Priesthood of all believers = If all have sinned and need                                                                forgiveness, then everyone is                                                            equal before God

                                                    = Clergy no better than lay                                                                   people before God

                                                   = Priests are those who talk to                                                            God for the people. Now we                                                              are all priests

                                                   = We do not need any mediator                                                          between us and God. Christ is                                                          the only mediator

                                                   = Christians have a vocation, a                                                            calling from God

                                                   = Every Christian is called to love                                                         God and neighbor at home,                                                               school, work and play

                                                   = Christian parents are bishops                                                            in their homes

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But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God's own people, in order that you may proclaim the mighty acts of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. (1 Pet 2:9)​

Two Kingdoms = We are saved by Christ alone. Human                                            government is ultimately unable to save                                        the world.

                             = Government has an appropriate role in                                         protecting life and keeping order (see the                                     Law)                            

                             = Church has the role of proclaiming                                                  salvation through Christ, administering the                                    sacraments, and guiding people                                                      to live holy lives of love towards God and                                      neighbor (see the Gospel)

                             = Christians live in both “kingdoms‟: we are                                    called to be citizens and saints

                             = Lutheran Christians, then, serve in the                                           military, as government officials, etc. as                                         true callings.

                             = A Christian may disobey government only                                    when government claims to be a way to                                        salvation, prevents the preaching of

Worship

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The Purpose of Worship

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For Lutheran Christians, the primary reason we gather is

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to hear God’s Word for us

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Secondarily, we praise God, thank God, ask God for what we need, provide for the needy and the work of the church, and be with other Christians in fellowship.
 

This flows from our emphasis on justification by grace through faith. If our salvation is not based on our works, then our primary interaction with God is not our giving God something. Instead, we receive what God wants to give us: his Word, Jesus Christ, who is forgiveness, life, and salvation.

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Some consequences:

• The worshipers’ primary role is passive—receiving, listening, open to hearing God.

• With such an emphasis on the Word, the words of hymns are more important than the music.

• Scripture is the basis for the words spoken and sung

• God may speak to us in the confession and absolution, the reading of scripture, the sermon, the hymns, prayers, and even in our fellowship. Our job is to look and listen for God speaking to us. It may be a different source every Sunday.

• The sacraments (baptism and Holy Communion) are the one place we can guarantee Christ’s presence.

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God’s work is Sacramental
 

God does not come to us directly, but uses means received by faith—water in baptism, wine and bread in holy communion, words in the Bible, people in Christian community.

• With faith, we see, hear, and receive Christ.

• Without faith, we see only words on a page or spoken, water, wine, bread and sinful people.

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A Sacrament, rightly administered, has three parts:

• Ordinary things (water, bread, wine)

• God’s promise (making a child of God and one in Christ, forgiveness, life, and salvation)

• Christ’s command (Go…baptize—Matt 28:19, Do this—1 Cor 11:24-25)

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When God uses means, he doesn’t have to change them. Instead, God adds his Word, Christ, which makes the Sacrament a Sacrament:

• Water doesn’t stop being water

• Bread and Wine don’t stop being bread and wine

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We believe Sacraments are BOTH/AND:

• Water AND the Word which is Baptism

• Bread, wine AND truly the body and blood
  of Jesus which is Holy Communion

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Good Order Helps Worship Happen

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Good order in worship is about FOCUS: helping people focus on Christ:

• Using scripture as the basis for the words we say and sing

• Eliminating distractions (too many people walking around, conversations during worship, peeling paint)

• Providing familiarity (avoiding novelties that draw attention to the novelty and not the point)

• Consistent visual and auditory symbols which provide layers of meaning

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Good order is also about the WHOLE CHURCH: helping people experience God’s church that is bigger than the congregation

• Using an order of worship rooted in a common history

• Using a common series of readings (the Revised Common Lectionary)

• Using seasons of the church year (Advent, Christmas, Epiphany, Lent, Easter, Pentecost) and calendar of holy days

• Using common translations of the Bible, Lord’s Prayer, and Apostles’ Creed

Good order is about worship being an expression of the KINGDOM OF GOD: helping people experience heaven on earth

• Worship has a TRANSCENDENT dimension, meaning it lifts us out of time and space and connects us to the Big Picture of what God is doing

• We remember that our praises join the angels and all the saints in heaven

• We use texts (especially from Revelation) which focus us on the end of time, when God’s Kingdom is fully revealed.

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Adiaphora = matters of freedom
 

The word “adiaphora” refers to things that are not essential for salvation but are matters of freedom. If the proclamation and reception of the Gospel is the primary focus of worship, there are many matters that are issues of freedom:

• What language we use

• What instruments support our singing

• Wearing vestments (the white robe, etc)

• Having an stone or wood altar

• Having an altar at all!

• Using pews or chairs

• Using setting 1, 2 or maybe not using the ELW (the abbreviation for our hymnal, Evangelical Lutheran Worship)!

• What else can you think of?

Just because these are matters of freedom, does not mean they are unimportant! Remember the point is to proclaim the Gospel and since everyone speaks different languages, has different customs, and are distracted by different things, then we must be serve the whole community by discovering how they hear the Gospel best. We use our freedom for the sake of the Gospel and for our neighbor.