What do you say — how do you pray — in the aftermath of a hurricane?
Archive for category Lutheran Liturgy
In a time of liturgical questions, changes, challenges, reforms, and reforms of reforms, filled with arguments, disputes, power plays, and power players, perhaps a bit of psalmist-inspired Reformation perspective is in order. If it worked for 16th century Martin Luther and 20th century Roman Catholic hymnal editors, perhaps we 21st century folk can profit from it as well.
by Karen Edwards
“Can we be different, and yet, at the end of our days – Roman Catholics and Confessional Lutherans and Christians of all denominations – gather together and sing hymns to Jesus in a harmony that is a foretaste of the heavenly choir to come?”
Bishops Katharine Jefferts Schori (Episcopal), Mark Hanson (ELCA), Fred Hiltz (Anglican) and Susan Johnson (ELCC) participated in unique simultaneous eucharistic liturgies on either side of the U.S.-Canadian border.
“The center of our life here is gathering for our Divine Service of Holy Communion every Sunday, and our life together grows out of that.” — Pastor Mason Beecroft
O Emmanuel
Dec 23
As Lutheran Christians, we own the fact that we are often thought of as the family of Christians ‘prone to excessive singing,’ as one Episcopalian wag put it.
The president of the Lutheran World Federation is calling on Lutherans and Catholics to issue a common statement on Holy Communion to mark the 500th anniversary of the Protestant Reformation in 2017. “Eucharistic hospitality” means that Catholics would be able to receive Communion at Lutheran worship services, and Lutherans would be able to do the same at a Catholic Mass.
Bishop Irja Askola was elected in a 3 June vote in which she received 591 votes to 567 for her rival, Matti Poutiainen. The Helsinki Times reported that one of the differences between the two candidates concerned marriage, with Askola being willing to bless same-sex couples, whereas Poutiainen held that marriage is solely between a man and a woman.
Lutheran split
Aug 29
Any split in the Body of Christ is deeply tragic. And now 2% of ELCA congregations are leaving because of certain culture-war disputes.
A Plea to the Publishers
Apr 19
Roman Catholics are sometimes surprised to walk into churches of the catholic-but-not-Catholic traditions and find Gather Comprehensive II, Journeysongs, Spirit & Song, and We Celebrate in the pews… My point is this: keep the old settings around, at least for a while — and make them easily accessible on your websites and in your catalogues: don’t make us hunt or beg, like second-class Christians, and don’t make us bust our budgets trying to buy up everything we might want all at once. If there are settings you’re planning on putting out of print, let us — and let our denominational publishing houses — know: we just might buy you out.