Liturgy of Holy Communion (Part 1) - The Preface

Introduction

The Eucharistic prayer opens with a three-part dialogue that has been recited in the Church since at least the third century. This dialogue is first reported in the Eucharistic prayer of St. Hippolytus (c. A.D. 215). Now, eighteen centuries later, we continue to say the same words, uniting us with the Christians of the early Church.

The Lord’s Presence 

The opening exchange (“The Lord be with you… and also with you/spirit.”) we have heard before. It is used in the introductory rite of the start of the Divine Service just before the reading of the Scriptures. Greetings like this were used through Scripture to address those whom God called to an important but daunting missions. Isaac (Gn 26:3, 24) and Jacob (Gn 28:13-15); Moses (Ex 3:12) and Joshua (Josh 1:5, 9); Gideon (Jgs 6:12), King David (2 Sam 7:3), and the prophet Jeremiah (Her 1:6-8), and the Blessed Virgin Mary (Lk 1:28). All of theme heard this message at pivotal moments in their lives. They needed the Lord to be with them as they set out on their charge. 

Here, the greeting is fittingly repeated as we embark upon the most sacred part of the service: the eucharistic prayer. Both the pastor and the people need the Lord to be with them as they prepare to enter the mystery of Holy Communion. 

Question: Why is it important that we are reminded of God’s presence with us?  

Lifting Our Hearts

Next, the pastor says, “lift up your hearts” (Latin: literally, "Upwards hearts"). This prayer brings to mind the exhortation in Lamentations 3:41, “Let us lift up our hearts and hands to God in heaven.” What does it mean to “lift up” our hearts? 

In the Bible, the heart is the hidden center of the person from which one’s thoughts, emotions and actions originate. All intentions and commitments flow from the human heart. Therefore when you are invited each week to “lift up your hearts,” we are being summoned to give our fullest attention to what is about to unfold. This is a wake up call to set aside all other concerns and focus our minds, wills, and emotions - our hearts - on the sublimity (grandeur, beauty, excellence) of what is happening in the Eucharistic prayer.  

This summons is reminiscent of St. Paul’s words to the Colossians 3:1-2, “If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth.” Just as Paul called the Colossians to seek the “things above, where Christ is,” so are we bidden to direct our entire being towards the things of heaven, for that is where Christ is. And that is where we are going in the Eucharistic prayer. 

Our Fullest Attention

St. Cyprian (d. A.D. 258), a North African Church Father, explained how this prayer draws our attention away from worldly distractions and is meant to lead us to ponder the awe-inspiring action taking place in the Eucharist prayer: 

“Moreover, when we stand praying, beloved brethren, we ought to be watchful and earnest with our whole heart, intent on our prayers. Let all carnal and worldly thoughts pass away, nor let the soul at that time think on anything but the object only of its prayer. For this reason also the priest, by way of preface before his prayer, prepares the minds of the brethren by saying, Lift up your hearts, that so upon the people's response, We lift them up unto the Lord, he may be reminded that he himself ought to think of nothing but the Lord.” 

Another Church Father, St. Cyril of Jerusalem, made a similar point and warned believers of the seriousness of this moment:

“Lift up your hearts: for in this sublime moment the heart should be lifted up to God, and not be allowed to descend to the earth and to earthly concerns. With all possible emphasis the priest exhorts all in that hour to dismiss all cares of this life, or household anxieties, and to have their heart in heaven with the merciful God. Then you answer, We lift them up unto the Lord: assenting to it, by your avowal. But let no one come here, who could say with his mouth, We lift up our hearts unto the Lord, but in his thoughts have his mind concerned with the cares of this life.”  

Cyril goes on to acknowledge that being attentive to the Lord is something we should do always, but is difficult because we are fallen and weak. Yet if there ever is a moment to concentrate most intently and give God our fullest attention, it is now at the Eucharist prayer: “We should, indeed think of God at all times, but this is impossible because of our human frailty; but in this holy time especially our hearts should be with God.” 

Question: Why can it be difficult for us to keep our minds and hearts focused on Christ? 

Giving Thanks to God

In the last exchange the pastor says, “let us give thanks to the Lord our God.” 

As we have already expressed after each Scripture reading (“Thanks be to God”), thanksgiving is a common biblical response to God’s goodness and to His saving works in our lives. In fact, thanksgiving is (should be) the most basic posture of God’s people towards Him. 

We are reminded to give thanks to the Lord and echo the similar exhortation found in the Psalms: “Give thanks to the Lord for He is good…” (Psalm 136:1-3; see also Ps 107:8, 15, 21, 31). 

St. Paul similarly teaches that the Christian life should be marked by prayers of thanksgiving. We should be “abounding in thanksgiving” (Col 2:7), give thanks to God in all we do (Col 3:17) and “in all circumstances” (1 Thess 5:18, Phil 4:6), especially in worship. Read the following Scripture passages: 1 Cor 14:16-19; Eph 5:19-20; Col 3:16. Following this biblical tradition of offering prayers of thanksgiving, the congregation responding, “It is right to give Him thanks and praise.” 

Question: What is the point of agreeing with the prayer and saying “it is right”? How does giving thanks for all God has given and done for us change our attitude and outlook on life?

St. Lucia Day

On December 13th we remember Lucia (also commonly Lucy) who was an early Christian martyr (310 a.d.). As legend has it, Lucia would travel into the catacombs where persecuted Christians were hiding, with candles on her head to free up her hands for the food she carried to them. Rather than marrying she used her dowry to help those in need. She was brutally martyred under Diocletian and remember on December 13th.

St. Lucia Day became particularly popular in Sweden, and is celebrated by having the oldest daughter in the family wear a crown of candles and deliver saffron buns and gingersnaps to her parents first thing in the morning on December 13th. We love to deliver these to friends and neighbors later in the day as well!

