Rev. Larry Peters: Basic Differences

Rev. Larry Peters of Pastoral Meanderings has an interesting post called Basic Differences.

Pastor Peters serves Grace Lutheran Church in Clarksville, TN.  There aren't a lot of Lutheran churches there, much less liturgical ones.  Yet he writes about using the liturgy in a growing church that gets 3-8 visiting families every week.  He tackles issues surrounding the Divine Service and its use with visitors for whom the liturgy is foreign.

He frames this around a discussion centered on worship for "seekers" vs. worship for the baptized.

Here is a sample...

This remains the biggest chasm between those who advocate a service that appeals to people's wants, needs, and culture, and those who insist that worship must conform the historic pattern of Word and Meal (within the framework of the mass form, with is Service of the Word and Service of the Sacrament). The debate is not about the age or youth of the hymns (read that songs). It is not about whether the confession can be here or somewhere else in the order. It is not about the words being "King James" or twitter speak. It is not about the use or lack of technology. It is not about vestments or lack of vestments. It is first and foremost about the basic question: Who can worship?

Check out the rest here.

Time Out #35: Comment Available

My comments on the hymn If Thou But Trust in God to Guide Thee are now available over at LutheranTimeOut.org.

The hymn is interesting, there are a few "if you ... then God ..." ideas floating around in the text, so context is everything.

Time Out #35: If Thou But Trust

This week on Time Out, the featured hymn is If Thou But Trust in God to Guide Thee.

Southern Lutheran Kantor is at the organ, and Layman Dan once again offers his golden voice.

Some comments are already posted over there, so let's keep the party rolling!

I will add my own in the next day or so.

Issues, Etc.: The Nicene Creed

The Lutheran Confessions refer to the three ecumenical creeds as the Apostles, the Nicene, and the Athanasian.  The Western Church subscribes to all three of these "because" they are the correct exposition of Scripture, and not "insofar as" they are the correct exposition of Scripture.

The Eastern Church sees only the need for the Nicene Creed.  A little research revealed that they view their entire liturgy as creedal, so they did not adopt additional creeds.  Their version differs in a couple of spots, the most significant of which is that the third article does not include the words "and the Son."

And I believe in the Holy Spirit,

the Lord and Giver of Life,

who proceeds from the Father [and the Son]

Issues, Etc. did an entire week on the Nicene Creed with Pastor Wil Weedon.  You can catch the "and the Son" controversy and more on the Nicene creed all right here.

October 5, 2009, The Nicene Creed: Introduction & God the Father

October 6, 2009: The Nicene Creed: The Who of Christ & the Incarnation

October 7, 2009: The Nicene Creed: The What of Christ & the Offering of Himself

October 8, 2009: The Nicene Creed: The Holy Spirit & the Filioque

October 9, 2009: The Nicene Creed: The Church & Last Things

Notes:

* There was some issue with the embed codes (probably a user error) so links are provided instead of direct broadcasts.

* A download will start when you click on the link

* The some of the differences between ICET, ELLC, and LSB translations will be discussed in a future post.

* Latin Lesson 1:  A "because" subscription is often referred to by it's Latin word, quia (pronounced quee-ah)

* Latin Lesson 2: An "insofar as" subscription is often referred to by it's Latin word, quatenus (pronounced quah-tay-noos)

* Latin Lesson 3: The "and the Son" controversy is often referred to by the single Latin word that has the same meaning, filioque (pronounced fee-lee-oh-quay).

Table Talk Radio: Show 66

A new episode has surfaced for Table Talk Radio.  Here are the show's highlights.

Show #66: Old Time Games

It seems it's been awhile since we placed Google It or Who Wants to be a Theologian. So that's what we play in this edition of Table Talk Radio, finishing up with some Bible Bee.

No word from the show's hosts.  I want to give out "frequent commenter points" to my readers, and I was hoping Table Talk Radio would sponsor the points in exchange for these shameless plugs, but apparently the points are in short demand since Seminarian Goeglein was given something like 2 million of them.  This is my hypothesis, since they didn't return my emails.

That's Table Talk Radio, where the points are like infant baptism in a Pentecostal church, pretty much non-existent.

Introducing Sound of Majesty...

...to those of you who have not yet discovered it!

Sound of Majesty features choral and instrumental music interspersed with readings from Scripture and theologians (both ancient and modern).  The program airs at 11 pm Central Sunday through Friday on wmbi.fm or you can check out the audio archive, which is currently showing the entire week's episodes.

You will find a mix of music from the Protestant tradition, including liturgical, classical, spiritual and gospel.

The goal here at All for Hymn is to feature one program a week.

The October 13 broadcast features an interesting combination: Organist Martin Jean playing Bach's Orgelbuchlein "In Dir Ist Freude" (in English, "In Thee Is Gladness") followed by the spiritual, "I Can Tell the World" as performed by the Calvin College Alumni Choir.

Martin Jean has served Concordia College-Ann Arbor (now a university), Valparaiso University, and is now with Yale University.  I believe he is playing the organ at the Chapel of St. Timothy and St. Titus on the campus of Concordia Seminary-St. Louis.

Fine Tuning: Choir Director or Song Leader

Join the discussion over at Fine Tuning, where the topic of the kantor's/music director's/organist's/conductor's participation in leading congregational song (or even choir parts) is in the choir loft, but perhaps the microphone is not turned on ;)

You can chime in here.  Please bring your own handbells hehe

Also covered is the role of pastors leading congregational responses.

My last comment over there seeks advice on using microphones when a solo verse is in order.