Quick riff on Gospel Processions:
Every Sunday? Only at Festival days? Presider only? Crucifix? Torches? Verger? Book beaerer?
As for me and my house: Every Sunday (except in Lent), book bearer, crucifix optional depending on whether he shows up with the right shoes and long pants.
What do you guys do?
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A Round Table of Lutheran pastors speaking from within their office and vocation to matters of the Christian faith and life. As iron sharpens steel, our mutual engagement of questions and concerns pertaining to the Church and Ministry of Christ serves to refine our theological acumen, clarify our confession, and guide our sacred stewardship of the Mysteries of God.
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The Twenty-Four Elders (and a few living creatures)
Rev. Benjamin Ball
St. Paul, Hamel, Illinois
Rev. Larry Beane
Salem, Gretna, Louisiana
Rev. Paul Beisel
Immanuel, Iowa Falls, Iowa
Rev. Peter Bender
Peace, Sussex, Wisconsin
Rev. Eric Brown
Trinity, Herscher, Illinois
Rev. Heath Curtis
Zion, Carpenter, Illinois
Rev. William Cwirla
Holy Trinity, Hacienda Heights, CA
Rev. Dr. Burnell Eckardt
St. Paul, Kewanee, Illinois
Rev. Erich Fickel
St. Paul, Chesterton, Indiana
Rev. William Foy
Prince of Peace, Valparaiso, Indiana
Rev. John A. Frahm III
Trinity, Boulder Junction, Wisconsin
Rev. Robert Franck
Mount Olive, Duluth, Minnesota
Rev. Dr. Gifford Grobien
CTS, Fort Wayne, Indiana
Rev. Dr. Kent Heimbigner
Charity, Burleson, Texas
Rev. Dr. Steven Hein
Colorado Springs, Colorado
Rev. Rich Heinz
St. Johns, Chicago, Illinois
Rev. David Kind
University Lutheran, Minneapolis
Rev. Brent Kuhlman
Trinity, Murdock, Nebraska
Rev. Alan Ludwig, Professor
Lutheran Theological Seminary
Novosibirsk, Russia
Rev. Todd Peperkorn
Holy Cross, Rocklin, California
Rev. J. Richard Sawyer
Good Shepherd, Brandon, Mississippi
Rev. Robert Schaibley, emeritus
Shepherd of the Springs,
Colorado Springs, Colorado
Rev. Dr. Richard Stuckwisch
Emmaus, South Bend, Indiana
Rev. Jacob Sutton
Immanuel, Terre Haute, Indiana
Rev. Ralph Tausz
Apostles, Melrose Park, Illinois
Rev. David Jay Webber
Redeemer, Scottsdale, Arizona
Rev. William Weedon
Lutheran Public Radio, Collinsville, IL
Rev. Dr. Georg Williams
Zion, Ainsworth, Nebraska
Rev. Kyle Wright II
St. Matthew, Hamlet, Indiana
St. Paul, Hamel, Illinois
Rev. Larry Beane
Salem, Gretna, Louisiana
Rev. Paul Beisel
Immanuel, Iowa Falls, Iowa
Rev. Peter Bender
Peace, Sussex, Wisconsin
Rev. Eric Brown
Trinity, Herscher, Illinois
Rev. Heath Curtis
Zion, Carpenter, Illinois
Rev. William Cwirla
Holy Trinity, Hacienda Heights, CA
Rev. Dr. Burnell Eckardt
St. Paul, Kewanee, Illinois
Rev. Erich Fickel
St. Paul, Chesterton, Indiana
Rev. William Foy
Prince of Peace, Valparaiso, Indiana
Rev. John A. Frahm III
Trinity, Boulder Junction, Wisconsin
Rev. Robert Franck
Mount Olive, Duluth, Minnesota
Rev. Dr. Gifford Grobien
CTS, Fort Wayne, Indiana
Rev. Dr. Kent Heimbigner
Charity, Burleson, Texas
Rev. Dr. Steven Hein
Colorado Springs, Colorado
Rev. Rich Heinz
St. Johns, Chicago, Illinois
Rev. David Kind
University Lutheran, Minneapolis
Rev. Brent Kuhlman
Trinity, Murdock, Nebraska
Rev. Alan Ludwig, Professor
Lutheran Theological Seminary
Novosibirsk, Russia
Rev. Todd Peperkorn
Holy Cross, Rocklin, California
Rev. J. Richard Sawyer
Good Shepherd, Brandon, Mississippi
Rev. Robert Schaibley, emeritus
Shepherd of the Springs,
Colorado Springs, Colorado
Rev. Dr. Richard Stuckwisch
Emmaus, South Bend, Indiana
Rev. Jacob Sutton
Immanuel, Terre Haute, Indiana
Rev. Ralph Tausz
Apostles, Melrose Park, Illinois
Rev. David Jay Webber
Redeemer, Scottsdale, Arizona
Rev. William Weedon
Lutheran Public Radio, Collinsville, IL
Rev. Dr. Georg Williams
Zion, Ainsworth, Nebraska
Rev. Kyle Wright II
St. Matthew, Hamlet, Indiana
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The Mutual Conversation of the Brethren
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Rubrics and Blogistics for the Blackbirds
Unlike the Ten Commandments, these are not written in stone (though some of them are pretty solid). Those who may be reading over our shoulders might also find these interesting.