Books

A great children’s picture book biography to read on this day: Lucia: Saint of Light

Tidbits

One of the victims of the great persecution under the Roman emperor Diocletian, Lucia met her death at Syracuse on the island of Sicily in the year A.D. 304, because of her Christian faith. Known for her charity, “Santa Lucia” (as she is called in Italy) gave away her dowry and remained a virgin until her execution by the sword. The name Lucia means “light,” and, because of that, festivals of light commemorating her became popular throughout Europe, especially in the Scandinavian countries. There her feast day corresponds with the time of year when there is the least amount of daylight. (Collect and Intro from The Treasury of Daily Prayer, Concordia Publishing House)

 In medieval Europe before the Gregorian reform of the calendar, St. Lucy’s Day was the shortest day of the year and this day was celebrated especially in Scandinavia where it marked the tunring from the long cold nights to the increase in daylight.  Swedish communites, including many in America, still have special festivities for this day.  In private homes one of the young girls of the household, dressed in white and wearing a crown of lighted candles, awakens the family in the morning and offers them cakes and coffee from a tray. (from Festivals and Commemorations by Rev. Philip Pfatteicher)

Podcast Interview 

Here is an interview on Issues, Etc. (you can find that interview here) with Dr. Joel Elowsky, Professor at Concordia Seminary/St. Louis.  

Light in the Darkness

Lucia brought the light of of Christ (Matthew 5:16) into each place she went. The powers of darkness thought they had blown out that light by killing her, but they were wrong as we remember her today. As another Christian (Tertullian) once said, “the blood of the martyrs is the seed of the Church." In Christ, we too can bring light, His light, into the dark places, even in our bodies which are temples of the Holy Spirit. As the apostle John said, “In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.” (John 1: 4-5)

St. Lucia is also a great example of a Christian willing to undergo tremendiously torture and finally death for the Lord Jesus Christ. What a story of inspiration to share with our daughters!

Collect of the Day:

O Almighty God, by whose grace and power Your holy servant Lucia triumphed over suffering and remain ever faithful unto death, grant us, who now remember her with thanksgiving, to be so true in our witness to You in this world that we may receive with her new eyes without tears and the crown of light and life; through Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.

Here are two of our favorite recipes for this day:

Saffron Buns

INGREDIENTS

• 3/4 cup milk

• 1/2 teaspoon saffron threads

• 1 teaspoon plus 1/4 cup sugar

• One 1/4-ounce packet active dry yeast

• 3 1/2 to 4 cups all purpose flour

• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

• 1/4 cup butter, softened

• 1/4 cup of sour cream

• 2 large eggs

• Raisins

• 1 egg, beaten

1. In a small pot, heat the milk, saffron, and 1 teaspoon of sugar together until the milk is steamy. Remove from heat and let cool until about 115°.

2. Sprinkle the yeast over the milk and let sit for 5 to 10 minutes until foamy.

3. Whisk together 3 1/2 cups of the flour, remaining 1/4 cup of sugar, salt.

4. Make a well in the center of the flour and add the yeast milk saffron mixture, the eggs, the butter, and the sour cream. Mix the ingredients until well incorporated.

5. Use a dough hook on a stand mixer (or mix by hand) on low speed. Slowly add additional flour, a tablespoon at a time, kneading to incorporate after each addition. Do this until the dough is still a little sticky to the touch, but does not completely stick to your hands when you handle it.

6. Shape the dough into a ball and place in a large bowl. Cover with plastic wrap. (Note at this point you can refrigerate overnight and bake in the morning.)

7. Let sit in a warm place for 1 to 2 hours, until the dough has doubled in size. 

8. When the dough has doubled in size, gently press it down and knead it a couple of times. Break off a piece and form it into a ball about 2 inches wide. Roll the ball out into a snake, about 14 inches long.

9. Then curl the ends in opposite directions, forming an "S" with spirals at each end. Place on a lined baking sheet and repeat with the rest of the dough.

10. Cover with plastic wrap and place in a warm spot until the dough shapes double, 30 minutes to an hour.

11. Preheat oven to 400°F. Using a pastry brush, brush some beaten egg over the tops and sides of the uncooked buns. Place raisins in the centers of the "S" spirals.

12. Place in the oven and bake at 400°F for about 10 to 11 minutes (turning halfway through cooking to ensure even browning), until the buns are golden brown.

13. Remove from oven and let cool for 5 minutes before eating.

Gingersnaps

INGREDIENTS

• 3/4 cup butter

• 1 cup white sugar

• 1 egg

• 1/4 cup molasses

• 2 cups all-purpose flour

• 1 tablespoon ground ginger

• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

• 2 teaspoons baking soda

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• 1/2 cup white sugar for decoration

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

2. In a medium bowl, cream together the butter and 1 cup white sugar until smooth. Beat in the egg and molasses until well blended. Combine the flour, ginger, cinnamon, baking soda and salt; stir into the molasses mixture to form a dough. Roll dough into 1 inch balls and roll the balls in the remaining sugar. Place cookies 2 inches apart onto ungreased cookie sheets.

3. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven. Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.

Blogs for ideas

• https://jerusalemgreer.com/2020/12/12/last-minute-saint-lucia-day-celebrations/

• https://www.asceticlifeofmotherhood.com/blog/stluciadayguide

• https://faithandfabricdesign.com/2019/11/celebrating-celebrate-saint-lucy-feast-day.html

• https://equippingcatholicfamilies.com/2014/12/feast-day-fun-st-lucy/

• https://www.littlewaychapel.com/blog/st-lucy-lesson

Albrecht Durer and the Reformation of the Church

The follow article written by Pr. Matthew Ballmann was first published in the Lutheran Ambassador in 2015. I am republishing on this 506th anniversary of the Reformation.

