Preview of Lenten Midweek Service - Feb 29

Second Midweek Lenten Service     February 29, 2012

Taking On Something for Lent:

Luther’s Catechisms

This I Believe:

The Apostles’ Creed

The Order of Vespers page 229

As We Gather: Our Lenten midweek services this year are focusing on the Catechisms of Luther. His Small and Large Catechisms were published in 1529. The material in the Large Catechism originated as sermons by Martin Luther on the basic texts of Christian teaching. In his Preface to the Large Catechism Luther writes, “But for myself I say this: I am also a doctor and preacher…Yet I act as a child who is being taught the catechism.  Every morning—and whenever I have time—I read and say, word for word, the Ten Commandments, the Creed, the Lord’s Prayer, the Psalms, and such. I must still read and study them daily.  Yet I cannot master the catechism as I wish.”

 Catechism comes from the Greek word katecho, which literally means to “sound back and forth” or “from above”.  It was used already by St. Paul in Galatians 6:6 to denote Christian instruction.  (The word echo also comes from this Greek word.) By the second century, it had come to designate the pre-baptismal instruction of catechumens. St. Augustine first used this word to designate basic Christian instruction. Luther used the word in this way throughout his life.   (McCain, Concordia, 309; Kolb, Wengert, The Book of Concord, 345)

Hymn “Drawn to the Cross, Which Thou Hast Blessed” Hymn 560

Opening Verses and Responses......................................................... Page 229

Hymn “All Glory Be to God on High”......................................... Hymn 947

(Stanza 1)

The Apostles’ Creed

The First Article

CREATION

L      The creed as the head of the family should teach it in a simple way to his household

C   I believe in God, the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth.

L      What does this mean?

C   I believe that God has made me and all creatures; that He has given me my body and soul, eyes, ears, and all my members, my reason and all my senses, and still takes care of them.

L      He also gives me clothing and shoes, food and drink, house and home, wife and children, land, animals, and all I have. He richly and daily provides me with all that I need to support this body and life.

C   He defends me against all danger and guards and protects me from all evil.

L      All this He does only out of fatherly, divine goodness and mercy, without any merit or worthiness in me. For all this it is my duty to thank and praise, serve and obey Him.

C   This is most certainly true.

Hymn “All Glory Be to God on High”......................................... Hymn 947

(Stanza 2)

The Apostles’ Creed

The Second Article

REDEMPTION

L      And in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord,

C   who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died and was buried. He descended into hell. The third day He rose again from the dead. He ascended into heaven and sits at the right hand of God, the Father Almighty. From thence He will come to judge the living and the dead.

L      What does this mean?

C   I believe that Jesus Christ, true God, begotten of the Father from eternity, and also true man, born of the Virgin Mary, is my Lord,

L      who has redeemed me, a lost and condemned person, purchased and won me from all sins, from death, and from the power of the devil; not with gold or silver, but with His holy, precious blood and with His innocent suffering and death,

C   that I may be His own and live under Him in His kingdom and serve Him in everlasting righteousness, innocence, and blessedness,

L      just as He is risen from the dead, lives and reigns to all eternity.

C   This is most certainly true.

Hymn “All Glory Be to God on High”......................................... Hymn 947

(Stanza 3)

The Apostles’ Creed

The Third Article

SANCTIFICATION

L      I believe in the Holy Spirit,

C   the holy Christian church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen.

L      What does this mean?

C   I believe that I cannot by my own reason or strength believe in Jesus Christ, my Lord, or come to Him; but the Holy Spirit has called me by the Gospel, enlightened me with His gifts, sanctified and kept me in the true faith.

L      In the same way He calls, gathers, enlightens, and sanctifies the whole Christian church on earth, and keeps it with Jesus Christ in the one true faith.

C   In this Christian church He daily and richly forgives all my sins and the sins of all believers.

L      On the Last Day He will raise me and all the dead, and give eternal life to me and all believers in Christ.

C   This is most certainly true.

Hymn “All Glory Be to God on High”......................................... Hymn 947

(Stanza 4)

Old Testament Lesson                                                               Genesis 1:1-5

1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. 2 Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters. 

