The Gottedienst Conference: Art, Beauty, and Confession

Redeemer Lutheran Church, Ft. Wayne, IN  May 6-8, 2024 A+D

Registration: $45 until April 15, after that $75. Register at the bottom of THIS PAGE by entering your email and paying via PayPal.

Gottesdienst will host a conference May 6-8, 2024 at Redeemer in Fort Wayne featuring keynote addresses by David Scaer, Ed Riojas, and John Hrehov on art and beauty as theological concepts and needs for the Church’s confession. David Scaer is well known among us. Register with the early bird discount by April 15 for only $45 and save $30. April 16-May 7 registrations are $75. The schedule is given below along with information regarding Riojas and Hrehov. The conference includes 2 dinners and Gemütlichkeits and one lunch.

The Gemütlchkeits are sponsored by LCEF. LCEF offers a number of financial products, but their current rates for rostered church worker mortgages are very competitive. They are also offering great rates on fixed rate investments and liquid accounts. If you’re in the market, look here https://lcef.org/get-started/start-investing/.

Redeemer Lutheran Church is located at 202 W Rudisill, Ft. Wayne, IN 46807.

Edward Riojas received a BFA degree from Aquinas College, Grand Rapids, Michigan, graduating summa cum laude with a major in drawing and a minor in printmaking. He spent nearly 31 years in the newspaper industry. Riojas has since returned to his fine art roots and works as a full-time artist, creating sacred art for commissions and collaborations with various Lutheran entities. His work can be found in sanctuaries, institutions, private collections, and markets throughout the U.S. and across the globe.

For more information: http://edriojasartist.com/ https://www.facebook.com/people/Edward-Riojas-Artist/100035400236545/ http://theartcurmudgeon.blogspot.com/

John Hrehov holds an MFA from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and a BFA from the Cleveland Institute of Art. He is a Professor in the Department of Art and Design, at Purdue University Fort Wayne (PFW). Hrehov has had numerous solo and group exhibitions throughout the country, including Gallery Victor Armendariz, Chicago, IL; Fort Wayne Museum of Art, Fort Wayne, IN; and Denise Bibro Fine Art, NYC.

Awards include the 2021 Recharge New Surrealist Prize, created for painters living in the U.S. and U.S. Territories who are working in the New Surrealist Style, Gladys Emerson Cook Prize in the Area of Prints, Drawings, and Pastel, the 167th Annual Exhibition National Academy of Design, NYC, and the Eastman- Bolton Memorial Award, Cleveland Institute of Art. His work has been featured and reviewed in various publications including Art in America, American Artist Magazine, Louisville Courier-Journal, and The Journal Gazette of Fort Wayne, IN. He is represented by Denise Bibro Fine Arts, Inc. in New York, NY, and Gallery Victor Armendariz, Chicago, IL. For more information: http://www.johnhrehov.com/

Monday, 6 May 2024
1:30 p.m. Divine Service
2:30 p.m. Conference welcome
2:45 p.m. Session 1 – David Scaer “Beauty as a Theological Category”
4:15 p.m. Break
4:30 p.m. Vespers
5:00-8:00 p.m. Gemütlichkeit and and supper provided

Tuesday, 7 May 2024
8:30 a.m. Matins
9:00 a.m. Coffee and Donuts (undercroft)
9:15 a.m. Session 2 – Edward Riojas “Art, Beauty, and Confession”
10:45 a.m. Session 3 – John Hrehov “Art, Beauty, and Confession – another perspective”
12:15 p.m. Lunch provided
1:00 p.m. Session 4  – Panel Discussion with Riojas and Hrehov
2:15 p.m. Session 5 – Singing Lesson with Jonathan Busarow
3:45 p.m. Vespers
4:30-8:00 p.m. Gemütlichkeit and Supper provided 

Wednesday, 8 May 2024
8:30 a.m. Divine Service
9:00 a.m. Coffee and Donuts
9:15 a.m. Session 6 -Nathaniel Pullmann “The Centrality of Art in Classical Education”
10:30 a.m. Panel Discussion

11:30 a.m. Lunch on your own

“Sacraments, Liturgy, and Mission”

The Saint Mark’s Conference concerns the confessional, sacramental, and liturgical life of the Church of the Augsburg Confession.