As we celebrate the 498th anniversary of the Protestant Reformation and remember the individuals used by God to bring it about, we also do well to remember the individuals who were impacted by and served as key supporters of it. The German Renaissance artist Albrecht Dürer was such a man. While some in the American church may know Dürer or his art, chances are he is nothing more than a strange name you just read for the first time. Allow me the privilege to introduce you to this incredibly gifted man who was a key recipient and supporter of the Reformation. 

Albrecht Durer, The Man

Albrecht Dürer was born in 1471 to Albrecht and Barbara Dürer. He was the eldest son and third of eighteen children, fifteen of which would die at a young age. His father was a Hungarian immigrant who moved to the city of Nuremberg, Germany where he worked as a goldsmith. When Durer the Younger was only thirteen, he became an apprentice to his father in Nuremberg to learn how to be a goldsmith. After only two years of apprenticing, and to the displeasure but support of his father, Albrecht left to do what he really wanted to do - paint. 

After leaving his father’s tutelage he went on to apprentice for three years under the painter and printmaker Michael Wolgemut (1434-1519) also in Nuremberg. Wolgemut was the first German painter to design woodcuts as illustrations for the newly developed printed book. It was under Wolgemut that Durer learned the art of woodcut, a skill that would play a crucial role in his career and influence upon the world. After three years under Wolgemut, he went on for an additional two years as a journeyman in which he traveled to Basel, Switzerland. Upon his return to Nuremberg in 1494, Dürer married Agnes Frey in an arranged marriage. They would have no children together.

What was Durer’s relationship to the Protestant Reformation?

While we have no record of him formally renouncing Roman Catholicism, his Protestant sympathies are evident in much of his art and letters. He evidently had suffered some level of judgment for these sympathies when he wrote the following in 1524, “because of our Christian faith we have to stand in scorn and danger, for we are reviled and called heretics.” It was especially the teaching that began the Protestant Reformation, that is the forgiveness of sins by grace, through faith, in Christ, that so powerfully influenced Durer and his work. Interestingly, it was the preaching of Johan von Staupitz, Luther’s mentor and Vicar General of the German Congregation of Augustinians, that first moved Durer to embrace the rediscovered evangelical theology. 

It was not just Staupitz that influenced Durer, but Luther too had a significance influence on his thinking. When Friedrich the Wise sent Dürer one of Luther's books in 1520, Dürer wrote the following to the Elector's secretary, “I pray Your Honor to convey my humble gratitude to His Electoral grace, and beg him humbly that he will protect the praiseworthy Dr. Martin Luther for the sake of Christian truth. It matters more than all the riches and power of this world, for with time everything passes away; only the truth is eternal.” It was Luther who helped Dürer find release from his spiritual distress through the preaching of the forgiveness of sins through Christ’s death and resurrection.  

Dürer spent the majority of his life living in Nuremburg creating and selling art. Whether it woodcuts, engravings, paintings, or drawings, his work captured the attention and imagination of his contemporary artist and culture at large. When Luther heard of his death 1528, he wrote, “It is natural and right to weep for so excellent a man.” Today Dürer remains among the most admired artists in the history of German art. 

Famous Works 

As many of the great artist of his day, Dürer had a wide spectrum of skills. He created alter pieces for churches, portraits of both religious and political leaders, and engravings and woodcuts for printed material. To get an idea of the volume he created, today we have about a hundred of his paintings, some one hundred engravings, and roughly two hundred woodcuts. In addition, we have over 1,200 drawings, sketches, and watercolors. From these he was most known and renowned for graphic works. These were created from woodcuts or engravings. Artists across Europe admired and copied Durer’s innovative and powerful prints, ranging from religious and mythological scenes, to maps and exotics animals. The vast majority of his works have biblical images as their objects.

Dürer's earliest major work, The Apocalypse, was a series of large prints illustrating the book of Revelation, with the Scripture on the reverse side. Dürer's large illustrations were detailed and full of energy. His Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse has never been surpassed. 

He followed The Apocalypse with a series of seventeen cuts entitled The Life of the Virgin and a large and small series on the Passion of Christ. These illustrations were designed to be used especially by teachers and clergy, but in a day before widespread literacy, could also be important devotional tools for Christian laymen. The Passion of Christ woodcuts are especially powerful in their communication of the suffering of our Savior. 

Other famous works include Knight, Death, and Devil in which he portrays a knight in battle armor, pike in hand, riding down a dangerous road located in a valley. On either side of the knight there are two hideous looking creatures. One is holding an hourglass in his hand representing the inevitability of death (common in many of Durer’s works) and the other creature, resembling a goat, is holding a pike in its hand as if looking for a chance to knock the knight off his horse. The valley of course represents the valley of the shadow of death and the trials of life. Off in the distance there is a large and magnificent castle, the destination of every Christian, heaven. 

Another of his most well known works is St. Jerome in His Study. Portraying an elderly Jerome sitting in a room with streams of sun rays coming through the windows. Besides the seated saint are books, timepieces, writings, and many other object, all of which carry some symbolic meaning. One such symbol in the room is a human skull, which was meant to serve as a reminder to Jerome of the inevitability of death (memento mori). If you follow Jerome’s line of eye site to the skull there stands a cross of the crucified Savior, reminding him that death has been defeated through Christ Jesus.  

Durer’s final great work, a painting, The Four Holy Men - Sts. John, Peter, Mark and Paul, was presented to the Nuremberg City Council as a gift. Below the painting Dürer attached a short message which spoke to the danger of the Roman Catholic Church’s teaching and at the same time affirmed the Protestant commitment to the authority of Scripture, “All worldly rulers in these dangerous times should give good heed that they receive not human misguidance for the Word of God, for God will have nothing added to His Word nor taken away from it. Hear therefore these four excellent men, Peter, John, Paul, and Mark and their warning." 