3 And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. 4 God saw that the light was good, and he separated the light from the darkness. 5 God called the light “day,” and the darkness he called “night.” And there was evening, and there was morning—the first day.

Gradual "The Lamb"................................. Christ Lutheran School, grades 3 & 4

Epistle Lesson                                                                 1 Corinthians 15:3-8

3 For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, 5 and that he appeared to Peter, and then to the Twelve. 6 After that, he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers at the same time, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep. 7 Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles, 8 and last of all he appeared to me also, as to one abnormally born.

Gospel Lesson                                                                               John 15:26-27

26 “When the Counselor comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who goes out from the Father, he will testify about me. 27 And you also must testify, for you have been with me from the beginning.

Responsory For Lent................................................................................. Page 231

Hymn “We All Believe in One True God”............................... Hymn 954

Luther’s hymn on the Creed was first published in 1524.  It was inspired by an earlier medieval verse from 1417. But as a paraphrase of the three articles of the Creed, this hymn is really his own. He sets forth the work of creation and preservation, redemption, and sanctification in three stanzas devoted to the three Persons of the Trinity. Some of the basic emphases found later in his catechisms are found here already. In Luther’s German Mass of 1526 it was used as a substitute for the Latin Creed of the mass. This function was soon universally accepted in the Lutheran liturgy. The melisma (singing of a single syllable while moving between several different notes) at the beginning and the end of the hymn has been one of its most endearing elements. Simplified versions of the hymn have not been as well received.

The Sermon

This I Believe: The Apostles’ Creed

1 Corinthians 15:3-8

The Gathering of Our Tithes and Sacrificial Offerings

(We request all who are present to sign the attendance book that is at the end of your row. Please pass it on to the person next to you.)

CANTICLE and PRAYER

P      Let my prayers rise before you as incense,

C   and the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice.

Canticle “Triune God, Bet Thou Our Stay” ......................... Hymn 505

         

Lord’s Prayer

C   Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name, thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever and ever. Amen.

Luther’s Evening Prayer

C   I thank You, my heavenly Father, through Jesus Christ, Your dear Son, that You have graciously kept me this day; and I pray that you would forgive me all my sins where I have done wrong, and graciously keep me this night. For into Your hands I commend myself, my body and soul, and all things. Let Your holy angel be with me; that the evil foe may have no power over me. Amen.

Benedicamus.................................................................................................. Page 234

Benediction..................................................................................................... Page 234

Hymn “Abide with Me”........................................................................ Hymn 878

(Stanzas 2 & 6)

+ Silent Prayer +

Using Luther’s Catechisms

for Lent

The concept for this midweek Lenten series was inspired by the Book of Concord:

Such matters also concern the laity and the salvation of their souls. Therefore we also confess Dr. Luther’s Small and Large Catechisms as they are included in Luther’s works. They are “the layman’s Bible” because everything necessary for a Christian to know for salvation is included in them, which is handled more extensively in the Holy Scriptures. (FC Ep I 5)

As part of your Lenten emphasis on Luther’s catechisms, you may wish to make the catechism a part of your daily Lenten routine. Each of the Six Chief Parts of Christian Doctrine could be read through each week in Lent, and the Large Catechism could be read once in its entirety during the Lenten season.

Spiritual Growth in Lent: Many people choose to give up something for Lent. Instead, you may want to take on something for your Lenten discipline. You may want to read the Six Chief Parts of Christian Doctrine from Luther’s Small Catechism each day according to the following schedule:

Monday—The Ten Commandments

Tuesday—The Apostles’ Creed

Wednesday—The Lord’s Prayer

Thursday—The Sacrament of Holy Baptism

Friday—Confession

Saturday—The Sacrament of the Altar

Sunday—Daily Prayers, Table of Duties, or

Christian Questions with Their Answers

The Small Catechism is found on page 321 in Lutheran Service Book. You may also choose to read Luther’s Large Catechism during Lent, focusing on one chief part each week. If you choose to read through the Large Catechism, there is an interesting note about the Exhortation to Confession. The Large Catechism, first published in 1529, did not originally contain this exhortation, but before 1529 ended, a revised edition came out that did include it. Nevertheless, the original 1580 German and 1584 Latin editions of the Book of Concord do not include the Exhortation to Confession. So if you have Concordia: Book of Concord, you will find the exhortation instead in Appendix B.

