Something to go along with the last post

Should I Commune at Other Churches?
By: Pastor Aaron Koch

The answer to that question depends on the other church. If you're away from the area and are unable to commune here at Mt. Zion, you should seek out a church which believes and teaches and practices what we do. The only churches in this country which have committed themselves to doing so are the congregations of the Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod. We are not in fellowship with other Christian and Lutheran church bodies because of important differences in what we believe and teach.

You should only commune at a church that has the same teachings and beliefs as Mt. Zion does. To commune at a particular church means that you agree with what that church stands for, its doctrine. A Christian cannot commune at two different churches which do not agree in doctrine. You cannot be in fellowship both with falsehood and with the truth.

Therefore, you should not commune at a non-Missouri Synod Lutheran church or any church (even an LCMS one) which engages in or allows the existence of false teaching or practice in its midst, even if you think that false teaching is only a small matter. The fact is that no false teaching is a small matter, because it threatens the truth of the Gospel of Christ; just as you would regard even a little poison in your food to be a very dangerous thing.

This is not only a private matter between you and the Lord. By communing you are also uniting yourself with the others who commune with you and with the teaching that is proclaimed in that place. Receiving communion is a public act by which we proclaim the Lord's death until He comes (I Corinthians 11:26). May God grant all His churches to make this Gospel proclamation clearly and purely to His glory and the salvation of many!

Augustana XIV

"Our churches teach that no one should publicly teach in the Church, or administer the Sacraments, without a rightly ordered call."

Readers Edition notes- "When this article speaks of a rightly ordered call, it refers to the Church's historic practice of placing personally and theologically qualified men into the office of preaching and teaching the Gospel and administering the Sacraments. This is done by means of a formal, public, and official call from the Church to do so. When this article was presented, it was understood that a call into the preaching office would be confirmed and formally recognized by means of the apostolic rite of ordination (with prayer and the laying on of hands)

So why do I post that today, on Reformation Sunday? I post that because it is one of the first things that came to my mind during the church service I atended today. The Pastor of this LCMS congregation was out of town for a confirmation retreat. Unfortunately, this pastor had one of the members of the congregation the services instead of finding a pastor to fill in for him. So the congregation member basically was the "liturgist" (although there was really no recognizable liturgy) My principal who is not ordained gave the "message." Which goes against that whole preaching thing of AC XIV. The message itself wasn't very good, He brought in Luther, but no Cross or sacraments, basically no Christ. Then Communion; Surprisingly the statement was pretty good. Talking about how we receive His true Body and Blood with the Bread and the wine for forgiveness of sins. Unfortunately the non-ordained congregation member spoke the words of institution and was also the one who said the pretty weak absolution after confession. Yet, twenty of the twenty-four members of my choir communed. Even with these strictly non-Lutheran practices. Two of the people who did not commune were not LCMS although I am sure they would have been allowed to commune if they wished. Well that's all I really I am going to say about the service. Just about these actions that went against the confessions that I know my principal said that he would uphold, and the pastor who was not there said he would uphold.

Crux sola est nostra theologia!

Happy Reformation Sunday!

Pax Domini

Issues etc.

I had a wonderful opportunity last night to see a LIVE broadcast of ISSUES, ETC., a National Lutehran radio talk show. The topic was Praise and Worhsip Music. They took a few of the Top CCM songs and evaluated them. Dr. Leonard Payton gives some very good things to look for.

You can find the first hour here: http://worldwide.kfuo.org/kfuo/issues_etc6/Issues_Etc_Oct_15a.wma

and the second hour here:
http://worldwide.kfuo.org/kfuo/issues_etc6/Issues_Etc_Oct_15b.wma

Hymn Origins

Came across this discussion on one of my mailing lists, I thought I'd post it since it kind of ties in with something I will be posting later.(hopefully)

I would like to know about the origins or our Lutheran Hymns. What I would
really like to know is whether or not they were derived from music that
would have been classified as german beer drinking melodies?? I had a
discussion with another lutheran that goes to one of the large liberal
LCMS congregations here in the KC area and his argument to me was that
Luther would be turning over in his grave if he knew what we
(Confessionals) were doing in trying to preserve the traditional lutheran
worship. He basically compared my thinking to that of the Pharisees. He
said that the hymns in Luthers time were all beer drinking melodies and that
the reason for that was to bring it to the people in a language that they
would understand and that we should change with times so that we can
continue to bring it to the people in a language that they can
understand today.

Reply:
If you google "Martin Luther" and "bar tunes", you 'll find out the
scoop on this old rumor that Luther took beer drinking songs and made
them into hymns. What he did was write music with lines between the
measures and those lines are called "bars". Here's an example of an
article written by Gene Veith about that subject. There were several
when I did the search.

http://www.worldmag.com/articles/9831

The Confessions say that we retain the Mass -- Luther was not interested
in trashing the tradition (like liberals today). He was interested in
correcting the abuses which had come into being over the years (sale of
indulgences, masses for the dead etc.)



Christ Centered, Cross Focused

For Devout Teachers of the Gospel

Dear Lord God, bring blessedness and salvation to the holy church which is the kingdom of Christ. Send us faithful teachers who will reveal your name to the world and who proclaim that you are gracious and merciful, forgiving us our sins for the sake of your Son. He will grant us eternal life in order that all people may rely on your grace and mercy, call upon you, and give you praise and thanks. Abolish all human doctrines and let Christ alone be our King, ruling through his gospel and making us his servants. Amen

-From Luthers Prayers

Te Deum Laudamus

I first sang this at one of the Morning Office's during my stay in Fort Wayne. It is included in the new hymnal LSB 941. and I was just listening to my Kantorie CD where they sing it. So I thought I'd Post it

We praise You and acknowledge you, O God,to be the Lord
The Father Everlasting, by all the earth adored.
To You all angel powers cry aloud, the heavens sing.
The cherubim and seraphim their praises to You bring:
"O holy, holy, holy Lord God of Sabaoth;
Your majesty and glory fill the heavens and the earth!"

The band of the apostles in glory sing Your praise;
The fellowship of prophets their deathless voices raise.
The martyrs of Your kingdom, a great and noble throng,
Sing with the holy Church through-out all the world this song:
"O all-majestic Father, Your true and only Son,
And Holy Spirit, Comforter forever Three in One!"

You, Christ, are King of glory, the everlasting Son.
Yet You, with boundless love, sought to rescue ev'ryone:
You laid aside Your glory, were born of virgin's womb,
Were crucified for us and were placed into a tomb;
Then by Your resurrection You won for us reprieve
You opened heaven's kingdom to all who would believe.

You sit in splendid glory, enthroned at God's right hand,
Upholding earth and heaven by forces You command.
We know that You will come as our Judge that final day,
So help Your servants You have redeemed by blood, we pray;
May we with saints be numbered where praises never end,
In glory everlasting. Amen, O Lord, amen!