The Rev. Paul Gregory Alms will speak on Sacraments and Vocation in Luther’s Lectures on Genesis in two parts. Pastor Alms is the pastor of St. Paul Lutheran Church in Catonsville, Maryland. He is a graduate of Concordia Theological Seminary in Fort Wayne, Indiana, having earned Master of Divinity and Master of Sacred Theology degrees there. He has published articles in journals such as Touchstone, First Things Online, Concordia Theological Quarterly, Lutheran Witness, and others. He is married to Suzanne and they have four daughters and two grandchildren.

The Rev. Charles McClean will discuss A Chapter in LCMS History: The Liturgical Society of Saint James. Pastor McClean is a graduate of Concordia Seminary, Saint Louis and has been pastor of Our Saviour since 2013. Pr. McClean has served parishes in Virginia, Illinois, and Pennsylvania, among other places. His Master of Sacred Theology thesis, Theological Issues at the Colloquy of Montbeliard 1586, was prepared under the supervision of the Rev. Dr. Arthur Carl Piepkorn. Pastor McClean is editor of The Conduct of the Services.

The The Rev. Dr. Douglas Spittel and the Rev. Benjamin Janssen will talk about Service for All People: The Lutheran Liturgy in Mission, Outreach and Catechesis. Dr. Spittel is the senior pastor at First Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church, Pittsburgh, PA, having served there since 1998. He received the Master of Divinity degree from Concordia Theological Seminary, Ft. Wayne, in 1990 and a dual diploma Doctor of Ministry from the Pittsburgh Theological Seminary and the Antiochian House of Studies in 2007. He also serves as President of the Pittsburgh Area Lutheran Ministries, and as Suffragan (Auxiliary) Bishop and Vice-President for the Eastern Region of the English District. Pastor Janssen is called by First Trinity Evangelical-Lutheran Church of Pittsburgh, PA to serve Holy Cross Evangelical-Lutheran Chapel of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, a mission congregation of First Trinity Church and the Pittsburgh Area Lutheran Ministries. In 2023 he graduated with a Master of Divinity degree from Concordia Theological Seminary in Fort Wayne, Indianna. He and his wife Elizabeth are happily married and keeping busy as they raise their two sons in the Christian faith.

Additionally, we will have:

The Rev. Stephan Gramenz
Pastor of The Evangelical Lutheran Church of Christ the King
Pawling, New York
Preacher at Divine Service

Rev. Roy Axel Coats
Pastor of the Lutheran Church of the Redeemer
Baltimore, Maryland
Preacher at Divine Service

Rev. Benjamin Hertel
Pastor of Zion Lutheran Church and St. John’s Lutheran Church
Accident, Maryland
Preacher at Vespers

The Rev. Brian Westgate
Pastor of Saint Paul’s Church, Kouts, Indiana
Conference Organist

The Saint Mark’s Conference concerns the confessional, sacramental, and liturgical life of the Church of the Augsburg Confession. It is hosted by Our Saviour Lutheran Church, Baltimore, Maryland and is open to interested clergy and laity.

https://www.oursaviourbaltimore.org/conference/

The 68th Regular Convention of the Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod is to be held July 29th to August 3rd. Gottesdienst is ready to assist conventioneers prepare with commentary and Gottesdienst news as we are able. We’ll have an exhibit there, and even plan to host a gathering on Monday night of the Convention for the Gottesdienst Crowd (that’s you, dear friends of the Lutheran liturgy).

Be sure to stop by our booth if you’re at the Convention. We’ll have books for sale, as well as free copies and some other free stuff while it lasts.

BLOG POSTS
Convention Concerns, Part 1: On Luther’s Large Catechism with Annotations and Contemporary Applications

Convention Concerns, Part 2: On the Use of Online Media

Convention Concerns, Part 3: On the Abuse of the Sacrament During COVID

Convention Concerns, Part 4: On Concordia Texas

A Modern-Day Naboth’s Vineyard (aka The Struggle over CTX)

Congratulations to Fr. Ben Ball

The Good, the Bad, and the Ironic…

Going to the convention in Milwaukee? Then by all means put this on your calendar: on Monday the 31st of July, Gottesdienst will be hosting a gathering for all our friends of the Lutheran Liturgy (aka the Gottesdienst Crowd) from 6-10 pm at Mo's Irish Pub, just a few blocks’ walk from the Baird Center (where the convention is). (Normally they’re not open on Mondays, but they’re making an exception just for us.) Be there or be square! We look forward to seeing you!

142 W. Wisconsin Ave, about a 6 minute walk east, right down Wisconsin Avenue. https://mosirishpub.com/milwaukee/happenings/

We’ll be updating this page with more details about convention events and issues, so check back for more information.

 The Bright Future of the Lutheran Church in America

Luther Classical College’s First Annual Christian Culture Conference (CCC) will feature six beloved confessional Lutheran speakers offering their insight on topics surrounding our Lutheran culture. There will be limited capacity for this event, but they hope to sign up as many as possible who would like to attend.  This conference will feature six beloved confessional Lutheran speakers offering insight on topics surrounding our Lutheran culture:

Rev. Dr. John Bombaro, Christian Culture and the Home;

               Rev. Hans Fiene, Can Lutherans Get Along and Still Be Orthodox?

               Rev. Dr. Gregory Schulz, Wokism in the University System

               Mr. Timothy Goeglein, Lutherans in the Public Sphere

               Rev. Dr. Adam Koontz, Past and Future of The Lutheran Church in the U.S.

Rev. David Petersen, The Bright Future of Lutheran Congregations in America

Details and registration information are at the college website:

https://www.lutherclassical.org/conference/

Liturgical Authority: A Gottesdienst Conference

Redeemer Lutheran Church, Ft. Wayne, IN  May 1-3, 2023 A+D

Registration: $50. Register by the following link. below, entering your name and e-mail address, and then clicking on “Pay now.” Registration

Father Mark Braden of Zion Evangelical Lutheran Church in Detroit will give the main presentations arguing that the Common Service is the Missouri Synod’s liturgical authority. His presentations will present evidence from Luther, Chemnitz, and Walther that Lutherans have historically bound themselves to a single rite in order to avoid sectarianism and safeguard the treasures of the Church for themselves and future generations. He will also address concerns about who and what, after Scripture, should have the greatest weight in informing our rubrics, rites, and ceremonies.

Monday, 1 May 2023
1:30 p.m. Divine Service
3:00 p.m. Conference welcome
3:15 p.m. Session 1 – Braden on Liturgical Authority
4:15 p.m. Break
4:30 p.m. Vespers
5:00-8:00 p.m. Gemütlichkeit and Taco Bar provided by Mrs. Brenda Frese

Tuesday, 2 May 2023
8:30 a.m. Matins
9:15 a.m. Coffee and Donuts (undercroft)
9:45 a.m. Session 2 – Braden on Liturgical Authority
10:45 a.m. Questions for Braden
11:00 a.m. Session 3 – Jonathan Busarow on singing well
12:00 p.m. Lunch provided by Mrs. Brenda Frese
1:00 p.m. Session 3  – Special Presentation- to be announced
1:45 p.m. Break
2:00 p.m. Session 4 – More singing with Jonathan Busarow
3:15 p.m. Break
3:30 p.m. Vespers
4:30-8:00 p.m. Gemütlichkeit and Supper provided by Mrs. Brenda Frese