While there is an extraordinary number other powerful pieces we could consider, suffice it to say that Albrecht Durer was a man who was an extremely gifted artist, believed in the good news of forgiveness of sins through Christ by grace through faith, and used his gifts for the proclamation of God’s Word and the glory of God. 

For more on Durer’s life and work. And here.

The Triumph of the Holy Cross

“For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.” (1 Cor. 1:18)

The Church has some peculiar observances. One such “feast” occurs every year on September 14: Holy Cross Day. This day is observed in both East and West where it is known as “the exaltation of the cross” and “the triumph of the cross.”

Celebrating the saving work of Christ in His conception, birth, baptism, transfiguration, death, resurrection, and ascension, along with remembering the Patriarchs and Saints, has long been the custom of the church calendar. But what about inanimate objects — a crossbeam of wood and its vertical support?

The focus of this feast day is not on the instrument of the crucifixion per se but rather the person mounted to it and the event known as the crucifixion of Jesus of Nazareth.

It is the crucified Christ that renders the crucifix (or, simply, “the cross”) meaningful and significant. While Good Friday is dedicated to the Passion of Christ and the crucifixion, Holy Cross feast day draws into sustained focus the instrument of salvation and the throne of our God and King, Jesus of Nazareth.

Lutheran Pastor John Bombaro commenting on this day says,

“Our forefathers dedicated Holy Cross Day to jolt the Church into remembrance that Christianity is not principally about ethics. It was the cross on the hill rather than the Sermon on the Mount that produced the impact of Christianity upon the world. Let the world not forget it, nor especially the Church.”

Notwithstanding the sanitizing efforts by many, the cross cannot be marginalized within, let alone eliminated from, biblical Christian faith. The identity and relevance of Christianity are both irrevocably tied up with the crucified Christ.

The Cross — because of what it represents — is the most potent and universal symbol of the Christian faith. It has inspired both liturgical and private devotions: for example, the Sign of the Cross, which is an invocation of the Holy Trinity; a processional cross as the centering piece to the Divine Service; the “little” Sign of the Cross on head, lips and heart at the reading of the Gospel; or praying the Stations (or Way) of the Cross during the Lenten season.

The Proper Preface for this Feast Day highlights the cross in this way:

It is truly good, right and our joy that we should at all times and in all places give thanks to You, holy Lord, almighty Father, everlasting God, through Jesus Christ, our Lord, who accomplished the salvation of mankind by the tree of the cross that, where death arose, there life also might rise again and that the serpent who overcame by the tree of the garden might likewise by the tree of the cross be overcome.

The Christian faith, then, is not first and foremost about ideas or concepts, a philosophy of ethics, or a way of life, even though it may give rise to them. At its heart lies an event in human history, an event in which God was engaged in the most intimate endeavor between the Creator and the creature, between life and death, through the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. The cross, on which our Savior was crucified, marks the beginning of the end for sin, death, and the devil.

On the feast of the Holy Cross day we celebrate Jesus’ saving work on the cross, remembering that only God can turn a symbol of torture and death into a symbol of victory and triumph. Let us join our hearts and minds to proclaim with all the Church to know nothing, “…except Jesus Christ and him crucified.” (1 Corinthians 2:2)

Things to Do:

• Study different symbols and types of crosses, history and/or significance. Then have an art project creating your own crosses.

• Pray the Stations of the Cross. Point out particularly the phrase repeated at each station:
  We adore You, O Christ, and praise You,
  Because by Your Holy Cross You have redeemed the world.

• Make sure that crucifixes are displayed prominently throughout your home. Point out the crucifix in every room even to the smallest ones.

• Gift your wife/daughters/granddaughters a crucifix neckless. A crucifix is also an appropriate gift for your husband/sons/grandsons.

• Practice making the Sign of the Cross with your children.

• Make a dessert in the form of a cross, or decorated with a cross.

• Sing a hymn on the theme of the cross: Life High the Cross, The Old Rugged Cross, Oh the Power of the Cross, etc.

• Read the various Scripture passages that speak of the role of the cross in Christ’s work of redemption: Numbers 21:4-9, 1 Corinthians 1:18-25, John 3:13-17, John 12:20-32.

Celebrating the Resurrection

Celebrating comes naturally to us; just think back to the Christmas season, and all the time you spent preparing special foods, selecting and wrapping gifts, listening to festive seasonal music, gathering with loved ones, and maybe attending parties, concerts and worship services dedicated to the season of Christmas.

Christmas is worth celebrating. And Easter is even MORE worth celebrating! The resurrection of Christ, the defeat of death and the devil; this event is the centerpoint celebration of our faith.

So how can we approach Easter with preparation, so that we can celebrate well? 

Plan ahead for your Easter morning/day celebrations.

1) Set the scene. 

-Gather (or purchase) your Easter decor, perhaps a "He is Risen" piece of art. Check out Hobby Lobby or Etsy for some great options! Set it out right before you go to bed the night before Easter morning.

-A couple of days before Easter, purchase some beautiful spring flowers. Hide them in your garage and pull them out to place around the house the night before so they are ready for Easter morning.

-Turn on some celebratory music as soon as the sun rises on Sunday. Waiting for Easter morning to play resurrection songs adds to the anticipation! Here is a suggested playlist.

2) Add some fun and feasting.

-Everyone loves Easter baskets, even adults! Create simple Easter baskets for the loved ones in your life, and include some Christ-centered items, such as large chocolate crosses (purchase at Hobby Lobby or on Amazon), a Scripture coloring book, or a book to encourage the recipient in their faith. For kids, we love the Tales that Tell the Truth series, Baby Believer Primer board books, and missionary/heroes of the faith biographies!

-Choose some special foods to make ahead or the morning of Easter. Hot cross buns are a traditional choice, though you could also make these for Good Friday!