Orders of Service

There are good and proper reasons for retaining the ancient orders of service in the Church. They serve to keep us grounded in the truth without being caught up in the whims of the day. They focus on Christ and His cross. They keep us connected to our birthright as people who have a two thousand year history. They help us see that we are part of something much bigger than any local congregation or denomination.

Nevertheless, orders of service are a tool not an end in and of themselves. We live in a time where it is necessary to navigate between two extremes. On the one hand there are some who wish to discard the heritage of the church and descend to a worship style where emotional exploitation is the order of the day. On the other hand there are those who view the historic liturgy as almost inspired by God therefore unchangeable condemning those who violate its history. It would do well for both extremes to sit at Luther’s feet and learn from him:

For the orders must serve for the promotion of faith and love and not be to the detriment of faith. As soon as they fail to do this, they are invalid, dead and gone; just as a good coin, when counterfeited, is canceled and changed because of the abuse, or as new shoes when they become old and uncomfortable are no longer worn, but thrown away, and new ones bought. An order is an external thing. No matter how good it is, it can be abused. Then it is no longer an order, but a disorder. No order is, therefore, valid in itself—as the popish orders were held to be until now. But the validity, value, power, and virtue of any order is in its proper use. Otherwise it is utterly worthless and good for nothing. God’s Spirit and grace be with us all. Amen.

Martin Luther

AE 53:90

(Written at the conclusion of Luther’s explanation of THE GERMAN MASS AND ORDER OF SERVICE 1526)

Preview of Ash Wednesday Services at 4:30 and 7:00 p.m.

ASH WEDNESDAY February 22, 2012

Taking On Something for Lent:

Luther’s Catechisms

The Greatest of These Is Love:

The Ten Commandments

As We Gather

Our Lenten midweek services this year are focusing on the Catechisms of Luther. His Small and Large Catechisms were published in 1529. The material in the Large Catechism originated as sermons by Martin Luther on the basic texts of Christian teaching. In his Preface to the Large Catechism Luther writes, “But for myself I say this: I am also a doctor and preacher…Yet I act as a child who is being taught the catechism. Every morning—and whenever I have time—I read and say, word for word, the Ten Commandments, the Creed, the Lord’s Prayer, the Psalms, and such. I must still read and study them daily. Yet I cannot master the catechism as I wish.”

Catechism comes from the Greek word katecho, which literally means to “sound back and forth” or “from above”. It was used already by St. Paul in Galatians 6:6 to denote Christian instruction. (The word echo also comes from this Greek word.) By the second century, it had come to designate the pre-baptismal instruction of catechumens. St. Augustine first used this word to designate basic Christian instruction. Luther used the word in this way throughout his life.

(McCain, Concordia, 309; Kolb, Wengert, The Book of Concord, 345)

Prelude (4:30) “On My Heart Imprint Your Image” 5th – 8th grade

Hymn 422

Hymn ~ “From Depths of Woe I Cry to Thee” Page 607

Service of Corporate Confession and Absolution

Stand

The sign of the cross may be made by all in remembrance of their Baptism.

Invocation Page 290

Psalm 51:1-13 and The Ten Commandments

P Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love; according to your great compassion blot out my transgressions.

C Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin.

P For I know my transgressions, and my sin is always before me.

C Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight, so that you are proved right when you speak and justified when you judge.

P Surely I was sinful at birth, sinful from the time my mother conceived me.

C Surely you desire truth in the inner parts; you teach me wisdom in the inmost place.

P You shall have no other gods. What does this mean?

C We should fear, love, and trust in God above all things.

P You shall not misuse the name of the Lord your God. What does this mean?

C We should fear and love God so that we do not curse, swear, use satanic arts, lie, or deceive by His name, but call upon it in every trouble, pray, praise, and give thanks.

P Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. What does this mean?

C We should fear and love God so that we do not despise preaching and His Word, but hold it sacred and gladly hear and learn it.

P Honor your father and your mother. What does this mean?

C We should fear and love God so that we do not despise or anger our parents and other authorities, but honor them, serve and obey them, love and cherish them.

P You shall not murder. What does this mean?

C We should fear and love God so that we do not hurt or harm our neighbor in his body, but help and support him in every physical need.

P You shall not commit adultery. What does this mean?

C We should fear and love God so that we lead a sexually pure and decent life in what we say and do, and husband and wife love and honor each other.

P You shall not steal. What does this mean?

C We should fear and love God so that we do not take our neighbor’s money or possessions, or get them in any dishonest way, but help him to improve and protect his possessions and income.

P You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor. What does this mean?

C What does this mean? We should fear and love God so that we do not tell lies about our neighbor, betray him, slander him, or hurt his reputation, but defend him, speak well of him, and explain everything in the kindest way.

P You shall not covet your neighbor’s house. What does this mean?

C We should fear and love God so that we do not scheme to get our neighbor’s inheritance or house, or get it in a way which only appears right, but help and be of service to him in keeping it.

P You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, or his manservant or maidservant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor. What does this mean?

C We should fear and love God so that we do not entice or force away our neighbor’s wife, workers, or animals, or turn them against him, but urge them to stay and do their duty. (The text of the commandments is from Ex. 20:3, 7, 8, 12–17.)

P What does God say about all these commandments? He says: “I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation of those who hate Me, but showing love to a thousand generations of those who love Me and keep My commandments.” (Ex. 20:5-6) What does this mean?

C What does this mean? God threatens to punish all who break these commandments. Therefore, we should fear His wrath and not do anything against them. But He promises grace and every blessing to all who keep these commandments. Therefore, we should also love and trust in Him and gladly do what He commands.

P Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.

C Let me hear joy and gladness; let the bones you have crushed rejoice.

P Hide your face from my sins and blot out all my iniquity.

C Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.

P Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me.

C Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.

P Then I will teach transgressors your ways, and sinners will turn back to you.

C Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit; as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen.

P Have mercy on me, O God, according to your steadfast love;

according to your abundant mercy blot out my transgressions.

C Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity,

and cleanse me from my sin!

P For I know my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me.

C Against you, you only, have I sinned

and done what is evil in your sight,

so that you may be justified in your words

and blameless in your judgment.

P Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity,

and in sin did my mother conceive me.

C Behold, you delight in truth in the inward being,

and you teach me wisdom in the secret heart.

P Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean;

wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.

C Let me hear joy and gladness;

let the bones that you have broken rejoice.

P Hide your face from my sins,

and blot out all my iniquities.

C Create in me a clean heart, O God,

and renew a right spirit within me.

P Cast me not away from your presence,

and take not your Holy Spirit from me.

C Restore to me the joy of your salvation,

and uphold me with a willing spirit.

Sit

Confessional Address Page 290

Stand

Confession and Absolution Page 291

Litany Page 249

(Note: “Thanks be to God.” Replaces the “alleluia” on page 250. It is sung following the word “Lord” rather than at the same time)

Ash Wednesday Collect

P Almighty and everlasting God, You despise nothing You have made and forgive the sins of all who are penitent. Create in us new and contrite hearts that lamenting our sins and acknowledging our wretchedness we may receive from You full pardon and forgiveness; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.

C Amen

Sit

HYMN ~ “These Are the Holy Ten Commands” Page 581

Stanzas 1-6

Note adapted from comments in Luther’s Works:

Luther considered it very important for the church to have hymns on the Ten Commandments. This attitude requires a word of explanation, for to the modern mind the whole idea of writing a hymn on the Ten Commandments seems preposterous. We have become so accustomed to think of poetry as an expression of the personal feelings and emotions of the writer that we cannot conceive of a merely “practical” use of poetry. Hymnody in our own age has been defined as “lyrical religion.” We find it difficult to think of a merely educational hymn without sentimental overtones.

But Luther proceeded from different premises. Very soberly he thought of the hymn as a means of instilling the Word of God in the people. While some of his hymns were born out of his most personal experience and reflected the struggles and victories of his own faith, others were simple versifications of the Catechism. And it is hardly surprising that the demands of the law in the Ten Commandments did not inspire him to such lofty joy as the message of the gospel and justification by faith. Nevertheless, he wanted both law and gospel to be expressed in verse to instruct the people and firmly ground them in the whole plan of salvation. As early as 1525 these hymns were sung in the weekday services during Lent when the sermons were on the Catechism. According to the Wittenberg church order of 1533, the choir boys were supposed to sing this hymn before catechism sermons and the other hymn on the Ten Commandments afterward (AE 53:277).

Old Testament Lesson Joel 2:12–19

¹²“Yet even now,” declares the Lord,

“return to me with all your heart,

with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning;

¹³and rend your hearts and not your garments.”

Return to the Lord, your God,

for he is gracious and merciful,

slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love;

and he relents over disaster.

¹⁴Who knows whether he will not turn and relent,

and leave a blessing behind him,

a grain offering and a drink offering

for the Lord your God?

¹⁵Blow the trumpet in Zion;

consecrate a fast;

call a solemn assembly;

¹⁶gather the people.

Consecrate the congregation;

assemble the elders;

gather the children,

even nursing infants.

Let the bridegroom leave his room,

and the bride her chamber.

¹⁷Between the vestibule and the altar

let the priests, the ministers of the Lord, weep

and say, “Spare your people, O Lord,

and make not your heritage a reproach,

a byword among the nations.

Why should they say among the peoples,

‘Where is their God?’”

¹⁸Then the Lord became jealous for his land

and had pity on his people.

¹⁹The Lord answered and said to his people,

“Behold, I am sending to you

grain, wine, and oil,

and you will be satisfied;

and I will no more make you

a reproach among the nations.”

P This is the Word of the Lord

C Thanks be to God.

Gradual

(4:30) “Savior When in Dust to Thee” Hymn 419 5^th – 8^th Grade

(7:00) “Have Mercy in Your Goodness, Lord” – Psalm 51 Christus

Epistle Reading 2 Corinthians 5:20b—6:10

^20bWe implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. ²¹For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

^6:1Working together with him, then, we appeal to you not to receive the grace of God in vain. ²For he says,

“In a favorable time I listened to you,

and in a day of salvation I have helped you.”

Behold, now is the favorable time; behold, now is the day of salvation. ³We put no obstacle in anyone’s way, so that no fault may be found with our ministry, ⁴but as servants of God we commend ourselves in every way: by great endurance, in afflictions, hardships, calamities, ⁵beatings, imprisonments, riots, labors, sleepless nights, hunger; ⁶by purity, knowledge, patience, kindness, the Holy Spirit, genuine love; ⁷by truthful speech, and the power of God; with the weapons of righteousness for the right hand and for the left; ⁸through honor and dishonor, through slander and praise. We are treated as impostors, and yet are true; ⁹as unknown, and yet well known; as dying, and behold, we live; as punished, and yet not killed; ¹⁰as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, yet possessing everything.

P This is the Word of the Lord

C Thanks be to God.

Stand

Verse

(4:30) “Return to the Lord...” Page 157

(7:00) “Return to the Lord, Your God” Christus

Holy Gospel Matthew 6:1–6, 16–21

P The Holy Gospel according to St. Matthew, the 6^th chapter

C Glory to You, O Lord.

¹[Jesus said:] “Beware of practicing your righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them, for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven.

²“Thus, when you give to the needy, sound no trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may be praised by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. ³But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, ⁴so that your giving may be in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.

⁵“And when you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites. For they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, that they may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. ⁶But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you. . . .

¹⁶“And when you fast, do not look gloomy like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces that their fasting may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. ¹⁷But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, ¹⁸that your fasting may not be seen by others but by your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.

