The Lutheran Way - It Makes A Difference? (Series 5 of 9)

(Building and Liturgy, part 1)
 

What do we mean when we say our doctrine should determine our practice and our practice should flow out of our doctrine? What does that look like, shall we say?
 

As Lutherans we believe, teach and confess that God comes to us to give us the good gifts and blessings He has to give through Word and Sacrament. In particular we confess that the Word of God is the foundation of the Means of Grace. Indeed, in the beginning was the Word, the creative Word of God (Father, Son and Holy Spirit) as John so well reminds us. This Word of God was handed down for many centuries through oral communication. Later God gave His Word to Moses to write down in the first five books of the Bible. In the New Testament, in the Gospels we are told how that Word (oral and written promises) became flesh in Jesus. And now through the Means of Grace that Word comes to us with the authority and power to give the gifts of which it speaks.
 

The Word speaks through and gives power to the water in Holy Baptism to give us faith. That same Word is spoken by our pastor to forgive our sins through Holy Absolution. And that same Word gives power through bread and wine giving us Jesus’ body and blood in His Holy Supper for the forgiveness of sins.
 

When we walk into our church, our Lutheran church building, our focus is drawn to the cross. The cross is the focal point as all history and all Scripture focus on the cross of Christ for our forgiveness. Thus, the building focuses our attention on our faith in Jesus. And here we might make note that nothing gets in the way of our focus of the cross.
 

When we look down from the cross to the right of the chancel we see the Baptismal font reminding us that Jesus comes to us through Holy Baptism. At the same time in our Divine Service we begin with the Invocation, “In the name of the Father and of the Son ✠ and of the Holy Spirit,” reminding us of our own entrance into God’s Kingdom through the waters of Holy Baptism. Thus, our building and our Divine Service teach us that the Means of Holy Baptism is important because it is through this very means that God gives us faith, forgiveness and life.
 

Looking further down one sees the communion rail. This rail separates the chancel are from the nave. We might imagine that the nave, the main area of the church is the holy place and the chancel is the Holy of Holies as described of the temple in Jerusalem (of course there are no restrictions now in the New Testament). Our pastor kneels at this rail during Confession, as kneeling for the congregation in repentance before our forgiving God. He then rises and speaks God’s Word of Absolution and his Word is God’s Word which effects what it says, that is our sins are forgiven. Thus, we are taught that Holy Absolution is important and is the means through which God forgives our sins. And with forgiveness is life and salvation. This forgiveness is immediately following the invocation, inviting our Lord to come to us to give us the good gifts and blessings He has to give so that once we are forgiven we might move into His presence, much like the sacrifices in the Ceremonial Law (now fulfilled in Christ). Thus again, we see we are practicing what we believe, and what we believe is being taught in what we are doing.
 

After we have been forgiven we chant the Introit or entrance hymn, and our pastor moves to the altar. This Introit is usually a Psalm or part of a Psalm and includes a verse as an antiphon or introduction. Notice that this is a verse from Holy Scripture, not something made up by our pastor. We are simply speaking back to God the very words He has given us to say. Yet, not only is the Introit the very Word of God, but as we look at the entire Liturgy, we see it is permeated with the Word of God. Indeed, we worship best when we say back to God the very Words He has given us to speak. Thus, we see that we practice what we believe, that the Word of God is what effects and gives the gifts we are given, and we are taught that same truth through our practice in the Divine Service and in the layout of the Church building itself.
 

Next time we will continue to rejoice in how our building and Divine Service reflect what we believe and how we are taught what we believe through our Divine Service and the layout of our building.