A blog of the Evangelical Lutheran Liturgy
With his confession of Christ Jesus, St. Polycarp blesses and glorifies the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, and he gives thanks that he is considered worthy “to receive a portion in the number of the martyrs.” By way of his martyrdom, he enters into the Holy Communion of Christ the Crucified, into a participation in the Cross and Passion of Christ Jesus, unto the resurrection of eternal life in both body and soul.
Read MoreDogma is an expression of the faith, a confession of what is believed. It is not the personal act of believing that forms the unity [of the Church] but what is believed. This is true for all Christians. It is true in a special way for bishops. Unless he is contradicted, a bishop may regard himself as united in the faith with his own congregation. Since he has the office of teacher, he represents what is taught both within and without. For this he does not need to be professor. Dogma is the basic stuff of the whole Divine Service.
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