-Think about something unique to you and your family that you'd like to include that will help add to the celebration of the day. Cascarones, anyone? :) 

3) Incorporate optional experiential activities leading up to Easter, especially if you have kids at your house! Some ideas:

Resurrection garden. We will be making these at our Stations of the Cross at Trinity this year! 

Resurrection Eggs

Empty tomb marshmallow rolls activity

Countdown to Easter

Wishing you a season full of celebrating the resurrection of our Savior!

What is an Advent Wreath?

What is an Advent Wreath?

Many churches and families prominently display an evergreen wreath with four candles throughout the Advent Season.

It is traditionally made of some type or mixture of evergreens (fir, spruce, juniper, holly, etc.), symbolizing the continuation of life in the middle of the cold and dark winter (in the northerly latitudes, at least).

Advent wreaths traditionally include three purple/blue candles and one pink/rose-colored candle, which are arranged evenly around the wreath.

Only one candle is lit during the first week, two in the second week, three (the pink one) in the third week, and all four during the fourth week of Advent; the gradually increasing light symbolizes the approach of Christmas, the birth of Jesus, the light of the world.

Since the rose candle is not lit until the Third Sunday of Advent, it is best to start on the First Sunday of Advent lighting the purple candle located directly opposite the pink one, and then to continue clockwise around the wreath in the following weeks. Thus, one could go in the following orders: 1-right, 2-front, 3-left (rose), 4-back; or 1-front right, 2-front left, 3-back left (rose), and 4-back right.

Families can gather around the wreath daily for some brief Advent prayers and readings, especially at the time of the evening meal, lighting the appropriate number of candles for each week.

Many Christians assign specific symbolism to each of the candles:
1) The Prophet's Candle, symbolizing Hope;
2) The Bethlehem Candle, symbolizing Faith;
3) The Shepherd's Candle, symbolizing Joy;
4) The Angel's Candle, symbolizing Peace.

Most churches and families add a fifth candle (white) in the middle of the wreath for Christmas Eve or Day; others continue using the same wreath throughout the Christmas Season, replacing the colored Advent candles with fresh candles that are white or gold, symbolizing the arrival of Christ, the light of the world.

In many churches, a large wreath is blessed at the beginning of the first liturgy on the First Sunday of Advent. Families can also use a smaller Advent wreath in their homes, which they themselves can bless using the following adoption from the Sunday blessing:

Blessing of the Advent Wreath 

Beloved in the Lord, as we begin the season of Advent, let this wreath remind us that Jesus Christ came to conquer the darkness of sin and to lead us into the light of His glorious kingdom. As the prophet Isaiah says, “The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness, on them has light shined.”   Isa 9:2

Our help is in the name of the Lord, 

who made heaven and earth. 

The Lord be with you. 

And also with you. 

Let us pray. 

O Lord Jesus Christ, the true light who comes into the world to enlighten all people, bless us as we light the candles of this wreath in preparation for Your coming, and enkindle in our hearts the fire of Your love that we may receive You with joy and gladness and evermore remain steadfast in the faith; for You live and reign with the Father and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.  Amen. (Lutheran Service Book)

More more Advent traditions, check out this blog post.

How to Plant a Church in Six (not so) Easy Steps

Church plant meeting in dance studio

How to Plant a Church in Six (not so) Easy Steps

Our culture today is infatuated with “Life hacks” and “3 Easy Step” methods to achieve desired goals. While I’m all for working smart, I’m not a fan of promising quick and easy fixes to complex challenges. Rather than presenting Christianity as following the easy to travel Yellow Brick Road to the desired location, the Bible uses the imagery of a painful journey through the wilderness. Yes, it is marked by God’s miraculous deliverance through water and provision of bread from heaven, but it is also marked by mundane walking, frustrating leaders, terrifying enemies, and blazing hot days. I say all this with both the Christian life in view, as well as church planting.

I’ve heard it said that “church planting has been overcomplicated” and “it really is as simple as x, y, z.” While there may be some truth to these statements, it vastly underestimates the spiritual battle and cosmic war church planting is. There are no quick fixes, easy steps, or life-hacks to starting new churches. But there are best practices, wisdom, relying on the Holy Spirit, the community of faith, lots of hard work, prayer, and most importantly abiding in Christ. The following six steps are what I believe to be essential for any church plant, planter, or planting congregation.

1.  Answer the Why?

The most important question we need to answer in any major endeavor is “why we are doing it?” Why do I want to attend college? Why do I want to get married? Why do I want this job? Or far more importantly, why do I need Jesus? The why question helps us begin discerning through all the possible unhealthy motivations and return to Christ’s call.

So why plant a church? Most fundamentally, Christ says that He will build his church and He commissioned us to be instruments of that work by going and making disciples by baptizing and teaching. This is why we plant churches, to carry out the work of King Jesus in redeeming the world and making for Himself a new people awaiting His return. All other motivations are superficial and rooted in vainglory.

What is your why? What is your congregations why?

2. Build a Team

Kingdom work is never to be done alone but always in partnership with the body of Christ. From the first step of discerning one’s call to plant it should be done in prayer with those around you - spouse, spiritual mentors, and trusted friends. Who are those people you can invite into this work? Building a team of advisors, prayer warriors, financial partners, and ministry co-laborers is fundamental to the work of establishing a new gospel outpost of goodness and beauty. Building a team is done by asking the Holy Spirit to bring the right people, humbling yourself to rely upon the people God has placed in your life, and listening to their council. Who’s your team?

3. Take time to prepare

Jesus exhorts us to count the cost of following him (Luke 14:25-33). Taking time to learn, grow, research, and prepare is counting the cost. For many individuals and congregations who feel called to start a new church, this time of preparation is often excruciatingly slow and difficult. In an eagerness to see a new congregation started, the premature birth of a church brings with it immaturity and dysfunction. The season of preparation, like the nine months a mother waits, should be filled with reading books, learning from experienced mothers, praying for your child, practicing healthy rhythms before the baby comes, surrounding yourself with a support team, and walking alongside others who have given birth to a child. To skip this season of preparation is perhaps the most common cause of church plant failures.