Wednesday, 3 May 2023
8:30 a.m. Divine Service
9:15 a.m. Coffee and Donuts
9:45 a.m. Session 5 – Braden on Liturgical Authority
10:45 a.m. Panel Discussion

The Praying Church

"What could the church do? What could it do in those last years of Jerusalem to solve the problem of Palestine, which the world's political leaders have been trying in vain for centuries to do? What could the church do to stop the ruin of the Roman Empire and of the inestimable treasures of ancient culture? Instead of holding world conferences and having endless debates about the boundaries between church and culture, it went on praying without ceasing and sang the Te Deum on the debris of a world that was coming to an end. None of its prayers were in vain."

                                                          - Hermann Sasse, Sanctorum Communio (1974)

The Rev. Kurt Reinhardt will address the topic: Is Christian prayer ever private? It's always personal but we never pray alone. A native of Ottawa and a graduate of Queen's University in Kingston and Concordia Lutheran Theological Seminary in St. Catherines, Pastor Reinhardt has served since 1999 as Pastor of Trinity Evangelical Church in Kurtzville, near Listowel, Ontario. He is the author of My Light and My Salvation, a collection of poetry that aims to be both ecumenical and evangelistic in its scope.

The Rev. Stefan Gramenz and the Rev. Evan Scamman will report on The Lutheran Missal Project. This project has involved extensive research of both Latin missals and 16th Lutheran Church Orders. Pastor Gramenz graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in English literature from Concordia University, Mequon, and from Concordia Theological Seminary in Fort Wayne. Since 2018 he has been Pastor of the Lutheran Church of Christ the King in Pawling, New York. Pastor Scamman  Pastor Scamman graduated with an Associate in Arts degree from Grays Harbor College in Aberdeen, Washington, and from Concordia Theological Seminary in Fort Wayne. Since 2018 he has been Pastor of First Lutheran Church in Greenwich, Connecticut.

The Rev. Roy Axel Coats will speak on Providence and Prayer in Martin Chemnitz.

Pastor Coats has served at the Lutheran Church of the Redeemer in Baltimore since 2010. He graduated with a Bachelor's in Liberal Arts from Thomas Aquinas College in Santa Paula, California. He then attended Concordia Theological Seminary in Fort Wayne, Indiana, completing his studies before being called to serve Redeemer Church. Pastor Coats is on the board of the Wyneken Project and is active in the Maryland Chapter of Lutherans for Life.

Conference Schedule:
Monday, April 24 – Monday after the Misericordias Domini/ Saint Mark's Eve
11:00 AM – Divine Service

12:30 PM – Lunch

1:00 PM – “Is Christian Prayer Ever Private?” Part I – (The Rev. Kurt Reinhardt, Pastor, Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church, Kurtsville, Ontario)

2:30 PM – “Providence and Prayer in Martin Chemnitz” (The Rev. Roy Axel Coats, Pastor, Lutheran Church of the Redeemer, Baltimore, MD)

4:00 PM – First Vespers of Saint Mark's Day

5:00 PM – Gemütlichkeit

Tuesday, April 26 – Saint Mark's Day
9:00 AM – Matins

9:30 AM – “Is Christian Prayer Ever Private?” Part II (The Rev. Kurt Reinhardt)

11:00 AM – Litany in Procession and Divine Service

12:30 PM – Lunch

1:00 PM – “The Lutheran Missal Project” (The Rev. Stefan Gramenz, Pastor, Lutheran Church of Christ the King, Pawling, New York and The Rev. Evan Scamman, Pastor, First Lutheran Church, Greenwich, Connecticut)

2:00 PM – Panel Discussion

2:45 PM – Itinerarium: Prayer for Travelers

Additionally, we will have:

The Rev. Eric Bednash
Pastor of Saint James Lutheran Church
Baltimore, Maryland
Preacher at Divine Service

Rev. Kevin Barron
Pastor of Calvary Lutheran Church
Baltimore, Maryland
Preacher at Divine Service

Rev. J. Thomas Foelber
Visitor of Circuit 3
Baltimore, Maryland
Preacher at Vespers

The Rev. Brian Westgate
Pastor of Saint Paul's Church, Kouts, Indiana
Conference Organist

The Saint Mark’s Conference concerns the confessional, sacramental, and liturgical life of the Church of the Augsburg Confession. It is hosted by Our Saviour Lutheran Church, Baltimore, Maryland and is open to interested clergy and lay persons.

Details and registration information are at the conference website: http://www.oursaviourbaltimore.org/conference

2022 Novemberfest at St. John’s in Mattoon, Illinois

On Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday, November 13th – 15th, St. John’s in Mattoon will again host this conference; last year was a great success, judging by the participation and responses we got.

We open Sunday night with a brat fry at the church. The conference runs all day Monday and ends Tuesday late afternoon. This year’s featured speaker will be the Rev. David Ramirez, pastor of St. Paul Lutheran Church in Union Grove, Wisconsin. His topic will be “The Three Estates and Resistance to Tyranny.” As the modern totalitarian state is ever grasping for more power, he will address how we as the Church can learn from our failures and by going back to God’s Word and seeking to gain a proper understanding of the three estates.

We’ll also hear from Rev. Dr. Burnell Eckardt, our editor-in-chief, on his “Liturgical Observer,” and from departmental editor Rev. Dr. Karl Fabrizius on “Musing on the Mysteries.” We’ll have plenty of discussion and Gemütlichkeit, as usual.

$40 per person until Nov. 1st. After that, $60; seminary & pre-Seminary students – Free. Please fill out the registration form below and submit the appropriate donation to register.

Schedule of Events

Sunday, 13 November 2022

Bratwurst fry at St. John, from 6 pm

Monday, 14 November

8:30 a.m. Divine Service

9:45 a.m. Conference welcome

10:00 a.m. Session 1 - Ramirez

11:00 a.m. Break

11:15 a.m. Session 2 - Ramirez

12:15 a.m. lunch

1:15 p.m. Session 3 - Eckardt

2:15 p. m. Break

2:30 p.m. Session 4 – Ramirez

3:30 p.m. Vespers

4:30-8:00 p.m. Gemütlichkeit

Tuesday, 15 November 2022

8:30 a.m. Matins

9:30 a.m. Coffee and Donuts

10:00 a.m. Session 5 - Fabrizius

11:00 a.m. Break

11:15 a.m. Session 6 – Ramirez

12:15 p.m. Lunch

1:15 p.m. Panel Discussion

2:30 p.m. Vespers

Featured Speakers: Our keynote speaker is Rev. Fr. John Bussman, Pastor at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in Cullman, Alabama. He is a 2012 graduate of Concordia Seminary in St. Louis, and, with a B.A. from Concordia University in Seward, Nebraska. He has been a Gottesdienst blogger since 2018. Fr. Bussman will be speaking on Worship as a Setting Apart. You can register for only $40 if you do it by April 24. After that registration increases to $60. Register Now!

Rev. Fr. David Peterson is Pastor at Redeemer in Fort Wayne, which is hosting this conference. He has been the pastor there since 2000 and has been a departmental editor since 2006. He holds an S.T.M. (2012) and an M.Div. (1996) from Concordia Theological Seminary in Fort Wayne, Indiana. He will be following up on Fr. Bussman’s keynote by speaking on Not being Mainstream but Set Apart by Digital Minimalism.

As a bonus, we have Mr. Jonathan Busarow, the Executive Artistic Director of the Fort Wayne Children’s Choir. Mr. Busarow also serves on the voice faculty at Indiana University - Purdue. He will be providing a lesson on how to sing in church, a presentation beneficial for pastors, choir members, and any layman who attends a Divine Service.

