Stuff We American Lutherans Didn’t Grow Up With

There are a lot of things that I didn’t grow up with as a Show Me Synod Lutheran. However through historical and liturgical studies I have come to appreciate many things that Lutherans used to do that have passed into disuse, but, thankfully, are coming back. Many of which are seen in the chapels of the Counter-Pietism Unit of Gnesio-Lutherans.

A lot of these things were common Lutheran practice before the Thirty Years War (or during it). Arthur Carl Piepkorn has shown in his dissertation on the survival of the historic eucharistic vestments that Lutheran pastors continued for a long time to wear the chasuble for the main Divine Service (der Hauptgottesdienst). Some of these practices were being brought back by Old Lutherans and Neo-Lutherans most of whom refused to join the Prussian Union.

What are we talking about? Well, here are a few:

+ the weekly celebration of the Lord’s Supper (and on festival days - see Apology XXIV!)
+ liturgical chant by both pastor and people (see the Masses of Luther; Bugenhagen)
+ the traditional eucharistic vestments (alb, stole, chasuble for Divine Service; cassock and surplice for Matins/Vespers). The chasuble is coming back in many places. Congregations should purchase a set of white, red, purple, green (and perhaps blue) for the seasons of the church year (along with stoles and tippet). Ideally the congregation should own these so the pastor shouldn’t have to absorb the expense. Even Concordia Publishing House sells chasubles along with other good providers. Gaspard has a good selection at a reasonable price also. (No I’m not sponsored by Gaspard, I just like them for quality and price.)
+ the sign of the cross (see Luther’s Small Catechism for example) and other traditional gestures by pastor and people (kneeling, bowing, genuflecting, elevation, etc)
+ the regular observance of the historic lectionary and Church Year in general
+ processions - entrance, gospel procession, recessional, etc.
+ the regular use of the historic Creeds, especially the Nicene
+ the memorization of the Catechism
+ retaining traditional visual arts (crucifixes, stained, glass, statues, etc)
+ the maintaining of the traditional responses and “little exorcism” in the Holy Baptism rite
(see both of Luther’s Baptismal rites)
+ kneeling for the words of institution in the Lord’s Supper and for the confession of sins
+ the free availability of private confession and holy absolution for troubled consciences
+ consuming or at least keeping separate from unconsecrated any remaining bread or wine consecrated (the Lord’s body and blood) from the Holy Supper
+ the celebrating pastor would commune himself (distinguishing his person from his office) or from the hand of another pastor, but not a layman (including parish elders/deacons) (See Augsburg Confession, Article XIV).
+ the regular use of the Lutheran chorales (e.g. Luther, Gerhardt, Franck, Nicolai et al) and pre-reformation canticles. Chorales are to Lutherans what the rosary is to Roman Catholics or what icons are to Eastern Orthodox. The old protestant 19th century and early twentieth century favorite “spiritual/gospel hymns” aren’t Lutheran. Not all hymns are created equal. Lutherans should learn to sing the chorales well and often - the kernlieder. For Lutherans hymns or chorales are “sung sermons” not just praise in the protestant sense. Learn the chorales, catechism hymns, classic canticles…
+ the singing of the Psalter (psalms)
+ pericopal and sacramental preaching

To be noted is the fact that a lot of these things are simply perceived to be “Roman Catholic” or “too Catholic” by the average American Lutheran. The truth is that these things are well within the Lutheran tradition and the practice described by the Lutheran Confessions and therefore normative. The fact that many of these things are incorrectly taught, perceived, and in disuse does not mean that the confessional Lutheran pastor or congregation should ignore these things or neglect to gradually move in that direction by patient catechesis, gradual exposure to the things and pointing out their benefits as well as their Lutheran and pre-reformation pedigree. Not all of these things (and others not listed) are equally easy to recover. Much of that may depend on circumstances.

Many of our parishes have a long way to go on these things. As one District President recently pointed out, many LCMS parishes have forgotten or never learned what it means to be a Scriptural, Book of Concord, liturgical, sacramental Lutheran. That’s a tough road for an experienced pastor, let alone one wet behind the ears out of seminary. When so much of the LCMS and other Lutheran synods wants to go the Pietist route or the Purpose-Driven Church route or the ELCA ecumaniac route, this is definitely an end-times kind of battle.

Oratio, Meditatio, Tentatio: Do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry, pastors.

Outer Rim Territories