Starting this week I will post what our next topic is for Lutheran Essentials and some other materials which will be helpful to those who wish to follow the class remotely rather than being at First Lutheran. As always our class meets in the undercroft of the church on Wednesday evenings at 7pm. Currently we are studying the Augsburg Confession using the 2nd Edition of the Readers Edition of the Book of Concord. If you do not have a copy we are providing them for free.
The Psalm for this session is Psalm 119:41-48 (Waw). The Small Catechism lesson is the 6th Commandment. Last week we covered the articles on the Ministry (V), New Obedience (VI), The Church (VII) and What the Church Is (VIII).
This week we will be covering Baptism (IX). We will discuss what Baptism is, Infant Baptism, Baptismal Regeneration, and the necessity of Baptism. The hymn for this article is “To Jordan Came the Christ, Our Lord” (LSB 406) which is Martin Luther’s catechetical hymn on Baptism.
Next we will cover The Lord’s Supper (X). We will discuss the Presence of Christ in the Sacrament, Closed Communion, Altar-Pulpit Fellowship, and Abuses of the Sacrament of the Altar. The hymn for this article is “Jesus Christ, Our Blessed Savior” (LSB 627) which is the great catechetical hymn by Jan Hus on the topic.
Given the importance of these two topics it is unlikely that we will make it to Articles XI and XII on Confession and Repentance. Since both of these articles are accepted by the Confutation of the Augsburg Confession we will not read the Apology of the Augsburg Confession this week.
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. Have a blessed 2nd week of Epiphany.