4. Clearly define what you are planting.

While this is a big part of preparation, it is worthy of its own point. Starting a new church isn’t like following instructions for a model plane or car, there are no manuals that can be followed with pre-cut pieces. Each and every church is unique to its context and unique because of the people a part of it. With that said, as biblical based and historically rooted Christians (Lutherans), we are not starting with a blank white board and filling it up with what we think the church should look like. There are non-negotiable for us, specifically our theology and how that theology is lived out. While this may seem like an unimportant step, assuming we know, and those on our ministry team know, what the local congregation is to look and feel like is a dangerous assumption. The reality is, each person part of a new church start brings assumptions to the table, both spoken and unspoken. Clearly defining what the church is (ecclesiology) and how it will be present in a specific community (missiology) are the two most important building blocks every plant needs to discuss. If we assume these, the church will take on a form and belief that merely reflects the culture around it or the background of the strongest/loudest members of the initial group. Our theology should very clearly inform the culture of every new church start.

5. Build relationship and invite people to Jesus and His Church

Once all the hard work of answering the why, building a team, preparing, and knowing what you are planting has been done, now we finally get to what people most often think about when we talk about church planting - reaching people for Jesus. Reaching people for Jesus always starts simply: two humans interacting, speaking of Jesus and His work through words and actions, and the Holy Spirit bringing new life. Church planting is a highly intensive people-work. It requires lots of face to face time and lots of shoulder to shoulder time. Paul uses the language of “laboring among” and “laboring in the midst of” when talking about church planting. It’s thoroughly immersive. As we build these relationships, live among them, and with them, then we give witness to Jesus and His church. We share the good news and invite them to enter into Christ’s Church. There is a move, from outside the Church, to inside the Church. I’m not speaking of a church building here but theologically and spiritually. We are planting kingdom outpost of truth, goodness, and beauty and it is into that we invite people. Places where the Spirit is transforming lives, the gospel is infused in all we do, the sacrament of the Lord’s Supper is nourishing as a foretaste of the kingdom to come, and we seek to live as co-heirs to that kingdom not yet fully here. We are not merely offering the forgiveness of sin, we are offering a whole new life in Christ and His Church.

6. Abide in Christ

Ministry, any kind of ministry, is fraught with dangers. Soul sucking, Satan devouring, and body draining landmines. There is a constant danger of thinking we are the Savior and being crushed by a burden we cannot carry, falling prey to discouragement and despair when things don’t look as we hoped, boiling over with frustration, and there is a constant danger of our soul becoming thin and shadowy because we spend all our energy trying to feed others and never take the time to feed our own souls. Sound despairing? It should. Our flesh and the devil are real enemies that are ever present who would like nothing better for all the above to happen to us. But thanks be to God we are not called to carry out this work in our own strength, thanks be to God we are invited to come to Christ whose burden is lite, thanks be to God who invites us to abide in Christ, and hear our Father’s voice who says time and time again that in Christ we are His beloved sons and daughters. Returning to and abiding in Christ must be our constant state. It is here alone that we find out true identity and strength for the work He calls us to. Thanks be to God!

~ Pastor Matt Ballmann

(Initially written for and distributed by the AFLC Home Missions Newsletter on 9/9/22)

Lenten Worship as a "Bright Sadness" - A reflection from Great Lent: Journey to Pascha by Alexander Schmemann

In his short book, "Great Lent: Journey to Pascha, Alexander Schmemann reminds us of the purpose of the season of Lent,

"The purpose of Lent is to force on us a few formal obligations, but to "soften" our heart so that it may open itself to the realities of the spirit, to experience the hidden "thirst and hunger" for communion with God."

He goes on to describe this 40 day season as one of "bright sadness." Sadness in that everyone walking into a Lenten service will notice that the particular ethos of the Scriptures, songs, addition to specific prayers, or absence of specific prayers (for example the Gloria Patri and Allululias) all carry a quiet sadness and focus on Christ's suffering. And yet, there is a brightness in that it all is in preparation for the coming resurrection celebration on Easter. All the services during this Lenten season are shaped by this bright sadness.

"This lenten "atmosphere," this unique "state of mind," is brought about mainly by means of worship, by the various changes introduced during that season into the liturgical life." He then describes the powerful influences these atmospheres begin to make upon us:

“But then we begin to realize that this very length and monotony are needed if we are to experience the secret and at first unnoticeable "action" of the service in us. Little by little we begin to understand, or rather to feel, that this sadness is indeed "bright," that a mysterious transformation is about to take place in us. It is as if we were reaching a place to which the noises and the fuss of life, of the street, of all that which usually fills our days and even nights, have no access—a place where they have no power. All that which seemed so tremendously important to us as to fill our mind, that state of anxiety which has virtually become our second nature, disappear somewhere and we begin to feel free, light and happy. It is not the noisy and superficial happiness which comes and goes twenty times a day and is so fragile and fugitive; it is a deep happiness which comes not from a single and particular reason but from our soul having, in the words of Dostoevsky, touched "another world." And that which it has touched is made up of light and peace and joy, of an inexpressible trust. We understand then why the services had to be long and seemingly monotonous. We understand that it is simply impossible to pass from our normal state of mind made up almost entirely of fuss, rush, and care, into this new one without first "quieting down," without restoring in ourselves a measure of inner stability. This is why those who think of church services only in terms of "obligations," who always inquire about the required minimum ("How often must we go to church?" "How often must we pray?") can never under- stand the true nature of worship which is to take us into a different world—that of God's Presence!—but to take us there slowly because our fallen nature has lost the ability to accede there naturally.

Thus, as we experience this mysterious liberation, as we become "light and peaceful," the monotony and the sadness of the service acquire a new significance, they are transfigured. An inner beauty illumines them like an early ray of the sun which, while it is still dark in the valley, begins to lighten up the top of the mountain. This light and secret joy come from the long alleluias, from the entire "tonality" of lenten worship. What at first appeared as monotony now is revealed as peace; what sounded like sadness is now experienced as the very first movements of the soul recovering its lost depth. This is what the first verse of the lenten alleluia proclaims every morning: "My soul has desired Thee in the night, O God, before dawn, for Thy judgments are a light upon the earth!"

"Sad brightness": the sadness of my exile, of the waste I have made of my life; the brightness of God's presence and forgiveness, the joy of the recovered desire for God, the peace of the recovered home. Such is the climate of lenten worship; such is its first and general impact on my soul.”

How to Teach Your Kids to Pray

Prayer is speaking to God and providing Him the space to speak to us through His Word and by His Holy Spirit. In prayer we share our concerns, joys, and thanksgiving with Him and allow Him to convict, guide, and encourage us.

Prayer is not complicated, but it can be difficult. I believe this is true for everyone but it can be especially true of parents with young kids that wake up at the break of dawn and have boundless energy until they are put to bed at night. How is anyone to find time to pray when you have Sonic the Hedgehog in your house?

A lot of helpful advice could be given here but I want to focus on one simple principle - pray with your children. That’s right. While personal time to pray is important, don’t miss the opportunity to pray with your children. Not only does this help you grow in your prayer life, but it also is teaching your kids how to pray. Here are some ideas of times you can stop to pray:

• Before breakfast (take 30 seconds to pray in public and at home)

• In the car on the way to school or work or running errands

• At lunch

• When you pull into your driveway take 60 seconds to thank God for the day and help you invest in your family this evening.

• At dinner

• Before bed

• Anytime!

Now you might be thinking, “I’ve tried that and it’s just too challenging. They don’t focus and I have to get on them every 15 seconds to stop pushing and pinching each other.” I get it. I really do. Here is a secret that has really helped our family prayer times - make use of written prayers.

But aren’t written prayers less spiritual? Some might feel as if written prayers are less spiritual than free form praying, but here is the truth, while they can be prayed in a mindless and rote way, they don’t have to be. In fact this applies to anything in life we do on a repetitive basis. Just because we sometimes fall into reading the Bible mindlessly doesn’t mean we stop reading the Bible altogether. Rather, it means we seek to read it with engaged hearts and minds, asking the Holy Spirit to enflame our hearts with His love. The same goes for written prayers.

Below are four written prayers that you can print and pray together as a family. At first you’ll have to read it but eventually your whole family (even the youngest!) will know them by heart. We don’t do the same prayer every single night but like to mix them up. So a few nights a week we’ll do the Lord’s Prayer and a few nights the Evening prayer. We almost always include extemporaneous prayers as well, I like to give each child a chance to pray using their own words.

The Lord’s Prayer

Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name, Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever and ever. Amen.

Morning Prayer

In the name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

I thank You, my heavenly Father, through Jesus Christ, Your dear Son, that You have kept me this night from all harm and danger; and I pray that You would keep me this day also from sin and every evil, that all my doings and life may please You. For into Your hands I commend myself, my body and soul, and all things. Let Your holy angel be with me, that the evil foe may have no power over me. Amen.

Evening Prayer

In the name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

I thank You, my heavenly Father, through Jesus Christ, Your dear Son, that You have graciously kept me this day; and I pray that You would forgive me all my sins where I have done wrong, and graciously keep me this night. For into Your hands I commend myself, my body and soul, and all things. Let Your holy angel be with me, that the evil foe may have no power over me. Amen.

Prayer Before a Meal

In the name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Lord God, heavenly Father, bless us and these Your gifts which we receive from Your bountiful goodness, through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.

I encourage every family to pick up the Lutheran Prayer Book which has written prayers for morning and evening of every day.

Johann Gerhard on Fortifying Your Mind Against Pride

Johann Gerhard is considered one of the greatest Lutheran theologian of the 16th and 17th century. He wrote the following on how we might fortify our mind against pride.

The mind should be fortified against pride by meditating on:

(1) The humility of Christ, who for our sakes humbled Himself to death on the cross. Augustine (Sermon 39 de verb. Dom.): “Deign to be humbled for God, for God designed to be humbled for you.”

(2) Our unworthiness. We are dust and ash. Death will humble us whether we like it or not, making us food for the vermin.

(3) Our need. The greatest thing we know is the least of the things we do not. Whatever we have comes down to us from the hand of God. Thus the treasure belongs to Another.

(4) Our fragility. In testing we can easily succumb if God’s grace does not preserve us. But now, “God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble” (1 Pet. 5:5).

(5) The superiority of others. One must recognize the gifts of God in others, lest we insult the Giver Himself. It does you no harm to subject yourself to all others. It hurts a lot if you put yourself before even one person.

Method of Theology Study, Appendix, Concordia Publishing House, 2017, pg 241

Seven Gifts of the Historic Liturgy

1. Liturgy tells a story - Liturgy is a re-enactment of the divine drama. It reminds us of the redemptive story of God and invites us to find our place within His narrative of redemption. By living into the divine story, it frees us from having to create our own story from our limited perspective and experience and from being slaves to the story our respective cultures are stuck in. The liturgy jars us from the liturgy of this world and tells us of God’s kingdom which we have been made apart of as Christians.  

2. Liturgy frees us from ourselves - Liturgy helps us relinquish our desires to serve ourselves and invites us to surrender by selflessly serving God and others. How? By immersing our lives in God-centered worship on a regular basis. Liturgy is formative, retelling a story again and again that is holistically God-centered. It inoculates us from a man-centered experience of worship. Liturgy is designed to free us from the worship of self in order to focus our hearts on the Triune God.

