Gottesdienst Spies Are Everywhere
Well, it doesn't really rise to that level of intrigue. A student anonymously sent me the outline used at CSL's new monthly (or maybe it's biquarterly) small group meetings which occur in lieu of chapel on a given Tuesday. Since it came to me anonymously, I'd appreciate it if any of our CSL readers could chime in below in the comments to verify that this is in fact what is being used. At any rate, it's not a "secret" document, or at least it shouldn't be: the LCMS at large is paying for this and has oversight of the seminaries, so folks have a right to know what's going on.
I had a chance to ask Prof. Gibbs about this doing away of chapel every once in a while when he was down at our SID pastors' conference. He said it arose from a campus-wide study of Life Together a couple of years ago. Thus I quipped that it was quasi quasi-monastic: an imitation of Bonhoeffer's imitation of the lighter side of monastic life.
Sigh. Wouldn't our future pastors be better served by learning the church's worship from Lutheran Service Book? Isn't this teaching them that corporate worship can just be replaced by small group study? Or perhaps that small group study really is the same thing as gathering corporately to hear Christ's called and sent minister preach the Word?
And those are just some of the problems you think of before you even read this. . .
S for Scripture
Read the Lesson. Note, highlight, or underline words or phrases from the text that catch your attention. When you are done, look for a verse or phrase that particularly caught your attention, and write it below:
O for Observation
What do you think God is saying in this verse? Paraphrase and write this scripture down in your own words below:
A for Application
Personalize what you have read, by asking yourself how it applies to your life right now. Perhaps it is admonition, forgiveness, deliverance, instruction, encouragement, revelation of a new promise, or corrections for a particular area of your life. Write how this scripture can apply to you below:
P for Prayer
This can be as simple as asking God to speak this Word to you, interceding for others
in the basis of this Word, or seeking the Holy Spirit’s guidance to live out this Word in
faith. Prayer is a two way conversation, so both speak to God and listen to God’s voice through His Word! You may write the prayer(s) out here: