Annual Lay-Led Eucharist?

In a comment to an earlier post, a Gottesblog reader asks:

The Eucharist was established as part of an annual observance over which the head of the household presided, and in which children took part. About 130 years later it had become a observance over which only an ordained minister was allowed to preside, one which was observed weekly and even more frequently, and from which children, at least in the West, were banned. Could anyone point me to a book which documents how these changes came about?

Larry BeaneDecember 16, 2020 Comments

Lectionary Preaching defended

David PetersenDecember 15, 2020Lectionary, Hughes Oliphant Old, Preaching, Confessional Lutheran Preaching, History of Preaching, Sermon, Sermon writing, Scripture, hermeneuticsComment

Luther on the Sacrament of the Altar

John BussmanDecember 14, 2020 Comments

An Advent Wreath Lighting Tip

Ben BallDecember 13, 2020Comment

Living with Santa Lucia in the Light of Christ Jesus

Whether or not you are joined to a husband or wife here on earth, you have been joined to Christ in the waters of your Holy Baptism, and you are knit together with Him as one flesh in the Holy Communion of His Body and His Blood. Thus are your body and life redeemed and sanctified in His Body. You live and die with Him who is your Savior and your Head. And you confess Him with all of your words and actions as you go about your days and fulfill your duties here on earth.

Celibacy, Saints, SermonRick StuckwischDecember 13, 2020Sermon, saints, LuciaComment

Audio of Blog Posts

We’re trying something new to see how it goes. You’ve all seen those posts where the scroll bar is so short you know you need some time to sit down and focus on it. Often our immediate reaction is TLDR.

AnnouncementsJason BraatenDecember 13, 2020Audio Blog Comments

Trent vs. Augustine

In his Examination of the Council of Trent, Martin Chemnitz carefully goes through the writings of the Council and exposes the voluminous errors contained therein.

Larry BeaneDecember 13, 2020Comment

A Time for Misbehaving

Christians and those of Judeo-Christian principle have been far too well behaved in the recent past.

Larry BeaneDecember 9, 2020 Comments

Year End Predictions

One of our anti-traditional baby-boomer LCMS pastors posted one of those "Ten Ways Church Services Will Soon Change" (yawn) blogs from a fellow-traveler.

Larry BeaneDecember 8, 2020 Comments

Singing the Priestly Song of Christ with St. Ambrose

Whether you are a pastor or a parishioner, a priest or a bishop, a deacon or an acolyte, or a member of the choir; whether you are male or female, young or old, rich or poor, married or unmarried, you also sing the Church’s song. With King David and the Levites, with St. Mary and St. Elizabeth, with St. Ambrose, St. Augustine, Dr. Luther, and all the faithful who have gone before us in the Word and faith of the Holy Trinity, you also sing and confess the Lord Jesus in His Holy Church.

Advent, Music, SaintsRick StuckwischDecember 7, 2020Sermon, Advent, Ambrose, Visitation, SingingComment

On Charity that Increases and Overcomes the Unreal

December 6 is the day of St. Nicholas of Myra, that saint of great charity who, at the 325 A.D. Council of Nicaea, slapped the heretic Arius for preaching the unreal to steal from the children right faith, hope, and love in Christ.

Jonathan ShawDecember 6, 2020Comment

Thy truth repeated o’er and o’er

I just discovered this wonderful little hymn for the beginning of a new church year. And it’s a defense for the Historic Lectionary!

Anthony DodgersDecember 5, 2020 Comments

Restoration of the Latin Mass!

Latin Masses have become exceedingly popular among younger Roman Catholics, and the Extraordinary Form is popping up in RC dioceses everywhere, even as gray-haired boomer pastors and lay people continue trying to reach “the youth” with acoustic guitars and St. Louis Jesuits songs from the Woodstock era.

Larry BeaneDecember 4, 2020 Comments

The Damascene

On Dec. 4th, the holy Church rejoices to commemorate St. John of Damascus. There is no question that Martin Chemnitz relied heavily on this last of the great eastern dogmaticians in his Two Natures in Christ.

Guest AuthorDecember 3, 2020Comment

Advent and the Christmas Surprise

The four Sundays of Advent feature readings that exhort us to a spirit of repentance in awareness of the imminence of Christ’s return.

Burnell EckardtDecember 3, 2020Comment

Here It Comes!

For our PDF subscribers, the Christmas issue of Gottesdienst is already out of the barn, and the hard copy is soon to follow, within a couple of weeks, for the rest of our subscribers. It’s coming, if you are a subscriber, to an email box or a mailbox near you. If you are not one, now would be a good time to rectify that. And here, to pique your interest, is a peek at the Table of Contents:

Burnell EckardtDecember 1, 2020Comment

Advent Fasting

Advent, like Lent, is traditionally a time of increased prayer, fasting, almsgiving, and Bible reading. The Church doesn’t do these things because we need to prove anything to God or get His attention. We do these things because we need to train both our minds and our flesh.

David PetersenNovember 30, 2020Fasting, Advent, Apology to the Augsburg Confession, Advent 2, Populus Zion Comment

The Feast of St. Andrew, Apostle & Martyr

The Feast of St. Andrew, Apostle & Martyr – is celebrated each year on this day, the 30th of November. It is the Feast of St. Andrew that determines the first day of the liturgical year, God’s year of grace, as the Sunday closest to St. Andrew is the First Sunday of Advent.

Fr. Mark BradenNovember 29, 2020Comment