1. Be reverent and courteous. Piepkorn's fundamental pair of rubrics for the conduct of the Service are likewise pertinent here. It's simply faith toward God and love toward others. All the other rules and rubrics are an application of those principles to specific questions.
2. Our blog is a public forum, and we are all public servants of the Word. Therefore, what we write and the manner in which we write ought to reflect an appropriate decorum. Though you may sometimes wonder, there are people reading what you have to say. The majority of them will mostly be quiet about it, and many will probably never respond with any comments, but they will benefit, and they will appreciate it.
3. Although this is a public forum, don't be self-conscious about your writing, and don't attempt to play to the crowd. Simply address yourself pastorally to the topics you take up for consideration, as you would respond to members of your own parish who are asking about or need to be told such things as pertain to their Christian faith and life.
4. Don't be intentionally provocative or controversial, but don't shy away from engaging topics in a way that challenges the status quo (from and within the parameters of the Word of God and our common confession of the same). By the same token, let us hold each other accountable to the apostolic doctrine. Do not fear correction, nor fear to question; that is the way in which we learn from one other and sharpen one another for the common good.
5. A helpful rule of thumb is akin to Luther's advice on confession: Don't make blogging into a torture, nor seek to invent things worth saying, as though to impress anyone. Instead, if there are matters weighing on your heart or mind, address them with the Word of God from within your office and station in life, and thereby allow your fathers and brothers in Christ to respond with the Word of the Lord from within their own vocations. (Blogging should not be a kind of virtual confessional; this rubric speaks only to the way in which one ought to approach this sort of writing and discussion.)
6. Our blog lands somewhere between an e-mail discussion list and a published theological journal. Less from-the-hip than e-mail groups, but less formal than a publication. Bear in mind that your posts can be edited (or removed) after the fact; so don't agonize over every jot and tittle up front, as though your posts had to be perfect from the outset. That's not to advocate recklessness, but do not be so scrupulous that you hesitate to say anything.
7. Our blog is something like an online Logia, and your posts may be compared to the "Theological Observer" in the CTQ, or the "Public Square" in First Things. Only this forum is much faster and allows for considerably more give and take, not only amongst ourselves but with others, too.
8. Make an effort to post at least once every other month. The more, the better, but don't try to force it. When things come up in the course of your pastoral vocation, consider the possibility of reflecting upon those matters on the blog (with appropriate discretion).
9. When you post something, "label" it with one or more of the twenty-four topics, whichever of those you are addressing. The blog will tally and catologue those things for us, which will be helpful. The precise list of topics may develop over time, but let's follow those parameters along the way; that will help to keep things on track.
10. Once someone has posted on a particular topic, there would be potentially two ways for the rest of us to respond (and we should be inclined to respond, as we are so minded and able): Either by way of comments under the post, which should be the normal approach; or, if you intend to offer a significant critique or a substantial addition, then you could write a follow-up post of your own. The goal, obviously, is not to compete with one another, but to dialogue with each other, to discuss and even to debate, as the case may be.