3. Liturgy forms us - As we come together week after week, we are slowly formed by the words, prayers, and sacred rhythms of the liturgy. The beauty of these rhythms is that they form us passively, almost without our knowledge. This formation is not contingent upon our mood or temperament when we enter the service. Simply by agreeing to participate and join with the existing structure and rhythms, liturgy has the power to change us. The church has always recognized that formation takes place both communally and individually, and how we pray and worship corporately influences how we pray and worship individually.

4. Liturgy sanctifies time - Liturgy sanctifies our time. What does this mean? Most of us live our lives according to a secular calendar and work week, but liturgy reminds us that we belong to another timed place - the kingdom of God. Liturgy brings order and rhythm to our lives through the patterns of the liturgical year (sometimes referred to as the Christian calendar or church calendar). In submitting to these seasons, we acknowledge God’s lordship in both the high and the low times of our lives. 

5. Liturgy is Biblical - The historic liturgy is saturated with Scripture. One is hard pressed to find language in the historic liturgy that isn’t found in the Holy Scriptures. God has spoken to us in His Word and the Church uses His words to speak back to Him. We listen to His Word, respond with His Word, pray His Word, sing His Word, and eat His Word flesh.

6. Liturgy is participatory - Deep down we don’t want to be entertained but rather we long to participate. The historic liturgy invites us to stand, sit, kneel, respond in prayer and singing, to cross ourselves, and engage our hearts and minds. Unless the whole congregation participates the service doesn’t happen, it’s a whole church endeavor not just a few professionals. But not only does it engage adults, but children of all ages are growing up learning to pray the Lord’s Prayer, confess their sin, and declare their faith in Jesus Christ. There is no sitting on the sidelines in liturgical worship.

7. The Liturgy points us to Christ - When people decide to get married they often spend months planning and preparing every detail of their wedding. From what color flowers, to who’s bringing food, who’s in the wedding, and even what gifts to get the wedding party - it’s all thoughtfully prepared. The historic liturgy is like a weekly wedding service where the Bride of Christ comes to encounter and be enraptured by the Grooms love for her. They talk and listen, sing and pray, eat and praise. It’s all been thoughtfully prepared and planned in order to make it beautiful and most importantly focused on Christ Jesus. The historic liturgy is radically Christ focused.

How to Celebrate the Resurrection of our Savior

Forty days of Lent is drawing to a close; we are walking through Holy Week and are about to arrive at the biggest celebration of the Church Year, Easter Sunday! But Easter isn't just one lone day at the end of weeks of fasting, prayer, and reflection. Easter Sunday kicks off the season of Easter, which lasts 50 days until Pentecost Sunday.

In the cycle of the Church Year, seasons of fasting are followed by seasons of feasting. So how can we press into a season of feasting and celebrating our Savior's resurrection for the next 50 days? Here are several ideas; hopefully you can find a couple that will work for you and your family this year!

Easter Sunday

It's a celebration, so let's party! A party looks different depending on the person, house and family you come from, but a party usually incorporates the five senses. There might be music, some fun activities, almost always good food, and maybe even some decorations. Think about how you want to celebrate Christ's resurrection tomorrow; maybe it's a playlist of Easter worship and hymns that you put on first thing in the morning, or your grandma's famous coffee cake for breakfast. It might be a special meal for dinner, or a banner that says "He is Risen!" You might want to fill your house with Easter lilies, yellow daffodils and pink tulips. Of all the days to go all out on a celebration, Resurrection Sunday is the day!

Even though we will be in our homes for worship services this year, we can still continue the sense of celebration by dressing up in our Easter best. If you have something white, you might want to wear it to remind yourself of your baptism and the new life we have in Christ! 

The Week Following Easter

We can keep following Jesus' footsteps even beyond Holy Week. Here are two recommendations for you to try sometime during the week after Easter Sunday:

1. Fish for Breakfast

Read the beautiful story in John 21, where Jesus appears to the disciples and makes them fish and bread for breakfast. Yes, the resurrected Christ cooks breakfast for a bunch of fishermen! After you read this passage, go ahead and eat some fish for breakfast! Baked white fish with eggs and toast could be a place to start, but if you have a fire pit, wrap some fish in foil and make it really authentic. Or if fish for breakfast just isn't your thing, try going fishing after reading this passage. 

2. Take an "Emmaus Walk"

Read Luke 24:13-35, and then take a walk with a neighbor, friend or your family and discuss a topic from Scripture, or talk about what it would have been like to be these followers of Jesus having this conversation on the road.

The Season of Easter

Here are some ideas for keeping the joy and celebration of the resurrection before us in the 50 days of Eastertide:

1. Listen to Easter music. 

Use a playlist like this one or pick a different Easter hymn/song to learn each week during this season. You could sing this song every morning after breakfast or each night after dinner.

2. Keep your Easter decor up until Pentecost. 

If you have a cross you could drape it with a white cloth, or maybe you want to make or purchase a special sign or banner that says," He Lives!" or "He is Risen!" to keep out during the season of Easter.

3. Party every week!

Pick a certain day of the week and plan a party on that day every week of Eastertide! It doesn't have to be complicated-you could have a Blue Bell ice cream party, a water balloon party, an Easter music jam session (if you're the musical type!), a game of hide and seek (read John 20:19 and talk about how the disciples went into hiding after Jesus' crucifixion), or a movie night (Maybe something like Ben Hur (1959) or Jesus of Nazareth (1977), or another family favorite. Be sure to preview before showing to your kids!).

4. Make or buy a special candle to remind you of the resurrection, and light it at breakfast or dinner each day during the season of Easter. Try this DIY idea. 

5. Join Natalie every Monday of Eastertide for an Easter themed children's book read aloud on our YouTube channel: