Lutheran Church

David Peterson

Ray Starin

Martin Luther

Topics of Discussion

• Martin Luther’s Protestant Reformation.

• Worship Practices

• Procedure of Service

• When Worship is Practiced

Martin Luther’s Protestant Reformation

• Martin Luther lived from 1483-1546• Luther developed his own personal theology,

which erupted into outright blasphemy when he protested the use of indulgences in his 95 Theses.

• Pope Leo declared 41 articles of Luther's teachings as heretical teachings, and Luther's books were publicly burned in Rome. Luther became more passionate in his effort to reform the Catholic church.

• Luther's first writing was The Sermon on Good Works, in which he argued that “good works do not benefit the soul; only faith could do that. “

•  In 1521, the Holy Roman Emperor, Charles V, demanded that Luther appear before the diet of the Holy Roman Empire at Worms. Luther was asked to recant. Luther refused and he was placed under an imperial ban as an outlaw. He managed to escape, however to Germany.

• Luther was excommunicated from the church in 1521.

• What had started as a attempt to reform the church had turned into a project of building a new church independent of the Catholic church. Thus started the Protestant church.

• Lutheran was a name applied to Luther and his followers as an insult but adopted as a badge of honor by them instead.

• Lutherans still celebrate the Reformation on October 31 and still hold to the basic principles of theology and practice espoused by Luther.

• Another of Luther's principles was that Scriptures and worship need to be in the language of the people.

Luther’s Idea of Freiheit

• the concept of Freiheit, "freedom," or "liberty." This is not our concept of freedom, but in the eventual turn of time it will give rise to the notion of "individual freedom," and later "political freedom," and later "economic freedom." Most of the European Enlightenment revolves around freedom and the project of "liberating" people: liberating them from false beliefs, from false religion, from arbitrary authority, etc.--that is, what we will be calling "liberation discourse." Westerners still participate in this Enlightenment project today. This idea of "liberating" people, so common to the international politics of our own period, comes out of Luther's idea of "freedom." (Coutesy of WWW.wsu.edu)

Lutheran Beliefs

• We are saved by the grace of God alone - not by anything we do

• Our salvation is through faith alone - we only need to believe that our sins are forgiven for Christ's sake, who died to redeem us

• The Bible is the only norm of doctrine and life - the only true standard by which teachings and doctrines are to be judged.

Lutheran Beliefs

• Luther's Small Catechism, which contains teachings on the Ten Commandments, the Apostles' Creed, the Lord's Prayer, Holy Baptism, Confession and Absolution, Holy Communion and Morning and Evening Prayers, is still used to introduce people to the Lutheran faith, as is the Augsburg Confession.

To Become a Pastor

• They must go through seminarian school and are allowed to marry.

• Men and Women can both become pastors.

• They conduct worship through teachings of the bible, and through a sermon.

Worship Practices• Baptisms, Weddings, Funerals, and Confirmation, Holy

Communion are practiced. • Lutherans accept two Sacraments as God-given means

for people to receive grace from God. Baptism and Holy Communion are visible acts of God's love.

• In Baptism, and it can be seen more clearly in infant Baptism, God freely offers his grace and lovingly establishes a new community.  It is in Baptism that people become members of Christ's Body on earth, the Church.  

• In Holy Communion - often called the Lord's Supper or the Eucharist, those who come to the table receive in bread and wine the body and blood of their Lord.  This gift is itself the real presence of God's forgiveness and mercy, nourishing believers in union with their Lord and with each other.

How to become a Lutheran

• To become a Lutheran, only Baptism in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit are needed.

• If you are Baptized in a Christian faith it will then only be necessary to attend a membership class in a Lutheran congregation and thus signify your desire to become a part of its community.  Active members of other Lutheran congregations usually need only to transfer their membership.

Procedure of Service

• Prelude– Done with organ or piano music– Altar boy lights the candles as part of his

confirmation requirements.– Pastor walks up center aisle and does prayer

facing the altar. • Welcome

• Where the Pastor greets the congregation, and gives blessing on the days date, representing the biblical calendar.

• Brief order of confession and forgiveness, where everyone stands. – Done in the name of the Father, Son, and

Holy Spirit. • After Pastor ask for blessing of the

congregation, there is a minute of silence for self-examination and reflection.

• Prayer of the Day is then done.• First and second lesson is then done with

Psalm (sung) in between the lessons.

• After Second lesson, a passage from the Holy Gospel is read.

• This is followed by the sermon in which the Pastor delivers from behind the pulpit.

• After the sermon the Creed is read– Apostles Creed is usually read, except for

around Easter the Nicene Creed is read.• Then the Holy Communion is done.• Offering and songs are sung afterwards. • Offertory prayer is done.

Benediction and Dismissal

• For ending service, they do a Great Thanksgiving

• Following is the Lords Prayer.

• The Pastor then gives his blessing and holds Communion Prayer.

• Followed by the Benediction and a dismissal.

Immanuel Lutheran Church (ECLA)

• ECLA (Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.)

• Location– 104 Snelling Avenue S– Saint Paul, MN 55105– Website

• Immanuelst.paul.org

• Started by Norwegian immigrants to Minnesota, they start a Lutheran congregation.

• Started in 1871 (135th anniversary this year of worship and fellowship.)

• 1917- The chapel is built at it’s current site of Goodrich and Snelling.

• 1,012 members currently– Confirmation is done in 9th grade– Average age is 65-70

• The Church has never had a mortgage until now with the addition of a gathering area between the two buildings.

View from Snelling Ave.

View from Goodrich Ave.