¹⁹“Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, ²⁰but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. ²¹For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”

P This is the Gospel of the Lord.

C Praise to You, O Christ.

Sit

HYMN ~ “These Are the Holy Ten Commands” Page 581

Stanzas 7-12

Note adapted from comments in Luther’s Works:

Luther assured the immediate reception of this hymn by assigning to it the melody of the pre-Reformation pilgrims’ hymn “In Gottes Namen fahren wir” (“We Journey in the Name of God”), sung since the thirteenth century.

(AE 53:277)

Sermon

The Greatest of These Is Love:

The Ten Commandments

Exodus 20:1–17

Stand

Nicene Creed Page 158

Sit

Gathering of Our Tithes and Sacrificial Offerings

(We request all who are present to legibly sign the attendance book that is at the end of your row. Please pass this on to the person next to you.)

Stand

Offertory (7:00) “Lord, You I Love with All my Heart” Christus

Celebration of Holy Communion

Preface Page 160

It is truly good, right, and salutary that we should at all times and in all places give thanks to You, holy Lord, almighty Father, everlasting God, through Jesus Christ, our Lord, who overcame the assaults of the devil and gave His life as a ransom for many that with cleansed hearts we might be prepared joyfully to celebrate the paschal feast in sincerity and truth. Therefore with angels and archangels and with all the company of heaven we laud and magnify Your glorious name, evermore praising You and saying:

Sanctus ~ Holy, Holy, Holy Page 161

Prayer of Thanksgiving Page 161

Lord’s Prayer Page 162

Words Of Institution Page 162

Pax Domini ~ The Peace Of The Lord Page 163

Agnus Dei ~ Lamb Of God Page 163

Sit

Distribution Hymn:

“Draw Near and Take the Body of the Lord” Page 637

Post-Communion Canticle - Nunc Dimittis:

“Lord, Now Lettest Thou Thy servant” Page 199

Post-Communion Collect Page 166

Benediction Page 166

Closing Hymn ~ “Abide With Me” Page 878

(Stanzas 1 & 6)

+ Silent Prayer +

Acknowledgments

all scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version, copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Printed liturgical portions from Lutheran Service Book © 2006 Concordia Publishing House. Reprinted with permission.

Using Luther’s Catechisms

for Lent

The concept for this midweek Lenten series was inspired by the Book of Concord:

Such matters also concern the laity and the salvation of their souls. Therefore we also confess Dr. Luther’s Small and Large Catechisms as they are included in Luther’s works. They are “the layman’s Bible” because everything necessary for a Christian to know for salvation is included in them, which is handled more extensively in the Holy Scriptures. (FC Ep I 5)

As part of your Lenten emphasis on Luther’s catechisms, you may wish to make the catechism a part of your daily Lenten routine. Each of the Six Chief Parts of Christian Doctrine could be read through each week in Lent, and the Large Catechism could be read once in its entirety during the Lenten season.

Spiritual Growth in Lent: Many people choose to give up something for Lent. Instead, you may want to take on something for your Lenten discipline. You may want to read the Six Chief Parts of Christian Doctrine from Luther’s Small Catechism each day according to the following schedule:

Monday—The Ten Commandments

Tuesday—The Apostles’ Creed

Wednesday—The Lord’s Prayer

Thursday—The Sacrament of Holy Baptism

Friday—Confession

Saturday—The Sacrament of the Altar

Sunday—Daily Prayers, Table of Duties, or

Christian Questions with Their Answers

The Small Catechism is found on page 321 in Lutheran Service Book. You may also choose to read Luther’s Large Catechism during Lent, focusing on one chief part each week. If you choose to read through the Large Catechism, there is an interesting note about the Exhortation to Confession. The Large Catechism, first published in 1529, did not originally contain this exhortation, but before 1529 ended, a revised edition came out that did include it. Nevertheless, the original 1580 German and 1584 Latin editions of the Book of Concord do not include the Exhortation to Confession. So if you have Concordia: Book of Concord, you will find the exhortation instead in Appendix B.