, expressed amazement that “ancient baptismal liturgies” included a renunciation of Satan and the recitation of the Apostles’ Creed.
Read MoreThe 1999 Kevin Smith film Dogma introduced the world to the “Buddy Christ.” In the film, late comedian George Carlin portrayed Roman Catholic Cardinal Ignatius Glick. In a spoof of modern evangelism efforts, Glick introduced “Catholicism WOW!”, a campaign designed to modernize the “passé, archaic institution of the Church.” His character stating in modern times, people found the Bible to be “obtuse and even hokey.”
Read MoreIn the early Lutheran Church, faith was not reduced to an inward conviction or to mere intellectual, theological assent. For the Lutherans of the Sixteenth Century, faith was a lived and incarnate reality, expressed through the entire liturgical life of the Church. The Altar held a central place in the Church, not as a mere decorative object, but as the place of the real and saving encounter of the sinner with Christ
Read MoreDcn. Muehlenbruch left a comment on the post "Ceremonies Revisited" that is so astute, that I think it bears a closer look and perhaps further discussion.
Read MoreThe recipe came from her mother and her grandmother in Italy. For that is how family recipes used to continue their existence: one link in the chain at a time, from mother to daughter.
Read MoreDr. Scaer will be here!
Read MoreWe need to be as bold about our confession as these people are about their subjugation of it, to the point of initiating effective means of cleansing our Synod from their menace.
Read MoreDriving through Indiana yesterday we saw this sign, a cheery invitation for visitors to Cornerstone Church: New Pastor! Fresh Approach!
Read MoreThis approaching Sunday, May 3, is the great feast of the Finding of the Holy Cross. Sometimes also called the Invention of the Holy Cross, as a transliteration of the Latin title, Inventio Sanctae Crucis, this feast commemorates the discovery of the Holy Cross by St. Helena, the mother of Constantine, and is not to be confused with the Exaltation of the Holy Cross (September 14th), which commemorates the dedication of the original Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem, as well as the recovery of the cross some centuries later.
Read MoreFr. Weedon has compiled a handy list of quotations from our Lutheran fathers concerning our liturgical heritage.
Read MoreIn our polity in the LCMS, we have episkope but not episkopoi. In other words, we have ordained men charged with oversight (episkope) of pastors and congregations, but they are not bishops (episkopoi). They are “presidents.” It’s a bit of an unfortunate turn of phrase, as a president is one who presides over a parliamentary meeting. Our district and synod presidents do this, but they have other tasks as well in addition to chairing the triennial conventions.
Read MoreSince a lot of our readers may not know what people mean by CoWo (“Contemporary Worship”) - or as it is increasingly known, “Modern Worship” - in the LCMS, here is an example of such an ordo in the form of a Divine Service with Holy Communion.
Read MoreThe Roman Catholic Church knows what people are looking for. And we Lutherans have it. At least, some of us do.
Read MoreThe idea behind ceremonies is that they speak for themselves. Or, as our Confessions put it, their purpose is to teach the people about Christ.
Read MoreLiturgical worship developed organically in response to the miracle of our Lord’s Presence with us in Word and Sacrament. It is no accident that every ancient pre-Reformation church tradition was, and is, liturgical.
Read MoreIn these last days, as the influence of Christendom wanes and fades in the Western world, we often might breathe a sigh of relief when a relative, for example, chooses to marry any Christian, including a Roman Catholic.
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