11. Don't blog in a spirit of melancholy, despair or bitterness. You don't serve yourself or your neighbor when you succumb to such things. At such times, seek out a father in Christ to lift you up and sustain you with the Gospel. Once you have been brought from trial and tribulation into renewed faith, then you might consider sharing aspects of that burden on the blog, retrospectively, in a way that helps to lead your readers into repentant faith along with you. It is one of the ways in which the cross bears fruit, not only in you and for your benefit, but also for the benefit of your neighbor. The hymns of Paul Gerhardt are such an example. Consider how comforting and helpful they are, because they always confess such faith in the Gospel: precisely in, with and under the Cross. By contrast, imagine the difference if Gerhardt had wallowed in self-pity and despair, instead of confessing the Gospel.
12. Our cooperative blog is not the place for posting sermons or extended quotations or lists of things or personal family adventures (though in some cases such things may provide the context for theological commentary). If you want to quote something, fine, but do so for the sake of providing your own assessment and constructive critique (whether pro or con).
1. Be reverent and courteous. Piepkorn's fundamental pair of rubrics for the conduct of the Service are likewise pertinent here. It's simply faith toward God and love toward others. All the other rules and rubrics are an application of those principles to specific questions.
2. Our blog is a public forum, and we are all public servants of the Word. Therefore, what we write and the manner in which we write ought to reflect an appropriate decorum. Though you may sometimes wonder, there are people reading what you have to say. The majority of them will mostly be quiet about it, and many will probably never respond with any comments, but they will benefit, and they will appreciate it.
3. Although this is a public forum, don't be self-conscious about your writing, and don't attempt to play to the crowd. Simply address yourself pastorally to the topics you take up for consideration, as you would respond to members of your own parish who are asking about or need to be told such things as pertain to their Christian faith and life.
4. Don't be intentionally provocative or controversial, but don't shy away from engaging topics in a way that challenges the status quo (from and within the parameters of the Word of God and our common confession of the same). By the same token, let us hold each other accountable to the apostolic doctrine. Do not fear correction, nor fear to question; that is the way in which we learn from one other and sharpen one another for the common good.
5. A helpful rule of thumb is akin to Luther's advice on confession: Don't make blogging into a torture, nor seek to invent things worth saying, as though to impress anyone. Instead, if there are matters weighing on your heart or mind, address them with the Word of God from within your office and station in life, and thereby allow your fathers and brothers in Christ to respond with the Word of the Lord from within their own vocations. (Blogging should not be a kind of virtual confessional; this rubric speaks only to the way in which one ought to approach this sort of writing and discussion.)
6. Our blog lands somewhere between an e-mail discussion list and a published theological journal. Less from-the-hip than e-mail groups, but less formal than a publication. Bear in mind that your posts can be edited (or removed) after the fact; so don't agonize over every jot and tittle up front, as though your posts had to be perfect from the outset. That's not to advocate recklessness, but do not be so scrupulous that you hesitate to say anything.
7. Our blog is something like an online Logia, and your posts may be compared to the "Theological Observer" in the CTQ, or the "Public Square" in First Things. Only this forum is much faster and allows for considerably more give and take, not only amongst ourselves but with others, too.
8. Make an effort to post at least once every other month. The more, the better, but don't try to force it. When things come up in the course of your pastoral vocation, consider the possibility of reflecting upon those matters on the blog (with appropriate discretion).
9. When you post something, "label" it with one or more of the twenty-four topics, whichever of those you are addressing. The blog will tally and catologue those things for us, which will be helpful. The precise list of topics may develop over time, but let's follow those parameters along the way; that will help to keep things on track.
10. Once someone has posted on a particular topic, there would be potentially two ways for the rest of us to respond (and we should be inclined to respond, as we are so minded and able): Either by way of comments under the post, which should be the normal approach; or, if you intend to offer a significant critique or a substantial addition, then you could write a follow-up post of your own. The goal, obviously, is not to compete with one another, but to dialogue with each other, to discuss and even to debate, as the case may be.
11. Don't blog in a spirit of melancholy, despair or bitterness. You don't serve yourself or your neighbor when you succumb to such things. At such times, seek out a father in Christ to lift you up and sustain you with the Gospel. Once you have been brought from trial and tribulation into renewed faith, then you might consider sharing aspects of that burden on the blog, retrospectively, in a way that helps to lead your readers into repentant faith along with you. It is one of the ways in which the cross bears fruit, not only in you and for your benefit, but also for the benefit of your neighbor. The hymns of Paul Gerhardt are such an example. Consider how comforting and helpful they are, because they always confess such faith in the Gospel: precisely in, with and under the Cross. By contrast, imagine the difference if Gerhardt had wallowed in self-pity and despair, instead of confessing the Gospel.
12. Our cooperative blog is not the place for posting sermons or extended quotations or lists of things or personal family adventures (though in some cases such things may provide the context for theological commentary). If you want to quote something, fine, but do so for the sake of providing your own assessment and constructive critique (whether pro or con).
Posts
21 comments:
Festival Days only. Crucifix, book bearer, presider reading. No torches, yet.
Do Lutherans use Crucifixes? Pardon my ignorance. Where I grew up, it was strict crosses (Crucifix was one of those strange things that Catholics did).
As far as Gospel procession, why not every time! :)
Also what about incense or the Gloria Tibi Domine?
We have an altar crucifix and a processional crucifix at our parish. Chad, why not? Sounds good to me.
Incense is used in some parishes, but those are few. No torches because we don't have any.
I forgot, we also have Christ crucified in stained glass in the transcept window.
We do a mini Gospel procession to the font, which is up by our chancel in the center, on Sundays when I have a server.
On festivals, where we often have quite a few servers, we'll do as much as we have servers for: cross, torches, book, incense (the last item we use only on Epiphany and Easter Vigil).
+HRC
Procession Cross/Crucifix - Nothing at stake here. Either one will do.
Lots of other possibilities:
Incense?
Gloria Tibi Domine? (That's in the hymnal)
Chanted Gospel?
Choir sings Alleluia Verse?
The list goes on.....
Tonight at the Elder's meeting I get to bring up the practice of processing the crucifix/processional cross. My plan is to use it on Sundays when the Lord's Supper is celebrated, which I also hope in the near future will be every Sunday, and on festival Sundays.
Any thoughts on good ways to present what the procession is, how it works, and the benefits to the congregation in such a practice? Thanks in advances!
Dear brother Wright, the best way to introduce a crucifix is done by following the event in which someone donates the crucifix to the congregation; it greased the skids in two congregation in which I have previously served.
Robert. [Schaibley]
We use it every Sunday. However, only on festivals does the Cross accompany, and only on the feasts do the torches accompany book and cross.
My parish has them on: (a) Christmas Eve; (b) Christmas Day; (c) Epiphany; (d) Easter Sunday; (e) Ascension Day; and (f) Pentecost.
We have a processional crucifix, torchbearers, book bearer, and presiding minister in the procession. Incense had been used and hopefully may/will be restored in the near future.
The Alleluia Verse is sung by the Presiding Minister in the chancel. Then a Sequence Hymn is sung by the Congregation, during which the procession forms and moves. The Gospel Acclamation ("Glory to You, O Lord.") is are sung. The Gospel is read. The Gospel Acclamation ("Praise to You, O Christ") is then sung, after which the procession returns and the Hymn of the Day begins.
LTZ
@Rev. BT. Ball: Thanks for your response!
I grew up LCMS and was taught that we don't use crucifixes (like the Catholics do) because, unlike the Catholics, we worship Christ raised, whereas the Catholics wish to keep Christ on the cross (or some other such nonsense).
There is a point somewhere in there that seemed valid and still does somewhat today. Catholics recognize two forms of the cross for a valid Mass: the Sacrifice of Christ (Crucifix) and Christ Victorious (Christ appearing in risen glory in front of an empty cross).
The Crucifix appeals more to my sensibility, but my Lutheran Pastor does seem to have a small theological point about The Cross representing the symbol of Christ's victory as opposed to the morbidity of the particulars of how he achieved that victory.
Personally, being vividly reminded of Christ's sacrifice usually helps keeps me on track with my faith (no matter how bad I have it now, it's not THAT bad).
Though I'm not crazy about the Mexican/Hispanic Crucifixes which have all the vivid gory detail of the bleeding scourge wounds. That's a little TOO poignant reminder for me
The crucifix to me signifies God's gift to us, that our sins are on that cross, bought and paid for.
My parents grew up with the "christ isn't on the cross because he's raised" definition. But then I ask, is the manger in your Christmas creche empty? Because Christ certainly isn't a babe any more.
