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 “Ceremony and Celebration” by Paul H. D. Lang. We are handing out copies of the book for free as well as copies of the Book of Concord and the Lutheran Service Book.
We will open class with Psalm 125 and our catechism lesson will be on the Seventh Commandment. We will then read Chapter VIII: The Use of Other Candles and Lamps in Church (pg. 57-60). We will talk about the various lights and lamps in the church including the Eternal Candle, Paschal Candle, and Candles used for Tenebrae. We will the sing the hymn “O Christ, Who Art the Light and Day” (LSB 882).
We will go on to read Chapter IX: General Rules of Ceremony (pg. 61-77). We will talk about how reverence, love, order, and humility are to form all ceremony in the Church. We will then discuss the various rubrics with in the liturgy. We will then discuss the actions and positions of the body in the liturgy, from which direction you face, to when you sit, stand, kneel, bow, and genuflect. We will discuss the liturgical kiss and sign of the cross. Finally we will talk about how to walk about the church as well as other general rules regarding decorum in the church. We will close with the hymn “Open Now Thy Gates of Beauty” (LSB 901)
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.
