A blog of the Evangelical Lutheran Liturgy
For Lutherans to search out worship forms and hymnody out of a desire to be entertained or "get something out of it" is a very sad confession for Lutherans. Because if we actually believe our Confessions, we get everything out of our traditional worship life together: "forgiveness, life, and salvation" in Christ.
Read MorePerhaps because of this “lowest common denominator” dilemma, in the practical sense, there is the undeniable reality that pop “worship music” gravitates to effeminacy, to a soft and airy sound, with no rough edges. The singers are often young, emotive women, which adds to the genre’s “Boyfriend Jesus” vibe.
Read MoreBy Asher McCall
Read MoreOne of the things that I like about the Gottesdienst Crowd is that we are not advocates for the liturgy because of personal taste or effete sensibilities, or an intellectual devotion to historical marginalia. Pastors and laypeople involved in the life of the church understand that as the blood of Christ is the lifeblood of the Church, Sunday morning Divine Services are the vessels that carry the blood of the Lamb to us.
Hence our name Gottesdienst.
Last week, word broke that Schlitz, “The Beer That Made Milwaukee Famous,” has been discontinued after more than 175 years. Many of you may never even have heard of Schlitz, which is exactly why you should know their story.
Schlitz is iconic. Or, rather, was iconic. It was a beloved beer that, at its height, passed Budweiser in popularity. But the brand collapsed in the span of a couple of decades because of short-sighted management decisions, many of which are not so different from the questions that bedevil the LCMS pastoral formation conversation.
Read MoreAs a postscript to my earlier piece about liturgical deracination, I have some reflections on the Te Deum Laudamus.
Read MoreLest anyone think preachers have no authority, Jesus says that he is with them when they exercise their office of baptizing and teaching, meaning this: not only authority, but all authority in heaven and on earth is attached to the preaching of the Gospel.
Read MoreSomeone recently observed that I am significantly interested in adiaphora. It's true. Thinking about adiaphora has occupied much of my time and attention for the past decade or more, and that continues to be so; not only from a theoretical perspective, but with very practical consideration.
Read MoreLast Sunday, we stopped at Holy Trinity Lutheran Church in Columbia. It is a small congregation, but it is not a dying congregation. The amount of young families is what caught my eye right away. We were greeted right away by a young father of four. When we made our way into the nave, there before our eyes was an amazing stone crucifix that hangs to the right side of the altar. What a sight to see!
Read MoreThe Rev. Dr. William Weinrich speaking at the Fort Wayne Gottesdienst Conference, May 4-5, 2026.
Read MoreA writer on Substack, whom I believe to be a Reformed Christian, expressed amazement that “ancient baptismal liturgies” included a renunciation of Satan and the recitation of the Apostles’ Creed.
Read MoreThe 1999 Kevin Smith film Dogma introduced the world to the “Buddy Christ.” In the film, late comedian George Carlin portrayed Roman Catholic Cardinal Ignatius Glick. In a spoof of modern evangelism efforts, Glick introduced “Catholicism WOW!”, a campaign designed to modernize the “passé, archaic institution of the Church.” His character stating in modern times, people found the Bible to be “obtuse and even hokey.”
Read MoreIn the early Lutheran Church, faith was not reduced to an inward conviction or to mere intellectual, theological assent. For the Lutherans of the Sixteenth Century, faith was a lived and incarnate reality, expressed through the entire liturgical life of the Church. The Altar held a central place in the Church, not as a mere decorative object, but as the place of the real and saving encounter of the sinner with Christ
Read MoreDcn. Muehlenbruch left a comment on the post "Ceremonies Revisited" that is so astute, that I think it bears a closer look and perhaps further discussion.
Read MoreThe recipe came from her mother and her grandmother in Italy. For that is how family recipes used to continue their existence: one link in the chain at a time, from mother to daughter.
Read MoreDr. Scaer will be here!
Read MoreWe need to be as bold about our confession as these people are about their subjugation of it, to the point of initiating effective means of cleansing our Synod from their menace.
Read MoreDriving through Indiana yesterday we saw this sign, a cheery invitation for visitors to Cornerstone Church: New Pastor! Fresh Approach!
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