Chad,your Lutheran pastor isn't being Lutheran when he pictures the cross as something morbid to get beyond. The cross is victory -- that's the Good Friday gospel. The empty tomb is the certification that the Good Friday cross is victory. Jesus says, "Now is the judgment of this world; now the ruler of this world will be cast out. And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all unto Myself" -- to which St. John adds, wanting to clearly point to the cross, "This He said, signifying what death He would die. [Jn 12.31-33]
It is the Reformed whose theology causes them to run as quickly as possible through Good Friday to get to Easter.
Lutherans ought see it differently and find great comfort and assurance in the crucifix, as did the Old Testament sinners when looking to the serpent on Moses' stick. "As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up ...." [Jn 3.14]
Cordially,
Robert. [Schaibley]
The empty cross is simply a depiction of the instrument of death. Today it would be a hypodermic needle or an electric chair. The corpus on the cross is the statement - Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. No corpus, no blood, no forgiveness, no life. That's what makes the crucifix a uniquely Christian symbol. (The bare cross is not uniquely Christian! The Egyptian ankh comes close.)
The Theology of the Cross declares the death of Christ to be His victory, of which Easter is the public proclamation and vindication. But the victory of Christ is in His death on a Friday afternoon. "It is finished."
Hence processional crucifixes.
I've often pondered the use of a crucifix in Lutheranism, and why it fell out of us, and how best to get it back "in play."
The notion that I most often here is that an empty cross is a symbol of the resurrection.
Deconstructing this myth, I have thought:
(1) Jesus did not rise from the cross, he rose from the tomb. Right?
(2) The cross would have been empty whether or not he rose from the dead. Right?
How then did we construct the myth that an "empty" cross is a symbol of the Resurrection?
Any ideas on this "urban legend" in much of American [Protestantized] Lutheranism?
At Immanuel (Alexandria, Virginia, USA), we have a Gospel Procession during the seasons of Christmas, Epiphany, and Easter, on the Festivals of Pentecost and Holy Trinity, and other lesser festivals. The Processional Crucifix and two torches accompany.
+Christopher Esget
Every Sunday in ordinary time, processional crucifix, acolyte with candle lighter, assisting minister, and presiding minister (eucharistic vestments).
Every Feast or Festival Sunday, processional crucifix, torch bearers (2), book bearer (lectionary -- when are we going to get a decent book or book cover from CPH???), assisging minister, presiding minister (eucharistic vestments)...sometimes banner bearer, sometimes incense
Evening Prayer, large candle, processional crucifix, incense, presiding minister (cope)
At ULC in Minneapolis we have processions during Eastertide and on feast days. Normally its what I call a simple procession - Crucifer, torches, celebrant.
On big feast days, like Easter, Christmas, Epiphany, etc. We do - Thurifer, Crucifer, Torches, Gospel Book, Celebrant. Chanted Gospel on these days too.
@Paul:
The feeling I got from various pastors and teachers about the Crucifix thing was that that's what the Catholics do and so we definitely don't want to be like them.
I got that feeling a lot from my instructors and leaders and, looking back, it seems there was/is a lot of superstition about being "too close to those Catholics."
Luther didn't throw out everything in Catholicism, in fact, he kept the vast majority of it. Yet, there was/is this modern superstition.
Luther also held that Mary was ever-virgin, immaculately conceived, and even endorsed praying the Rosary (though he shortened the Ave Maria to get rid of the request for intercession). But the first part of the Ave Maria he still encouraged.
Yet, the Rosary was treated as a tool of Satan when I was growing up and it was more of the "Mary Worship" those Catholics did.
I should phone up some of my old Pastors and show them the sermons and writings where Luther advocated the Rosary and the Catholic Marian theology (save for the intercession parts).
Adding to Fr. Kinds comments above:
On non-festival Sundays at ULC, Pastor Kind processes to the Gospel horn of the altar for the proclamation of the Holy Gospel. (the OT & Epistle are still read from the lectern and not from the Epistle horn).
Jeff
Chad, I'd be curious to see where you have found Luther advocating the use of a rosary. I don't check back here often, so can you drop me a line at:
boc1580@gmail.com
Would love to see those quotes.
Thanks for your comments.
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