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 126 and our catechism lesson will be on the Eighth Commandment. We will then continue reading Chapter IX: General Rules of Ceremony (pg. 61-77) starting with pg. 66. We will 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).
Next we will move on to read Chapter X: General Principles of Liturgical Music (pg. 78-87). We will talk about how music in the church should be to the glory of God alone, catechetical in content, and sacred in style and form. We will then talk about the various musical parts of the service including the prelude, special music, and postlude. We will discuss chanting and the singing of hymns as well. We will close with the hymn “O Morning Star, How Fair and Bright” (LSB 395).
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.
