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. Our current study is on “The Spirituality of the Cross” by Gene Edward Veith Jr. If you do not have a copy we are providing them for free. We are also continuing to provide the Book of Concord for free.
The Psalm for this session is Psalm 20. The Small Catechism lesson is the Second Article of the Apostle’s Creed.
This week we will finish reading the first chapter of the Spirituality of the Cross on Justification: The Dynamics of Sin and Grace. We will read the section on Law and Gospel (pg. 33-38) and discuss how we are sinners incapable of climbing up to God, but also learn the good news the Christ came down from heaven and died for us so that He would redeem us and bring us up to God. In the last section of this chapter on The Paradoxes of Lutheranism (pg. 38-39) we will discuss how Lutheran theology embraces the paradoxes found in Scripture rather than try to rationalize them. We will close this chapter on Justification by singing “Salvation Unto Us Has Come” (LSB 555).
We will then move on and read the second chapter on the Means of Grace: The Presence of God. We will read the introduction (pg. 41-44) and discuss Objective and Subjective Justification. We will then read the section on the Word of God (pg. 44-48) and discuss how God talks to us objectively through His Word. We will also read the section on The Bible (pg. 48-53) and discuss the revelation found in Scripture. We will probably not get to the rest of this chapter 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.
