Lutheran Essentials meets in the undercroft of the church on Wednesday evenings at 7pm. You can reach the undercroft by going around to the back parking lot of the church and descending the staircase to the kitchen. Knock on the door if it is closed and some one will let you in. You can also join us remotely via our livestream. Our current study is on the Smalcald Articles. We are providing hard copies of the Book of Concord for free, as well as copies of the Lutheran Service Book.
We will open class with Psalm 109 and our catechism lesson will be on the Third Petition of the Lord’s Prayer. We will then read Part II Article II: The Mass. We will discuss the horrific abuses of the Roman Catholic Mass. We will also discuss the various other abuses that grew out of the Mass such as Indulgences, Relics, Saint Worship, and Pilgrimages. Luther here will emphasize how we are saved by grace and by no work that we do. We will close this section by singing the hymn “By Grace I’m Saved” (LSB 566).
We will then read Part II Article III: Chapters and Cloisters. We will discuss the abuses of monasticism. Instead of monasticism Luther will point us to Christian Vocation as the answer to the desire to do God pleasing works. We will close with singing “O God, My Faithful God” (LSB 696)
As always new people are always welcome to this study at any point during the class. Please talk to the Pastor, Elders or Paul Edmon if you have any questions.