Conference Hotel

Conference participants can get a special rate of $80/night at the Best Western Luxbury. 5501 Coventry Ln Fort Wayne, Indiana 46804. Click the following link for details and to reserve a room:

https://www.bestwestern.com/en_US/book/hotel-rooms.15061.html?groupId=4J9UH2E4

Schedule

Monday, 2 May 2022

1:30 p.m. Divine Service - preacher Petersen

3:00 p.m. Conference welcome

3:15 p.m. Session 1 - Bussman - Biblical Background: Worship as a Setting Apart 

4:15 p.m. Break

4:30 p.m. Vespers - preacher Fr. Burnell Eckardt

5:00-8:00 p.m. Gemütlichkeit and Taco Bar in Undercroft

Tuesday, 3 May 2022

8:30 a.m. Matins - no preacher

9:15 a.m. Coffee and Donuts (undercroft)

9:45 a.m. Session 2 - Bussman - A Theology of Being Set Apart and of Worship

10:45 a.m. Q & A ./ Casuistry

11:00 a.m. Session 3 - Busarow - Singing Lesson

12:00 p.m. Lunch

1:00 p.m. Session 3  -  Petersen. Not being Mainstream but Set Apart by Digital Minimalism

1:45 p.m. Break

2:00 p.m. Session 4 - Busarow - Singing Lesson

3:15 p.m. Break

3:30 p.m. Vespers - preacher Fr. Karl Fabrizius

4:30-8:00 p.m. Gemütlichkeit and Supper in Undercroft

Wednesday, 4 May 2022

8:30 a.m. Divine Service - preacher Fr. Michael Frese

9:15 a.m. Coffee and Donuts

9:45 a.m. Session 5 - Bussman - Lutheran Worship: Distinctly Setting Apart

10:45 a.m. Panel Discussion

11:30 a.m. Lunch

We’re asking for a donation of $40 per person until April 24. After that, registration goes up to $60.

“The Life and Work of Hermann Sasse”

Student, pastor, scholar, teacher, and confessor, Hermann Sasse (1895-1976) is recognized as one of the leading voices of confessional Lutheranism in the 20th century…For him, to be a loyal Lutheran was to be a catholic Christian, heir to all the treasures of the church. His historical perspective blended with his confessional integrity won him the respect of Lutheran, Catholic, and Reformed alike. Hermann Sasse wrote in times of theological turmoil and political upheaval. In the midst of great adversity he brought a message that would strengthen and hold. Many and varied were the situations he addressed, and yet through them all it is the same message, the only message which finally holds, the message about Jesus Christ, our crucified and risen Lord. – Norman E. Nagel (1925-2019) 

Speakers for the conference: The Rev. Dr. Matthew C. Harrison, President of The Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod; The Rev. Dr. John T. Pless, Assistant Professor of Pastoral Ministry and Missions Concordia Theological Seminary, Fort Wayne, Indiana.

The Twenty-third Annual Oktoberfest! and Gottesdienst Central

was held in 2018 at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in Kewanee, Ill. hosted the Rev. Dr. Thomas M. Winger, president of Concordia Lutheran Theological Seminary (CLTS), St. Catharines, Ontario. His topic was “Hints of the Liturgy in the Epistle to the Ephesians and Other New Testament Texts”

Follow the links below:

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4

The Twenty-second Annual Oktoberfest! and Gottesdienst Central

was held Sunday – Tuesday, October 8-10, 2017 at St. Paul’s Evangelical-Lutheran Church in Kewanee, Illinois, and observed the 500th anniversary of the Reformation. The conference hosted Rev. William Weedon, LCMS Director of Worship, and Chaplain at the International Center in St. Louis. His topic was “Reformation and Liturgy: The Eruption of Evangelical Joy in the Heart of the Divine Service.”

Here are links to videos of this presentation.

Reformation and Liturgy: The Eruption of Evangelical Joy, opening remarks

Reformation and Liturgy: The Eruption of Evangelical Joy, part 1

Reformation and Liturgy: The Eruption of Evangelical Joy, part 2